C.W is one of the best, if not the best singer/song writters and is a top notch story-tellers. Bear = Cop Smokie= Cop Chicken-Coop = Truck-stop/weigh station Hammer = Accelerator
@@jamesanthony8438 I was part of that too. I was just about to turn 6yrs old that year 🥰 There was a HUGE bicentennial parade and lunch iunch in town for everyone at the local park.
10-4!!! I met my husband talking on the CB radio too . We were both in high school and all the kids would hang out on the same channel . It really was the chat room of the 70s . That was 42 years ago now and we're still together and very happy.
And a cab-over is a truck that sits above the motor so that the front of the truck is flat. The conventional rig has the motor out front like almost all the other vehicles on the road.
Back in 1977, my family took a 2 week camping trip to the Rockies. We set up camp wherever my dad and mom liked. We listened to C.W. McCall on the trip. This brings back great childhood memories.
Loved the movie & this song. Had many family members who were or still are truck drivers. Because of them I know to never disrespect the power of a semi rolling. To any truck drivers out there I truly appreciate all you do to keep this country going.
Never thought of that as rapping - but you're right. Back in 1976, all the truckers were freaked out by the 55 mph speed limit. This came out of that. CW McCall put out a number of "songs" like this. If you want to try another - suggest Wolf Creek Pass. Completely accurate about the road.
Rapping as we know it actually came out of Beatnik poetry in the 40s and 50s ... Think Langston Hughes and his contemporaries. But the style of using spoken words to create depth and texture is so much older than this. Shakespeare gangsta style!
This is one of the great things about older music - anything that was singles based rather than albums - whatever was going on, someone would make a song about it, and could get it on the market while it was still timely.
Oh my gracious! My husband was a trucker. This is one of his favorite songs. I think thee was also a movie named "Convoy" with Kris Kristofferson and a lot of truck/cop chases. All the guys will like this one because it's macho. The gals will like it because the movie has Kris Kristofferson. He was hot back in the day.
tks to your husband! truckers make the country go! i worked in store business 20 yrs.. always let truckers know they were welcome and bought them a coffee...if they wanted to park the rig and sleep ..showed them where to park...
This song came out during the big disputes between the truckers, police, & companies. Truckers created these big long lines of trucks to protest & make a point. They were able to maneuver semi's so they could block police cars, cars, trucks, etc. No one could pass in another lane to get past them. And if you were on a 2 lane highway you were pretty much screwing to travel along with them at the same speeds so they wouldn't run you over. You should look up old news media of the convoys.
A little context. This was basically a protest song. Back in the 70s the trucking industry was fighting back against a lot of government regulations that made it hard for independent drivers to make a living. 55 mph speed limit, maximum load size, fuel prices, etc. This song ended up being so popular, it was adapted into a movie of the same title.
Your face. Lmbo. My dad was a truck driver was a truck driver for 20 years. He would turn this on. And listen to this when he would drive. Mind you we didn't have much money growing up. I remember in my dad's truck. He had a lawn chair for a passenger seat. Anytime he would hit a bump I'd go flying. But this song definitely brings back memories. I miss my dad so much.
I LOVED this song so much, that I learned CB lingo and talked my Dad into a base station unit for my bedroom! I had a 50 foot Antenna sticking out my bedroom window LOL!!!
The "Smokey Bears" he was referring to was CB slang for the state police along with "City Kitty" for the city officers and "County Mounty" for the county deputies. My dad had a CB in the car and pickup and would listen to it when we were travelling between Ft. Lee, VA and our hometown in Upper East TN in the late 70s. I still remember a few of the slang words and phrases.
AWESOME memories!!!❤️Mom owned a truck stop when I was young. This song came out shortly after she sold the business. She said she'd have loved having this on the juke box.❤️❤️
Loved this song and love the movie even more. Such a great film too, Kris Kristofferson and Ernest Borgnine brought this brilliant wee song to life :-) If you haven't seen it, go watch the movie everybody. 1976 was a fabulous year and a fantastic summer, even Scotland had lots of lovely sunshine, hugs x
I’m female born in ‘61. My handle was Two Timer. We used to do rabbit hunts. One carload of us was the rabbit and the other cats were the wolves. We all had cbs in our cars and were in constant communication with each other so you could hear the background where the rabbit was. First to find the rabbit was the next rabbit. Basically hide and seek with vehicles lol. Sure was a blast. Gosh I’ve gotten old.
This was huge! 70’s music, anything could go. CB radios were so popular...well, I guess it was the first cell phones. People had them in their house and would talk to trucker - develop friendships.
This brings back the CB radio craze of 70s. It seemed like everybody had one in their personal vehicles and a colorful "handle" to go with it. They gave us some of the convenience of cell phones, but, SO much more fun.
I drove my first truck in 1971 and I'm still at it. I grew up when truckers were held in high esteem. This takes me back before cell phones, gps and a relationship between waitresses and truckers was like eating at home. The average tip for a meal which was about 80 cents was a dime.
Man I'm a 56-year-old white man every time I watch you you're funny you was looking at the back beat on that convoy song or the back vocals when I was funny I thought you was going to laugh at something else you funny man I love you
Ty you're right!!!! That was rap if I ever heard it! Goes to show everything old is new again! You have a great ear for music, psychology, culture...the list goes on! You come close to crossing boundaries. But, you catch yourself.
First 45 RPM II owned as a kid.....My dad was and still drives big rigs 85 years young and still delivering goods to you. The C.B. craze was huge back in the 70's and I know what all those terms meant. Brings back memories, Thanks
This song, along with the TV show Movin' On (theme song by Merle Haggard), made CB radios popular back in the mid 70s. And as someone else commented, "bears" AKA Smokey or Smokey Bear referred to cops. There was a whole CB lingo that was a big deal back then. I think "10-4" (goodbye) still survives to some degree. "Breaker 1-9" was hello. 'What's your 20?" meant what's your location. My personal favourite was "pregnant rollerskate" (Volkswagen).
You aught to watch the full movie version of this song. It’s got action! I loved that movie back in the day! My brother-in-law and sister-in-law were extras in a movie with the lead actor from this movie (Kris Kristofferson) called “Blood and Orchids”. He was also in an episode of “Magnum, PI”.
This is the 2nd time I’ve watched a reaction to this song in the last month & both times it brought tears of nostalgia to my eyes. My dad really enjoyed this song & it brings him back to me some 45 years after he passed. 🥰 The lyrics paint a vivid picture in my mind of all those trucks driving almost coast to coast but I have to wonder, what was their plan when they hit the eastern seaboard?! Certainly the “bears” would be waiting for them when they finally had to stop to unload the trucks, lol. Oh well, it’s a fun song & shouldn’t be taken that seriously! 😅
Great movie....great song...my little brother loved this...my gawd I heard it 976346896448 times a week...he wore that 45 out lol 🎶💜🎶💜🎶 I still know all the words after all these years lol now I want to watch the movie again. I love your reaction!!!! And omg the Rodney rendition.. That was hilarious...sorry but it was!
OMG, I remember the CB craze, my friend Ray had one in his car. Yes, we used some of the jargon too. That's where this Rap song came from, I do believe Ty is correct. About 10 years ago when my son was 10 years old he loved this song and I had to listen to it whenever we were in the car. It got old fast because I didn't care much for it back in the day. Thanks for the memories.
MRM, someone said it right ,it's older than dirt and I am the only thing that is older than dirt. It is time to laugh over PURE silliness and that is what this is. I remember when every man here in the south had a cb radio. I can't understand anything on the things, MRM,LOOKS like it is time for you to go to bed.
There is a sequel called "Around the World with a Rubber Duck". "Wolf Creek Pass" is another great one by him. The movies Convoy, Smoky and the Bandit... there are a lot of 70s trucker movies that will make some of the trucker slang in this song make more sense to the younger audience. The bears in the song are the police. especially the state troopers out on the highway.
Brings back memories! A movie was later made based on this song. It came out around the same time as "Smokey and the Bandit" with Burt Reynolds. Both movies about fun, fast driving, and defying the cops. Innocent humor...at the time...
Big hit back in 76. Everybody had a cb in their vehicles. I had a cb in my Plymouth Roadrunner, and my handle was "Comic Book Kid". See avatar to your left, that's from '77. One of those songs that was responding to the cb radio craze. Fun days.
If you haven't already done so, please check out the reason this song was written, it's a great history lesson that highlights the real American spirit.
A lot of people do consider this to be one of the first rap songs, since it predates the beginning of the hip hop movement in the early 80's by almost a whole decade.
I had this song on 45 - CB's used to be a huge thing. My uncle had one and would talk to truckers all the time. Best line "11 long-haired friends of Jesus in chartreuse microbus"...lol
It was the 1970's we had an "oil gas shortage" Top speed on all highways was 55mph. Gas was outrageously expensive. Truckers couldn't get their loads delivered on time. The diesel was too high. They weren't making enough money to get by. CB radio was citizens band radio. Truckers had been using them for years. Then they became a new craze. Cars as well as trucks were joining convoys. The more the merrier. I was in a couple of them that were miles & miles long. Nobody was getting stopped by the bears!!! Everybody was speeding! The bears were the police. A married woman down the street had 2 handles/names on CB radio. Her husband was a trucker. She'd get on her CB & flirt with other men. She would invite them over to look at her CB radio & tell them it was under her bed😂😂😂😂
Interesting comments about rapping. Love this song and I loved the movie Convoy too. Brought back memories of another era. Guess I need to pull out my DVD of it and watch it again.
This movie was filmed between Az. and N.M. near Gallup N.M. i was 10 years old at the time and my late father (may he rest in peace) took me to watch the filming of this movie it was the best birthday present ever
Was a big song in my house in the 70's the whole family went to the old neponset drive in in Dorchester Massachusetts to see it 40 years later after my first retirement guess what I do now 😂🤣😂🤣
There were several country "singers" back in the 60s and 70s that didn`t actually sing. They just told stories set to music. Red Sovine was another one. CW Macall had several lesser known "songs" that were incredibly funny. "Classified", "CJ5 In 4 Wheel Drive", and "Wolf Creek Pass" are just 3 that come to mind.
Being from NW Indiana, the convoy would have collapsed once it headed East out of Chi-town, based on the dreadful condition of 1-80/90/94. My mom had a CB in the 70s, when she drove to Tennessee several times a year.
After this song not just truckers had a cb radio, the whole country bought them I mean it was a phenomenon. The convoys, I think, started during the teamsters going on strike, they were throwing objects onto the Semis above the overpasses and the non Union truckers had enough of it and started convoying
After this song came out in 1975 CB radios became a big thing. There was a culture built around it that I thought was kind of silly. However,m when I had to drive from San Diego to Norfolk VA, I bought a CB. It came in handy. Whenever a trucker spotted a cop on the freeway he would announce on his radio where it was by the mile marker. That way you could haul ass without getting caught.
Chip Davis wrote all the C W mcCall songs. He then went on to form Mannheim Steamroller which is famous Christmas Shows for the past 36 years. He also does Aire music. Convoy was written during the CB fad, everybody had CBs in their cars.
I have been listening to this song for a long time. You are correct that he is rapping in this song. Which is why I always liked it. I am kinda weird where I like country and rap music. Depending on the type of day I am having.
CW McCall was the stage name of William Dale Fries Jr. Do a search fo CW McCall and learn what he has been up to. Also, you should listen to Red Simpson's "I'm a Truck", you just might get a kick out of it. My Dad says that the first time he heard rapping was when he would see any musical with Rex Harrison. Man never sang, just said the song lines in time to the music, see "My Fair Lady" and/or "Doctor Doolittle" (1967) for examples. :-) And the show you referenced was the Beverly Hillbillies.
There was a whole genre of CB/trucker songs in the 70s. Convoy, Kentucky Moonrunner, White Knight, Dad I Gotta Go, and sad ones like Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear's Last Ride, and tons of others....
Talking over music probably goes back at least 100 years. It was called "talking blues" before hip hop took over. It was a popular type of folk music. Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Leadbelly and others did talking blues songs.
Oh my goodness. I haven’t heard this one in a very very longtime .. a classic song from a the movie “convey “ .. old school country .. truckers anthem for decades ❤️🇺🇸.. a song with cool attitude
@ModernRenaissanceMan Lol crazy to think this was #1 in 1976, I remember it well. His rapping cadence you were imitating reminds me a lot of Rapper's Delight but this was 3 years before the Sugar Hill Gang released that. "See, I am Wonder Mike, and I'd like to say hello, To the black, to the white, the red and the brown, the purple and yellow..." 🙂
HUGE Song back on the 70s,, CB "Citizen's Band" Radios become a pop culture thing. They started out as a way interstate truckers communicated. They would warn each other about speed traps and give info about Weigh Stations, Traffic, Truck Stops, Food, and also vice ( hookers and drugs). Like any other sub culture they had slang they used " Smokey" ( Cop) Double Nickel ( 55Mph Speed limit) Swindle Sheet ( travel /weigh log) Shakey Town and Chi town ( Los Angelos and Chicago) Cab Over Pete. Jimmy ( Cab over the Engine Peterbuily Semi, and GMC Semi.).Chicken Coop ( Weigh Station).
Y'all, I LOL'd when he sang the Rodney King version of Beverly Hillbillies. Doesn't make me a bad person, though there may be some who are triggered by that. Actually, I started laughing the instant he started pointing out that "Convoy" was rapping. Great reaction vid, Ty!
I totally know all the words to this song. The movie made me want to get a CB radio. My parents said 'no way.' ... Even though I knew all the CB lingo 😅
CB Radios (Citizen Band Radios) were all the rage in the 70's. It was kinda like live text messaging/chat room/mobile phone in the day...lol...my CB Handle (name) was Streaking Lizard....lol... you actually had to have a license to operate one back in the day.,,and yes, as someone mentioned, Chip Davis was one of the men behind C.W. Mccall.. who, in fact, was NOT a real person... it was one of the writers...Bill fries... they even made a movie of this song in 1978 with Kris Kristofferson
I grew up listening to this guy's music! (Okay, as a kid I'd thought they meant literal bears too. But I came to find out that it was a term for State Troopers, also sometimes called "Smokey's" because the hats they wore looked a lot like the one Smokey the Bear is famous for.) There's a LOT of trucker lingo in this song, and several others of his. Some other great ones by him are "Wolf Creek Pass", "Black Bear Road", "Classified", and "Four Wheel Drive".
This takes me back to those CB days of the 70s. Once my mother and I drove from Hotlanta to Shaky Town with stops in Space City and in Lost Wages. We were fortunate to get in some good convoys almost the entire trip. Those truckers really looked out for us and made sure we were safely in the rocking chair 95% of the time. They took good care of us and were respectful in their language. Then there was that time a couple of them talked about those 2 seat covers in the blue cutlass, not realizing that was us! We let them go on for a while before telling them. ;) BTW, we weren't wearing revealing clothing. Just shorts because it was summer. Once when we had the front door, we spotted a smokey on the other side of San Antone. We called back to the guys and gave them a heads-up about the smokey on the left near mile marker [whatever]. After a while, they radioed up to us and said they never saw that smokey but that they did see one near there on the right side. Just then Mother and I realized that our inability to tell right from left without a considerable amount concentration and figuring had caused the confusion. I told them he was on the left and she didn't even notice I got it wrong. (Yes, we both had that "condition," although I'm lightning fast with north, south, east and west.) I told them that I meant my other left, we all got a good laugh out of it, but they never let me take the front door after that!
