This song tends to get its reputation as a ‘bad song list’ staple from people who hate Novelty Songs by definition, but as Country novelty songs of the era go, it’s not really that bad. True, it’s not on the level of Roger Miller or Shel Silverstein’s work in the genre, but the colorfully incomprehensible trucker lingo that makes up the lyrics is oddly fascinating in terms of pure sound, and the lead singer gives a superb performance. Yes, it’s silly and ridiculous, but calling a Novelty Song ‘bad’ for that is kind of missing the entire point of the genre, and this song, while not exactly ‘funny’ in the classic sense of the word, is bizarre and colorful enough to qualify as a success on Novelty-Song terms.
Verdict: Good