I was out on the West Coast, to make a And didn't work out, I was down on my luck Got tired a-roamin' and bummin' So I thumbin' back East, toward my home town.
Made a lot of miles, the two days And I I'd be home in week, if my luck held out this way But, the third I got stranded, way out of town At a cold, crossroads, rain was pourin' down.
I was hungry and freezin', done caught a When the lights of a big semi topped the hill Lord, I sure was glad to hear them air come on And I climbed in that cab, I knew it'd be warm.
At the wheel sit a big man, he weighed two-ten He stuck out his hand and said with a "Big the name", I told him mine And he said: "The of my rig is Phantom 309."
I asked him why he called his rig such a He "Son, this old Mack can put 'em all to shame There ain't a driver, or a rig, any line seen nothin' but taillights from Phantom 309."
Well, we rode and talked the part of the night When the of a truck stop came in sight He "I'm sorry son, this is as far as you go 'Cause, I gotta a turn, just on up the road."
Well, he me a dime as he pulled her in low And "Have yourself a cup on old Big Joe." When Joe and his rig out in the night In flat, he was clean out of sight.
Well, I inside and ordered me a cup Told the Big Joe was settin' me up Aw!, you coulda heard a pin drop, it got deathly And the waiter's turned kinda white.
Well, did I say something I said with a halfway grin He said: "Naw, happens every now and then driver in here knows Big Joe But son, let me tell you what about ten years ago.
At the crossroads tonight, you flagged him down There was a bus load of kids, comin' town And they were in the middle, when Big Joe topped the hill It have been slaughter, but he turned his wheel.
Well, Joe lost control, went a skid And his life to save that bunch-a kids And there at that crossroads, was the end of the For Big Joe and 309
But, now and then, some hiker'll come by And like you, Big Joe'll 'em a ride Here, have another cup and about the dime Keep it as a souvenir, Big Joe and Phantom 309!"