I was out on the Coast, tryin' to make a And things didn't 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 first two And I figured I'd be home in week, if my luck held out way But, the third night I got stranded, way out of At a cold, crossroads, rain was pourin' down.
I was and freezin', done caught a chill When the lights of a big semi the hill Lord, I sure was glad to hear them air brakes come on And I climbed in that cab, where I 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 "The name of my rig is Phantom 309."
I him why he called his rig such a name He said: "Son, this old can put 'em all to shame There a driver, or a rig, a-runnin' any line seen 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 said: "I'm 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 said: "Have 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 went inside and 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 kinda white.
Well, did I say wrong? I said with a halfway grin He said: "Naw, this every now and then Ever' in here knows Big Joe But son, let me tell you what happened about ten ago.
At the crossroads tonight, where you flagged him There was a bus load of kids, from town And were right in the middle, when Big Joe topped the hill It could been slaughter, but he turned his wheel.
Well, Joe control, went into a skid And gave his to save that bunch-a kids And there at crossroads, was the end of the line For Big Joe and 309
But, every now and then, hiker'll come by And like you, Big Joe'll 'em a ride Here, have another cup and forget the dime it as a souvenir, from Big Joe and Phantom 309!"