My good friend Cecil Morrison was a mile counting, truck driving, rolling down the highway man.The Greyhound busses and 18 wheelers he drove took him to many far away places. He survived dangerous roads and black ice collisions but always
had a good laugh talking about it. He was the one who got me to my brother inlaw's
wedding in Penticton. He drove me to Hope...the end of his line on that Greyhound bus, as we talked about all the towns he had been to in B.C.
He inspired many good songs out of me and Lea; the BC Song, In the Sun, The Lonely Caballero
and this one, 18 Wheels. It's about how a job that takes you far away from your loved ones and the comforts of home. Cec was a strong and loyal man with a heart of gold. He beat cancer once but unfortunately,
not the second time. A couple of years back on a cold winter day, he left this Earth and we
miss him dearly. Many people come and go in my life but only a few special ones, like Cecil,
get songs written about them.
He liked 18 Wheels because it was a
good old country song with an acoustic guitar, wailing harmonica and Lea Sheldan harmonies.
It was recorded in a barn in Maple Ridge BC. by George Mallot in 1994. It was our first project together as Smokeywine and we still have a few cassettes tapes laying around if you're interested.
It was transferred to our Country Love CD later so that's why it sounds so bootleg. But it still has a gritty feel with good imagery of your eyes glued to the road ahead and your back stuck to the seat.
I asked the burning question why? Cecil told me with a thrill in his eyes how he threw down chains on the highway so his big truck could drive through a blizzard to get back home to his beautiful wife, Katherine. It's all about love and man, Cecil was in it for the long haul. Literally.
Until next time, keep on rollin. Mark Sheldan
Click on the link below to listen on Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/album/1o384e6E1ltdWMbANJOJ0w?si=vQHbKF-tSv6_1WTbbu93kw
Then you can sing along to the words below:
18 Wheels
I’m sitting in a bar drinking me a beer
Thinking ‘bout a woman thousand miles from here
Things never go the way that you got them planned
I’m a mile-counting, truck-driving
Rolling down the highway man
Early in the morning ‘fore the sun begins to shine
I’m gonna be a hauling down that Mason Dixon line
Well, you can’t do what you want to
You gotta do just what you can
I’m a mile-counting, truck-driving
Rolling down the highway man
CH: 18 wheels down the road
18 wheels down the road
18 wheels down the road
I’m sick and tired of sleeping all alone
I’m hungry for my woman
And I’m hungry for my home
It’s a hard, hard thing for this hard-working man
I’m a mile-counting, truck-driving
Rolling down the highway man
CH: 18 wheels down the road . . .
This old rig’s a screaming through the dusty heat
My eyes are glued to the road ahead
My back stuck to the seat
Oh why I keep on driving, God only understands
I’m a mile-counting, truck-driving
Rolling down the highway man
18 wheels down the road . . .
Down the road, down the road, going down the road, down the road…
Written by Mark Sheldan copyright 1994 Socan
#18wheels#countrylovesong#originalmusic#lovesong#drivingsong#hungryforyourwoman#hardworkingman#highwaysong#acousticvibe#bluesharp#smokeywine#truckdriving#highwayman#dropdtuning
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