Bachman Turner Overdrive - Roll On Down The Highway

This song is about a trucker making a haul. Written by drummer Robbie Bachman and bass player Fred Turner (who sang lead), the song tapped into the '70s fascination with trucking culture. A year later, C.W. McCall scored a US #1 with the similarly themed "Convoy." Unlike McCall's song, "Roll On Down the Highway" is pure rock, employing a heavy sound for the song about the big rig.

Randy Bachman and Fred Turner would often give themselves assignments as motivation to write songs, often writing something in the style of a current hit. This song evolved out of something they wrote for a Ford commercial. In our interview with Randy Bachman, he explained: "It's like getting an assignment: write a new commercial for Ford and you'll get paid $100,000. Well, I'd sit down and I'd write a commercial for Ford, 'let it roll down the highway.' Ford never picks it up and I have a song called 'Roll On Down the Highway.'"

Lyrics

We rented a truck and a semi to go

Travel down the long and the winding road

Look on the map, I think we've been there before

Close up the doors, let's roll once more

Cop's on the corner, look he's starting to write

Well, I don't need no ticket so I screamed out of sight

Drove so fast that my eyes can't see

Look in the mirror, is he still following me?

Let it roll down the highway

Roll, roll

Look at the sign, we're in the wrong place

Move out boys and let's get ready to race

Four fifty-four's coming over the hill

The man on patrol is gonna give us a bill

The time's real short, you know the distance is long

I'd like to have a jet but it's not in the song

Climb back in the cab, cross your fingers for luck

We gotta keep moving if we're going to make a buck

Let it roll down the highway

Roll

Let it roll

Let it roll down the highway

Roll, roll, roll

Down the highway

Let it roll down the highway

Roll, roll, roll

Let it roll down the highway

Roll, roll, roll

Songwriters: Charles Turner / Randy Bachman / Robin Bachman