Townes Van Zandt - White Freight Liner Blues Lyrics






I'm goin out on the highway
Listen to them big trucks whine
I'm goin out on the highway
Listen to them big trucks whine

White freight liner
Won't you steal away my mind
Ah, new Mexico ain't bad, lord
And the people there they treat you kind
And the people there they treat you kind

Well, it's bad news from Houston

Half my friends are dying
Well, it's bad news from Houston
Half my friends are dying

Ah, lord, I'm gonna ramble
Till I get back to where I came
Ah, lord, I'm gonna ramble
Till I get back to where I came

I'm goin out on the highway
Listen to them big trucks whine
I'm goin out on the highway
Listen to them big trucks whine





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Townes Van Zandt White Freight Liner Blues Comments
  1. J.... H....

    Lyle Lovett does an amazing version of this song

  2. 7.... ....

    This is a awesome tune. I like the version from Townes "Live At The Old Quarter" a little better

  3. S.... N....

    I came here after watching Molly's gentle on my mind then seeing john hartford's original which was very nice, even following molly's great cover.
    It's harder for me to feel the same way about this original compared to first listening to molly cover.. she's amazing

  4. W.... ....

    The funniest thing about this video is that it is accompanied by, of all things, an ad for Disney World. :))

  5. R.... A....

    I remember when they called the White Freight Liners.....Japenese Freight Liners, don't ask me why. I guess because they were cheaper built than earlier Freight Liners.

  6. G.... L....

    Never heard this til today. Growing up my dad ran a White Freightliner dealership and they sponsored a truckers hour on a local radio station. They should have been playing this:)

  7. c.... ....

    WOW! (...just about covers this)

  8. D.... B....

    I was born in 82, when I was 19 I hauled grain in an 86 freightshaker. I couldn't hear the radio, the windows rattled and the passenger door would open on it's own. It had a big cam Cummins, loaded to hilt I could keep up with the big boys. To this day it was my favorite truck. It was only a "Freightliner" but this song brings back a lot of memories

  9. F.... ....

    Molly Tuttle with Billy Strings and the Boys to a great rendition: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4j0LtIqOdN8

  10. N.... ....

    now that's what I call country music <3

  11. L.... H....

    such an important person in our music world.

  12. C.... W....

    I was a huge Townes Van Zandt fan when I was a teenager, I remember going to a bluegrass festival once when I was sixteen and one of the bands played this song. I was so ovejoyed I nearly jumped out of my seat.

    C.... W....

    I heard Colter Wall play it a few months back. Blew my mind

  13. V.... B....

    Came here because I'm in love with Molly Tuttle. Now i can't stop listening to TVZ.

    V.... B....

    you have made a wise choice

    V.... B....

    Been playing guitar Scruggs-style, distracted by Molly-style flatpicking (via the Doc). Then this bass-picking stuff. Love Mother Mabelle, but fuck it, I think I'll make my own.

    V.... B....

    Whatever it took to get you here.

  14. C.... D....

    2 people weren't raised righg

  15. T.... L....

    If you pick it...it'll never heal.

  16. R.... Z....

    I can't live without TVZ

  17. 1.... ....

    I want to kick the fiddle player out of the town.

  18. f.... b....

    I drove one many a mile back in the 60's and 70's

  19. E.... A....

    I'm going out on the highway, listen to them big trucks whine.

  20. E.... A....

    Fuck me. He's telling my life story.

  21. O.... K....

    I grew up in a White Freightliner on the road with my Dad every summer from 11 yrs old on. Got my own truck at 22. Stayed out there for 35 years

    O.... K....

    Cool story.

    O.... K....

    Thank you for everything you did on the road. I just got out of it becsuse today's business just aint what i expected. Im 24 and what i wanted was this. Not today's complete bullshit. If i ever get the cash to buy my own rig, on the road i go! But by own terms! Hahaaaa! Stay safe driver

    O.... K....

    Owen Kavanaugh I hear ya

    O.... K....

    Good times. I used to sit on a milk crate in my Dad's 1969 U Model Mack. i grew up in Transportation but I've been out of it for as long as I was around it. It gave me a good work ethic. I'll always have a soft spot for trucks.

  22. J.... M....

    He was too beautiful for this world.

    J.... M....

    @Jadon Lyons I'm not a singer, BUT I COULD do better than him. While you are lmfao, You may like or admire him all you want. He STILL SUCKED as a singer. Could WRITE songs beautifully. Personal Friend? I understand, BUT (I) am living in REALITY. He is one of the most cringe-worthy "singers" my ears have ever bled too.

    J.... M....

    @waydav1s Well you may think he's not a good singer, but I know for a fact his name will be spoken of long after yours or mine... and the original posting didn't even say his singing was beautiful it said he was beautiful.. so if anybody has something personal going on here, man I think it's you.. I've heard hundreds of different voices singing and his is not bad by any means hahaha so what are you smoking my dude you need to throw that shit out..

    J.... M....

    @Jadon Lyons "Name will be spoken.." . Like I give two shits. PFFFT Talkin to the hand.

    J.... M....

    @waydav1s Yeah! That Tom Waits guy is a terrible singer too! What do people get out of listening to them?!

    J.... M....

    @roy arrowood Roy, Mark Twain said it best: "No amount of evidence will ever persuade an idiot." Leave them in their blissful delusion.

  23. A.... M....

    I saw him perform in small venues in Houston a couple of times. Truly a great songwriter and performer. I feel lucky to have been there.

    A.... M....

    Yes ma'am, you sure were. Townes is an American treasure, one of the greatest songwriters of the 20th Century.

    A.... M....

    was that young townes (sand mountain days in the late 60s) or were you one of the lucky few to be there when he recorded "live at the old quarter" in '73?

    A.... M....

    Townes is not an American treasure, Townes is a World's treasure. We've been celebrating him, every year, for more than 20 years. Here, north of Milan, Italy... Sorry for my bad English.

    A.... M....

    You've been truely lucky Mrs. Ann McCarthy...

  24. M.... M....

    Why would you "thumbs down" a piece of Americana, unless you were some Taliban POS?

    M.... M....

    Mike Mascow some people just can't find the soul in music like this. It's sad. This is a lot better than some of the other music today.

    M.... M....

    timetraveler4000 - exactly!

    M.... M....

    Who knows why, but everyone has different taste, or is listening for different reasons. I don't think it makes sense to claim someone is anti-American automatically for not liking a particular song or artist.

    M.... M....

    One love to everyone. No more hate.

    M.... M....

    Toooo bold an opinion, my friend. Yeah, maybe the whole trucker blues thing is most definitely American, but let’s allow this style of music to be used wherever it travels. Townes wrote the best songs I’ve ever heard. Idk why, I just like his songs a whole lot. You have a stern cock stuck up your ass if you can’t see past the fact that this isn’t just American music. Townes was a hippy that wrote in the Texas blues style but he didn’t give a fuck about the America that you in particular envision

  25. S.... H....

    Looks like I picked the wrong day to stop drinking. Fuck.

    S.... H....

    HAHAHA! I hear ya! For fuck sake, half my friends are dying (are dead).

  26. F.... S....

    Scrubbed the gears with the best of them for 22 yrs. Big truck keep on rolling.

    F.... S....

    Fred Strehlow Don't scrub the gears...float em smoothly, come on?!!!

  27. G.... E....

    If you don't love Townes, you're on idiot!

    G.... E....

    If you don't love idiots, you're not a Christian! Lol.

    Just kidding.

    G.... E....

    If you're on topic, you ain't this guy ^^^^

    G.... E....

    Gwynn Evans exactly

    G.... E....

    I only like him... I don't love him. I'm not gay... like you.

  28. D.... H....

    Townes, one of the greatest songwriters,singers we will ever, have the honor of ever knowing.The most genuine human being.Now days, most artists, are not, that real, or kind.Townes, was a sincere, and kind person.Also a great singer, songwriter....

  29. m.... P....

    Spent the best thirty years of my life driving OTR saw a lot of things and missed a lot of life I wouldn't give it back or do it again for anything.

    m.... P....

    max Payne you sound confused over your past. It's made you who you are...is that bad?

    m.... P....

    God bless you! From an old hobo,

    m.... P....

    max Payne - I totally understand. Same

  30. R.... M....

    bad news from Pittsburgh... half my friends are dying

  31. C.... H....

    Was at a great country/folk show in Winnipeg a couple of years ago where the bands were drinking on stage all night and chilling with the audience... my friend asked them to play some TVZ and they did a great version of this... then later they did an even better version of Waitin Around To Die. I love how Townes' legacy lives on in modern folk/country music, if only he could see how universal and heartfelt the tributes are.

    C.... H....

    @Colonel Hart sounds almost like the madtrappers they play at the high and lonesome and all over the place

    C.... H....

    Colonel Hart I like to think they loved the song but accidentally hit it while throwing there phone in there pocket.

  32. F.... P....

    Terrific. Absolutely terrific stuff.

  33. H.... N....

    prurdy dog gone cool!

  34. 2.... ....

    one of my favorites for sure

  35. j.... g....

    nuthin but love ya Townes <3

  36. S.... B....

    blues when you feel'n lo down

  37. f.... ....

    Well lord im gonna ramble, till I get back to where I came

    f.... ....

    fuckyoutube and

  38. B.... o....

    our woody

    B.... o....

    I agree long live real music

  39. J.... M....

    Awesome!

  40. J.... ....

    That's a pretty long intro. 

  41. s.... ....

    I love the truck

  42. o.... ....

    Haunting, this is just amazing. Amazing live and alone. I wish he was still around.

  43. W.... ....

    i dont care for steve earle....but i love townes...and steves son is better than he ever was!

  44. Z.... S....

    His son's name is Justin Townes Earle, and he is a BRILLIANT songwriter. Give 'em a look! :)

    Z.... S....

    Justin townes earle is steve Earle's son. Steve and townes where good friends

  45. T.... V....

    where's the repeat infinitely button when you need it??? now listen to them big trucks whiiiiiiiiiiiiiiine!!!

  46. C.... N....

    No, it's Owen Cody.

  47. d.... ....

    F,C7,F,C7,G,F,C but fuckall if I could pick like that.

  48. A.... D....

    one of the best song writers that ever lived

  49. W.... ....

    i...dont care for steve earle.

    but i love townes

  50. t.... ....

    @freeborngunr2 - I can vividly recall driving up from galveston one time hearing Mr. Earle's Townes album for the first time with a tear or two in me eye.

  51. t.... ....

    knock it off mickyg

  52. c.... w....

    Thank you for posting this for us to enjoy

  53. M.... ....

    Molly Tuttle does and excellent version of this song

    M.... ....

    Molly's version is the ultimate version IMO.

    M.... ....

    I really like her version. It is pretty faithful to this one though.

    M.... ....

    She's a wonderful player. Probably a far superior player to Townes but it just doesn't do it for me. Not enough mistakes maybe lol

  54. b.... ....

    @MickyG4444 I like that one too, but I wouldn't say one is better than the other. They're both great in their own right. Live at The Old Quarter definitely has all of the pros of a live show, but this version has that great solo and bridge.

  55. w.... ....

    is johnny gimble the fiddle player? Or was he a student of Gimble's?

  56. a.... ....

    Awesome version! I am so glad that his music happened to me.

  57. P.... M....

    @townesfan10 very cool, i will try to find this on vinyl (so i can listen to it on my 1953 turn-table/radio)!!!!

  58. t.... ....

    Yes sir

  59. P.... M....

    is the entire album live??

  60. P.... M....

    now THIS is the shit!!!

  61. e.... ....

    This entire CD is so good, and I especially love this song. I think when i got Rear View Mirror i listened to this track at least 10 times in a row before i could bring myself to move on to something else.

    e.... ....

    equality53000 what cd is this

  62. b.... ....

    townes at his best