Key: D
Introduction:
D G D
Mama hated diesels so bad
D G D
I guess I knew it was something to do with dad
G D Bm
The first time I ever seen her cry, was after one of them things went by
D G D
Mama hated diesels so bad
D G D
I remember hearin' those semis gearing down
D A
My mom and me lived right on the high grade end of town
G D
I sure loved them white freighters, but there was somethin' in Mama's eyes
A D
when she'd catch me watching the road, lord, a little bitty piece of her died
D G D
Mama hated diesels so bad
D G D
I guess I knew it was something to do with dad
G D Bm
The first time I ever seen her cry, was after one of them things went by
D G D
Mama hated diesels so bad
(Spoken)
D G
As the years passed and I grew older, mama did too
D
Pretty soon she stopped singin' and laughin', well, she'd hardly even eat
A
I began staying away from home on the weekdays, and wouldn't come home from school till'
way after dark
G
I was always too busy havin' fun, either messing around with some girl or hanging aroun
the truckstop
D
or talking too my buddies about about the big rigs that were all the time rollin' in
A
Or talking about all the crazy places we never been, like California
(Spoken)
D G
Well, one day the county sheriff came up to me
D G
He said they found my mama wandering all by herself in the middle of the highway cryin'
A
She was trying of all things Lord, to flag down one of them rigs with a pocket handkerchief
G
Well, that left me all on my own
(Spoken)
G
I got a job unloadin' rigs down at the local frieght yard
D
Pretty soon I got a rig of my own and I left hometown on my very first runt to Frisco
A
That was three years ago today, and I ain't been home in all that time since then, till now
(Sing)
D G D
Now it's me and the local preacher, standing in the graveyard grass
A
Staring down at the highway, watching those big boys pass
G D
Well he laid his hand upon me and he prayed for quite some time
D A D
I could barely understand the words he said behind that highways whine
(Spoken)
D G D
He handed me a faded photograph, he said he found it in my mama's hand
D A
He said , I'm afraid you and this picture were the best your mama ever had
G D Bm
Well I looked down at that picture, it was Mama and some guy
D A D
standing beside a semi- truck, "just married" written on the side
D G D
Mama hated diesels so bad
D G D
I guess I knew it was something to do with dad
G D Bm
The first time I ever seen her cry was after one of them things went by
D G D
Mama hated diesels so bad