I was out on the West Coast, to make a And things didn't work out, I was on my luck Got tired a-roamin' and bummin' So I started thumbin' East, toward my home 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, lonely crossroads, rain was down.
I was hungry and freezin', done caught a When the lights of a big semi topped the Lord, I sure was glad to hear them air brakes come 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 stuck out his hand and with a grin "Big Joe's the name", I him mine And he "The name of my rig is Phantom 309."
I asked him why he called his rig such a He said: "Son, this old can put 'em all to shame ain't a driver, or a rig, a-runnin' any line Ain't seen nothin' but taillights 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 tossed me a dime as he her in low And "Have yourself a cup on old Big Joe." When Joe and his rig roared out in the In nothin' flat, he was out of sight.
Well, I inside and ordered me a cup the waiter Big Joe was settin' me up Aw!, you heard a pin drop, it got deathly quiet And the waiter's face turned white.
Well, did I say something wrong? I 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 happened about ten ago.
At the crossroads tonight, where you him down There was a bus of kids, comin' from town And were right in the middle, when Big Joe topped the hill It could have slaughter, but he turned his wheel.
Well, Joe lost control, went a skid And gave his life to 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 you, Big Joe'll give 'em a ride Here, have another cup and forget about the Keep it as a souvenir, Big Joe and Phantom 309!"