Eighteen Wheels and a Dozen Roses

Last updated
"Eighteen Wheels and a Dozen Roses"
Eighteenwheelsandadozenroses.jpg
Single by Kathy Mattea
from the album Untasted Honey
B-side "Like a Hurricane"
ReleasedMarch 12, 1988
Genre Country
Length3:23
Label Mercury
Songwriter(s) Gene Nelson and Paul Nelson
Producer(s) Allen Reynolds
Kathy Mattea singles chronology
"Goin' Gone"
(1987)
"Eighteen Wheels and a Dozen Roses"
(1988)
"Untold Stories"
(1988)

"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.

Contents

Content

The 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."

Music video

The 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

Weekly charts

Chart (1988)Peak
position
US Hot Country Songs ( Billboard ) [2] 1
Canadian RPM Country Tracks1

Year-end charts

Chart (1988)Position
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard) [3] 19

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The discography of Kathy Mattea, an American country music singer, comprises 18 studio albums, four compilation albums, and 42 singles. From 1983 to 2000, Mattea recorded for Mercury Records, the label with which she achieved her greatest commercial success. During this time period, she had six consecutive albums, five studio and one compilation, certified Gold or Platinum by the RIAA. To date, Mattea has a total of 17 Top 10 singles on the Billboard charts as either a solo artist or as part of a collaborative effort. Of those Top 10 singles, four of them, "Goin' Gone", "Eighteen Wheels and a Dozen Roses", "Come from the Heart", and "Burnin' Old Memories", peaked at #1 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart.

<i>Untasted Honey</i> 1987 studio album by Kathy Mattea

Untasted Honey is the fourth studio album by American country music artist Kathy Mattea. It was released in 1987 on Mercury Records. The album produced Mattea's first Number One hit on the Billboard country charts in its lead-off single "Goin' Gone". Following this song was another Number One hit, "Eighteen Wheels and a Dozen Roses", then "Untold Stories" and "Life as We Knew It", both of which reached #4. "The Battle Hymn of Love" was later released as a single from Mattea's 1990 album A Collection of Hits. Like Walk the Way the Wind Blows before it, this album includes a cut originally found on Nanci Griffith's 1986 album The Last of the True Believers, this time in the track "Goin' Gone". Untasted Honey was certified gold by the RIAA.

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<i>A Collection of Hits</i> 1990 greatest hits album by Kathy Mattea

Untold Stories: A Collection of Hits is the first greatest hits compilation released by American country music artist Kathy Mattea. It was released in 1990 on Mercury Records and has been certified platinum by the RIAA. The album includes eight of her previous singles, as well as one newly recorded track, and an album cut from 1987's Untasted Honey, the Tim O'Brien duet "The Battle Hymn of Love". Both of these songs were released as singles in 1990, and both reached #9 on the Billboard country charts.

"Love at the Five and Dime" is a song written and originally recorded by Nanci Griffith and later recorded and released by American country music artist Kathy Mattea. It was released in April 1986 as the first single from Mattea's album Walk the Way the Wind Blows. The song was Mattea's breakthrough hit, becoming her first top 10 hit and eventually peaking at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart.

"Burnin' Old Memories" is a song written by Larry Boone, Paul Nelson and Gene Nelson, and recorded by American country music artist Kathy Mattea. It was released in July 1989 as the second single from the album Willow in the Wind. The song was Mattea's fourth and final number one on the country chart. It was number one for one week and spent fourteen weeks on the country chart.

Goin Gone 1987 single by Kathy Mattea

"Goin' Gone" is a song written by Pat Alger, Bill Dale and Fred Koller, and recorded by American country music artist Kathy Mattea. It was released in September 1987 as the first single from the album Untasted Honey. The song was Mattea's ninth country hit and the first of four number one country singles. The single went to number one for one week and spent fifteen weeks on the country chart.

"Untold Stories" is a song written by Tim O'Brien, and recorded by American country music artist Kathy Mattea. It was released in July 1988 as the third single from the album Untasted Honey. The song reached #4 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart.

Walking Away a Winner (song) 1994 single by Kathy Mattea

"Walking Away a Winner" is a song written by Tom Shapiro and Bob DiPiero, and recorded by American country music artist Kathy Mattea. It was released in March 1994 as the first single and title track from the album Walking Away a Winner. The song reached #3 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart.

Nobodys Gonna Rain on Our Parade 1994 single by Kathy Mattea

"Nobody's Gonna Rain on Our Parade" is a song written by Will Rambeaux and Brad Parker, and recorded by American country music artist Kathy Mattea. It was released in July 1994 as the second single from the album Walking Away a Winner. The song reached number 13 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart and peaked at number 8 on the Canadian RPM Country Tracks chart.

References

  1. Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country Hits: 1944-2006, Second edition. Record Research. p. 217.
  2. "Kathy Mattea Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.
  3. "Hot Country Songs – Year-End 1988". Billboard. Retrieved July 10, 2021.