Bad Mother Trucker

Album: Soul (2020)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Most trucking songs tell stories about working men behind the wheel. Here, Eric Church switches things up by honoring a tough-as-nails female hauler.

    Them boys would chuckle when they saw her buckle
    Herself in the captain's seat
    But nobody was laughin' when she'd go to passin'
    Smilin' at them real sweet


    The closest cousin we could find on our database is Crystal Bowersox's "Arlene," which is about a female bus driver.
  • The feminist anthem is recounted by the son who details how his "bad mother" taught him everything he knows about respecting women.

    I was raised on jerky from here to Albuquerque
    Went to school on her ol' CB
    She made a name for herself, taught me how to spell
    R-E-S-P-E-C-T


    Church nods to another feminist anthem, Aretha Franklin's 1967 hit tune "Respect" where the Queen of Soul also spells out R-E-S-P-E-C-T.
  • Country singer Joanna Cotten provides soulful vocal harmony throughout the song. A longtime Eric Church backing vocalist, Cotten can also be heard supplying the gospel harmonies on "Heart Like a Wheel."
  • Church co-wrote this slide guitar-propelled southern rocker with Casey Beathard, Luke Dick and Jeremy Spillman. All three have collaborated with Church before, including Beathard with "Drowning Man," Dick with "'Round Here Buzz" and Spillman with "The Snake."
  • Church's regular producer Jay Joyce helmed the track.
  • The original "bad mother..." is Shaft, from the Isaac Hayes song and movie. This song spins it around by making the character a woman.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Yoko Ono

Yoko OnoSongwriter Interviews

At 80 years old, Yoko has 10 #1 Dance hits. She discusses some of her songs and explains what inspired John Lennon's return to music in 1980.

Holly Knight ("The Best," "Love Is A Battlefield")

Holly Knight ("The Best," "Love Is A Battlefield")Songwriter Interviews

Holly Knight talks about some of the hit songs she wrote, including "The Warrior," "Never" and "The Best," and explains some songwriting philosophy, including how to think of a bridge.

Laura Nyro

Laura NyroSongwriting Legends

Laura Nyro talks about her complex, emotionally rich songwriting and how she supports women's culture through her art.

Sarah Brightman

Sarah BrightmanSongwriter Interviews

One of the most popular classical vocalists in the land is lining up a trip to space, which is the inspiration for many of her songs.

Supertramp founder Roger Hodgson

Supertramp founder Roger HodgsonSongwriter Interviews

Roger tells the stories behind some of his biggest hits, including "Give a Little Bit," "Take the Long Way Home" and "The Logical Song."

U2 Lyrics

U2 LyricsMusic Quiz

How well do you know the lyrics of U2?