"Eighteen Wheels and a Dozen Roses" is a song written by Paul Nelson and Gene Nelson, and recorded by American country music artist Kathy Mattea. It was released in March 1988 as the second single from her album Untasted Honey. The song hit number one on both the US[1] and Canadian Country charts in 1988.
| "Eighteen Wheels and a Dozen Roses" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Kathy Mattea | ||||
| from the album Untasted Honey | ||||
| B-side | "Like a Hurricane" | |||
| Released | March 12, 1988 | |||
| Genre | Country | |||
| Length | 3:23 | |||
| Label | Mercury | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Gene Nelson and Paul Nelson | |||
| Producer(s) | Allen Reynolds | |||
| Kathy Mattea singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Content
editThe song is about a truck driver named Charlie who is retiring after thirty years to spend more time with his wife. The song mentions Charlie receiving a gold watch, a common retirement gift. The song's chorus counts down from the number 18 (the number of wheels) to 12 (the roses), until Charlie eventually reaches the "one that he loves."
Critical reception
editIn 2024, Rolling Stone placed "Eighteen Wheels and a Dozen Roses" at #176 on its 200 Greatest Country Songs of All Time ranking.[2]
Music video
editThe video was directed by May/Sams. The video opens with Mattea dining at the Pie Wagon, a diner off Music Row in Nashville, when a truck driver approaches her and asks for her autograph as a present for his wife. Here, we learn that her first name is Nina. Throughout the video, there are scenes of Mattea on her tour bus, performing with her band, and scenes of the truck driver. 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 video ends with a shot of various trucks driving on the highway.
Charts
editWeekly charts
edit| Chart (1988) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[3] | 1 |
| Canadian RPM Country Tracks | 1 |
Year-end charts
edit| Chart (1988) | Position |
|---|---|
| US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[4] | 19 |
External links
editReferences
edit- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country Hits: 1944-2006, Second edition. Record Research. p. 217.
- ^ "The 200 Greatest Country Songs of All Time". Rolling Stone. May 24, 2014.
- ^ "Kathy Mattea Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.
- ^ "Hot Country Songs – Year-End 1988". Billboard. Retrieved July 10, 2021.