"Eastbound and down, loaded up and truckin' Oh, we gonna do what they say can't be done", lyrics from the song "East Bound and Down" written by Jerry Reed and Dick Feller, and recorded by Reed for the soundtrack for the film Smokey and the Bandit.
CB Radio, trucks, and great country music, the life of a long-distance trucker is a tough one. Days away from family, traveling a long lonely road, driving the length and breadth of the country to deliver load after load. You might ask what does little ole' me know about trucking...you might be surprised.
When I was a little girl during my school holidays, my dad would sometimes take me to work with him and yes, you've guessed it, he was a long-distance lorry driver or truck driver depending on what side of the world you come from. As you can imagine, for me it was an exciting adventure and to be with my dad, made it extra special.
We would get up and leave the house in the early hours of the morning, first travelling to the depot to pick up Dad's lorry. Once at the depot, Dad would lift me up into the lorry and I would sit in this huge cab area., ready for the adventure to begin. The roar of the lorry's engine would start, the windows wound down and the radio switched on., we were off! My dad loved music, he played piano, mouth organ and, had a beautiful singing voice. We both would be singing along to classic country songs at the tops of our voices travelling down the motorway.
After a couple of hours of travelling we would stop for breakfast at a truck stop... yum, I love an egg, bacon sandwich with ketchup and a nice cup of hot tea. It was one of the highlights of the day for me. With breakfast finished, we continued our journey to deliver the load and then returned back to the depot.
On many occasions, I remember my dad teaching me how to drive and park the truck. I would sit on his lap and take control of the steering wheel, whilst my Dad operated the pedals. At that time I didn't know this skill would stick with me throughout my life. Being a singer, I've travelled up and down the country gigging from venue to venue. Often driving and parking large vehicles and transit vans. It's funny how life seems to know in advance what you will need for your future.
I hold those memories and times spent with my dad close to my heart, we travelled the length and breadth of the country together, Fuelled By Country Music!
If you would like to be Fuelled By Country Music you might also consider checking out 'Here For You'. It’s my album, and it’s full of country songs that I like to think would make my Dad proud.
Here's the video for one of those songs...I hope you enjoy it, let's hit the Road to Love, together!
If you enjoy "Road to Love" and would like to hear more music from my album, "Here For You", you can listen to, or even pick up your own copy of the album HERE.
Thank you for reading and watching :)
Debbie Nunn. x
P.S I'd love to hear about your special childhood memory, so please don't be afraid to leave a comment below. I would love to hear from YOU!