Lyrics:

I WAS OUT ON THE WEST COAST TRYIN' TO MAKE A BUCK
THINGS DIDN'T WORK OUT, I WAS DOWN ON MY LUCK
GOT TIRED OF ROAMIN' AND BUMMIN' AROUND
SO I STARTED THUMBING BACK EAST TOWARD MY HOME TOWN
MADE A LOT OF MILES THE FIRST TWO DAYS
I FIGURED I'D BE HOME IN A WEEK
IF MY LUCK HELD THIS WAY
BUT THE THIRD NIGHT I GOT STRANDED WAY OUT OF TOWN
AT A COLD LONELY CROSSROAD
RAIN WAS POURING DOWN
I WAS HUNGRY AND FREEZIN'
DONE CAUGHT A CHILL
WHEN THE LIGHTS OF A BIG RIG SEMI TOPPED THE HILL
LORD, I WAS SURE GLAD
TO HEAR THEM AIR BRAKES COME ON
AND I CLIMBED IN THAT CAB
WHERE I KNEW IT WOULD BE WARM
AT THE WHEEL SAT A BIG MAN
HE WEIGHED 'BOUT TWO TEN
HE STUCK OUT HIS HAND AND SAID WITH A GRIN
'BIG JOE'S THE NAME'
I TOLD HIM MINE
HE SAID, 'THE NAME OF MY RIG'S PHANTOM 309'
I ASKED HIM WHY HE CALLED HIS RIG SUCH A NAME
HE SAID, 'SON, THIS OLD MACK CAN PUT 'EM ALL TO SHAME
THERE AIN'T A DRIVER OR A RIG RUNNIN' ANY LINE
THAT'S SEEN NOTHIN' BUT TAIL LIGHTS FROM PHANTOM 309'
WE RODE AND TALKED THE BEST PART OF THE NIGHT
WHEN THE LIGHTS OF A TRUCK STOP CAME IN SIGHT
HE SAID, 'I'M SORRY, SON
THIS IS FAR AS YOU GO
'CAUSE I GOTTA MAKE ANOTHER TURN JUST UP THE ROAD'
HE TOSSED ME A DIME AS HE PULLED HER IN LOW
AND SAID, 'HAVE YOURSELF A HOT CUP ON OLD BIG JOE'
WHEN JOE AND HIS RIG ROARED OUT IN THE NIGHT
IN NOTHIN' FLAT HE WAS CLEAN OUT OF SIGHT
I WENT INSIDE AND ORDERED ME A CUP
TOLD THE WAITER BIG JOE WAS SETTIN' ME UP
YOU COULDA HEARD A PIN DROP
IT GOT DEATHLY QUIET
AND THE WAITER'S FACE TURNED KINDA WHITE
'DID I SAY SOMETHIN' WRONG?', I SAID WITH A HALF WAY GRIN
HE SAID, 'NO, THIS HAPPENS EVERY NOW AND THEN
EVERY DRIVER IN HERE KNOWS BIG JOE
BUT, SON, LET ME TELL YOU WHAT HAPPENED
'BOUT TEN YEARS AGO
AT THE CROSSROADS TONIGHT WHERE YOU FLAGGED HIM DOWN
THERE WAS A BUS LOAD OF KIDS ACOMING FROM TOWN
THEY WERE RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE
WHEN JOE TOPPED THE HILL
IT COULD HAVE BEEN SLAUGHTER
BUT HE TURNED HIS WHEELS
JOE LOST CONTROL, WENT INTO A SKID
GAVE HIS OWN LIFE TO SAVE THAT BUNCH OF KIDS
AND THERE AT THAT CROSSROADS
WAS THE END OF THE LINE
FOR BIG JOE AND PHANTOM 309
BUT EVERY NOW AND THEN, SOME HIKER'LL COME BY
AND LIKE YOU, BIG JOE'LL GIVE 'EM A RIDE
HERE, HAVE ANOTHER CUP AND FORGET ABOUT THE DIME
KEEP IT AS A SOUVENIR FROM BIG JOE AND PHANTOM 309