2006-05-05 - 9:36 a.m.
While I hate contemporary country radio, sometimes country hits certain chords that are just so heartbreaking that I feel like my friends out in the blue states just have no clue what they are missing.
Last night we turned on my friend Suzanne's cable music channel to bluegrass, and we listened to all these sweet old country songs. Old country is really just fantastic - mostly.
Here's the lyrics of a song that I've always thought one of the most charming in the country repertoire. It really isn't even that old. Kathy Mattea did it in 1987... but it still captures much of what's good about the genre:
"Eighteen Wheels and a Dozen Roses"
by Gene Nelson and Paul Nelson
Charlie's got a gold watch, don't seem like a whole lot,
After thirty years of drivin', up and down the interstate.
But Charlie's had a good life, and Charlie's got a good wife.
And after tonight she'll no longer, be countin' the days.
Eighteen wheels and a dozen roses;
Ten more miles on his four day
run.
A few more songs from the all-night radio,
Then he'll spend the rest of his life,
With the one that he loves.
They'll buy a Winnebago, set out to find America.
They'll do a lot of catchin' up, a little at a time.
With pieces of the old dream, they're gonna light the old flame.
Doin' what they please, leavin' every reason behind.
Eighteen wheels and a dozen roses,
Ten more miles on his four day run.
A few more songs from the all night radio,
Then he'll spend the rest of his life,
With the one that he loves.
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