Eighteen Wheels and a Dozen Roses
Encyclopedia
"Eighteen Wheels and a Dozen Roses" is a country song
by Kathy Mattea
from her 1987 album, Untasted Honey
. The song was released as a single and hit number one on both the US and Canadian Country charts in 1988. The song is about a truck driver
called Charlie who is retiring after 30 years to spend the rest of his time with his wife. The song mentions Charlie receiving a gold watch, a common retirement gift.
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
by Kathy Mattea
Kathy Mattea
Kathleen Alice "Kathy" Mattea is an American country music and bluegrass performer who often brings folk, Celtic and traditional country sounds to her music. Active since 1983 as a recording artist, she has recorded seventeen albums and has charted more than thirty singles on the Billboard Hot...
from her 1987 album, Untasted Honey
Untasted Honey
Untasted Honey is the fourth studio album by American country music artist Kathy Mattea. It was released in 1987 on Mercury Records. The album produced Mattea's first Number One hit on the Billboard country charts in its lead-off single "Goin' Gone"...
. The song was released as a single and hit number one on both the US and Canadian Country charts in 1988. The song is about a truck driver
Truck driver
A truck driver , is a person who earns a living as the driver of a truck, usually a semi truck, box truck, or dump truck.Truck drivers provide an essential service to...
called Charlie who is retiring after 30 years to spend the rest of his time with his wife. The song mentions Charlie receiving a gold watch, a common retirement gift.
Music video
The video was directed by Jim May, & Coke Sams. The first scene takes place at The Pie Wagon, a small diner off Music Row in Nashville. It features a truck driver, who asks for Kathy's autograph, as a present for his wife. Throughout the video, there are scenes of Kathy on her tour bus, performing, with her band, and scenes of the trucker. In the end, the driver makes it home, his wife greeting him, and he hands her the dozen roses mentioned in the song's lyric, as they walk arm in arm into their house; Kathy turns off the lights to the bus, and the last shot is one also seen in the beginning of the video; various trucks driving on the highway.Charts
| Chart (1988) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles | 1 |
| Canadian RPM Country Tracks | 1 |