Phantom 309

	  		
C                  Em         F               G 
I was out on the West Coast, tryin' to make a buck 
C                  Em         F               G 
And things didn't work out, I was down on my luck 
C             Em         F         G 
Got tired a-roamin' and bummin' around 
C                       Em         F           G 
So I started thumbin' back East, toward my home town. 


C              Em       F         G 
Made a lot of miles, the first two days 
C                         Em         F               G 
And I figured I'd be home in week, if my luck held out this way 
C                        Em         F           G 
But, the third night I got stranded, way out of town 
C                  Em         F               G 
At a cold, lonely crossroads, rain was pourin' down. 


C                  Em         F           G 
I was hungry and freezin', done caught a chill 
C                Em         F             G 
When the lights of a big semi topped the hill 
C                  Em         F               G 
Lord, I sure was glad to hear them air brakes come on 
C                  Em         F               G 
And I climbed in that cab, where I knew it'd be warm. 


C                  Em         F               G 
At the wheel sit a big man, he weighed about two-ten 
C               Em         F           G 
He stuck out his hand and said with a grin 
C                  Em    F        G 
"Big Joe's the name", I told him mine 
C                  Em         F               G 
And he said: "The name of my rig is Phantom 309." 

C                  Em         F           G 
I asked him why he called his rig such a name 
C                  Em          F               G 
He said: "Son, this old Mack can put 'em all to shame 
C                  Em         F               G 
There ain't a driver, or a rig, a-runnin' any line 
C                  Em         F               G 
Ain't seen nothin' but taillights from Phantom 309." 

C                  Em         F               G 
Well, we rode and talked the better part of the night 
C                  Em         F           G 
When the lights of a truck stop came in sight 
C                  Em         F               G 
He said: "I'm sorry son, this is as far as you go 
C                  Em         F               G 
'Cause, I gotta make a turn, just on up the road." 

C                  Em         F               G 
Well, he tossed me a dime as he pulled her in low 
C               Em         F               G 
And said: "Have yourself a cup on old Big Joe." 
C                  Em         F          G 
When Joe and his rig roared out in the night 
C              Em         F           G 
In nothin' flat, he was clean out of sight. 

C                 Em        F        G 
Well, I went inside and ordered me a cup 
C              Em         F           G 
Told the waiter Big Joe was settin' me up 
C                  Em         F               G 
Aw!, you coulda heard a pin drop, it got deathly quiet 
C            Em         F            G 
And the waiter's face turned kinda white. 

C                      Em         F               G 
Well, did I say something wrong? I said with a halfway grin 
C                  Em       F               G 
He said: "Naw, this happens every now and then 
C          Em         F        G 
Ever' driver in here knows Big Joe 
C                  Em         F               G 
But son, let me tell you what happened about ten years ago. 

C                  Em         F               G 
At the crossroads tonight, where you flagged him down 
C              Em         F               G 
There was a bus load of kids, comin' from town 
C                        Em         F               G 
And they were right in the middle, when Big Joe topped the hill 
C                  Em         F               G 
It could have been slaughter, but he turned his wheel. 

C             Em         F          G 
Well, Joe lost control, went into a skid 
C                  Em       F            G 
And gave his life to save that bunch-a kids 
C                  Em         F               G 
And there at that crossroads, was the end of the line 
C      Em         F     G 
For Big Joe and phantom 309 

C                  Em         F               G 
But, every now and then, some hiker'll come by 
C              Em         F           G 
And like you, Big Joe'll give 'em a ride 
C                  Em         F               G 
Here, have another cup and forget about the dime 
C                  Em         F               G 
Keep it as a souvenir, from Big Joe and Phantom 309!"