Milsap was born in Robbinsville, North Carolina with a congenital disorder that left him almost completely blind. He was abandoned by his mother as an infant and raised by his grandparents until the age of five, when he was sent to the Governor Morehead School for the Blind in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Milsap showed musical aptitude at an early age. The school stressed classical music training but he preferred country, gospel and rhythm-and-blues. He released his first single, Total Disaster, in 1963 at the age of twenty. This was followed by several Ashford And Simpson, compositions, including the memorable "Let's Go Get Stoned", which, unfortunately for Milsap, was relegated to a b-side. A few months later it would become a million-selling single for the more popular blind pianist, Ray Charles. 1972 found him working regularly at Roger Miller's King of the Road Club in Nashville, Tennessee and he signed with RCA Records in 1973. He was at his peak of popularity in the late 1970s and early 1980s with songs that made his name familiar to pop as well as country audiences, such as "It Was Almost Like A Song," "{There's) No Gettin' Over Me," "Smoky Mountain Rain," "I Wouldn't Have Missed It For The World," and a remake of Chuck Jackson's "Any Day Now" (which was named Billboard magazine's Number One Adult Contemporary hit of 1982). Milsap recorded for RCA until 1992. During that time he created five gold albums, one platinum album and one double platinum album. He also won six Grammy Awards and eight Country Music Association awards including the coveted Entertainer of the Year Award. In 2005 Milsap resigned with RCA Records and released a new country single, "Local Girls."
Milsap has recorded music with Kenny Rogers, Elvis Presley and Barry Manilow.
Ronnie and his wife Joyce currently make their home in Nashville, Tennessee.
Milsap enjoys his hobby of amateur (Ham) radio. More info on him can be found at: http://www.qrz.com/wb4kcg
Prisoner Of The Highway
Ronnie Milsap Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
As I pull it on to the interstate
I've got thirteen hours to make my destination
And I don't want to stop to check my weight
Won't be no sleep for me tonight, no
Gotta be hittin' Tulsa by first mornin' light
[Chorus:]
Driven on by my restless soul
I'm a prisoner of the highway
Imprisoned by the freedom of the road, yeah
I've run freight out of Wheeling West Virginia
And U.S. Steel from Bethlehem
And I've rolled tobacco out of the Carolinas
California winds into Birmingham
Some people work just to survive
But up here in this cab
Is the only time I'm alive
[Chorus:]
I'm a prisoner of the highway
Driven on by my restless soul
Call me a prisoner of the highway
Imprisoned by the freedom of the road, yeah
I've got a wife livin' back in Tennessee
Ronnie, she tries to understand the way I feel (Lord, have mercy)
Now I could give my hand to another line of work
But my heart would always be behind the wheel
[Repeat First Chorus:]
Don't ya know
[Repeat Second Chorus:]
We're prisoners of the highway (that's right)
Imprisoned by the freedom of the road
Yeah, we are prisoners of the highway (one more time)
Imprisoned by the freedom of the road
The lyrics to the song "Prisoner of the Highway" by Ronnie Milsap depicts the life of a truck driver who's hit the open road for yet another long haul, moving from one city to another, across great stretches of highways and crisscrossing the country. The singer talks about the power he feels behind the wheel of his truck and the limitless freedom of the road. He finds himself a prisoner of the highway, driven on by his restless soul. The song highlights the life of an over-the-road trucker. The opening lines of the song express the sense of urgency behind the wheel of this big rig, mowing down the interstate while coping with the pressure set by the heavy-duty schedule. The singer insists that there won't be no rest for him tonight and that he "gotta be hittin' Tulsa by first-morning light." He is always on the move, led by his unstoppable spirit and propelled by his desire to drive away from life's routine.
The chorus reinforces this theme of feeling trapped in the road, unable to leave the freedom that is the open highway. The singer's connection with the truck is almost romantic, and he seems to adore his work behind the wheel, even though it means being away from the wife who waits for him in Tennessee. He even admits that his heart would always be behind the wheel, and even though he appreciates his wife's efforts to understand his way of life, the road calls. In conclusion, Prisoner of the Highway is a song that pays tribute not only to truck drivers but to everyone finding themselves trapped by their obsessions, which prevent them from leading a typical life - those finding joy being themselves despite the sacrifices it may cause.
Line by Line Meaning
Diesel power, eighteen wheels to rollin'
My truck is powered by diesel and has eighteen wheels that move me forward
As I pull it on to the interstate
I enter the highway known as the interstate
I've got thirteen hours to make my destination
I have exactly 13 hours to reach my intended place of arrival
And I don't want to stop to check my weight
I don't want to take a break or stop to check how much weight I'm carrying
Won't be no sleep for me tonight, no
I won't be able to sleep at all tonight
Gotta be hittin' Tulsa by first mornin' light
I must arrive in Tulsa by early morning
Call me a prisoner of the highway
Refer to me as someone who is restricted by the highway
Driven on by my restless soul
My passionate desire to travel keeps me going
I'm a prisoner of the highway
The highway controls my actions and movements
Imprisoned by the freedom of the road, yeah
Though I'm free to move, it's the highway that holds me captive
I've run freight out of Wheeling West Virginia
I've transported merchandise from Wheeling West Virginia
And U.S. Steel from Bethlehem
I've moved steel products from Bethlehem
And I've rolled tobacco out of the Carolinas
I've carried tobacco from the Carolinas
California winds into Birmingham
I've transported winds from California to Birmingham
Some people work just to survive
Some people work merely to stay alive
But up here in this cab
But when I'm in this driving seat
Is the only time I'm alive
It's the only moment when I feel truly alive
I've got a wife livin' back in Tennessee
I have a wife who stays in Tennessee
Ronnie, she tries to understand the way I feel (Lord, have mercy)
My wife Ronnie tries to comprehend how I'm feeling
Now I could give my hand to another line of work
I could switch to another job if I wanted to
But my heart would always be behind the wheel
But my true calling is what I do behind the steering wheel
We're prisoners of the highway (that's right)
All of us who drive are held captive by the highway
Imprisoned by the freedom of the road
Though we are free to move, we are still restricted in our actions
Yeah, we are prisoners of the highway (one more time)
Once again, we are confined by the highway and what it demands of us
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: MICHAEL BARRY REID
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Wes Whitlinger
I'm 71 and retired now. I put in over 5 million miles over the road, and it's still in my blood. Don't believe I'll ever shake it. It's just there. Dam I miss it.
Joe Carsella
@Ryan Beers i can't tell if you're joking or not lol, there's rigs out there with many millions on them. And tons of drivers have many millions of miles under their belts.
Phillip Smith
Hell yeah hand, WE appreciate you and all you've done for this country. We'll get it the rest of the way. Enjoy your time at the lake!
Jaydon Koehn
God bless you brother keep the good old memories in you head and heart!
Randall Stewart
70 now, started at 20..Dern, guess it's been 50 years, and still Diesel Truckin.
Mark Daniels
Thx for working so hard for our country go bless you.
The Unknown
Thank you TRUCKERS!! For gettin all our stuff to us. From mile to mile. Underrated profession.
Adam Caraballo
Many thanks hand
Dustin Broyles
Jesse and James and Swicegokd
Forrest Gore
@Rob Noco q