I was out on the Coast, tryin' to make a And didn't work out, I was down on my luck Got a-roamin' and bummin' around So I started thumbin' back East, toward my town.
Made a lot of miles, the two days And I figured I'd be home in week, if my held out this way But, the third night I got stranded, way out of At a cold, crossroads, rain was pourin' down.
I was hungry and freezin', caught a chill When the lights of a big semi topped the hill Lord, I sure was glad to hear them air brakes on And I climbed in cab, where I knew it'd be warm.
At the wheel sit a big man, he weighed two-ten He out his hand and said with a grin "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 a name He said: "Son, old Mack can put 'em all to shame There ain't a driver, or a rig, any line Ain't nothin' but taillights from Phantom 309."
Well, we and talked the better part of the night the lights 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 tossed me a dime as he her in low And "Have yourself a cup on old Big Joe." Joe and his rig roared out in the night In nothin' flat, he was out of sight.
Well, I went inside and me a cup Told the Big Joe was settin' me up Aw!, you heard a pin drop, it got deathly quiet And the waiter's turned kinda white.
Well, did I say something wrong? I said a halfway grin He said: "Naw, happens every now and then Ever' driver in here Big Joe But son, let me tell you happened about ten years ago.
At the crossroads tonight, you flagged him down There was a bus load of kids, comin' town And they were right in the middle, when Big Joe the hill It could been slaughter, but he turned his wheel.
Well, Joe lost control, went a skid And gave his life to save that kids And there at that crossroads, was the end of the For Big Joe and 309
But, every now and then, some come by And like you, Big give 'em a ride Here, have cup and forget about the dime Keep it as a souvenir, from Big Joe and 309!"