11 Heavy Duty Songs About Trucks | Playlist 🎧

11 Heavy Duty Songs About Trucks features music courtesy of Eddie Kendricks, HARDY, Joji, Lil Peep, and Roddy Ricch.

“Dodging potholes in my sunburnt Silverado / Like a heart-broke Desperado, headin’ right back to my roots,” country standout 🎙 Morgan Wallen sings on 🎵 “Sand in My Boots”.  That is NOT the only time that Wallen sings about his Chevy truck, however.  “God knows all the stories it can tell,” Wallen sings on 🎵 “Silverado for Sale,” also from his 2021 album, 💿 Dangerous: The Double Album,   continuing in the chorus, “I got a Silverado for sale.” So, what’s the point? This musical compendium – 🎧 11 Heavy Duty Songs About Trucks – is all about trucks.  While Wallen doesn’t appear on the list, there are plenty of awesome, heavy duty truck songs courtesy of 🎙 Eddie Kendricks, 🎙 HARDY, 🎙 Joji, 🎙 Lil Peep, and 🎙 Roddy Ricch among others.  So, without further ado, even if you are NOT a truck owner, you can live vicariously through this truck-oriented playlist!

1-2. HARDY, “wait in the truck” (Ft. Lainey Wilson) / “Truck Bed”

💿 the mockingbird & THE CROW • 🏷 Big Loud / Big Loud Rock • 📅 2023

🎙 HARDY and 🎙 Lainey Wilson make sweet music together on 🎵 “wait in the truck,” one of the best songs from HARDY’s 2023 double album, 💿 the mockingbird & THE CROW.  The twang is elevated to the n^th degree.  Also elevated is the songwriting. “Well, she was bruised and broke from head to toe / With a tear in her blood-stained shirt,” HARDY sings in the second verse, adding, “She didn’t tell me the whole truth, but she didn’t have to / I knew what happened to her.” There is abuse at the hands of another man in play, something that Wilson sings about in the chorus.  Characterizing HARDY (or his character, rather) as an angel, she asserts, “He was hellbent to find the man behind / All the whiskey scars I hid / I never thought my day of justice / Would come from a judge under his seat…” Intriguing that an angel with a piece (aka gun) can be hellish… hence why “wait in the truck” graces this weapon-fueled musical compendium!  The choir is a phenomenal addition to “wait in the truck,” adding some gospel vibes as both HARDY and Lainey state, “Have mercy on me.”

Later, on the album, HARDY delivers another song that involves a truck. “I woke up on the wrong side of the truck bed this morning / With a bone-dry bottle of Jack I was pouring.” Woo! On the tongue in cheek 🎵 “TRUCK BED,” he manages to incorporate a contemporary bag of production tricks (beat, rhythmic identity), along with the truck, alcohol, hunting (“That fuckin’ bird’s about to catch this .45”), boots, and being curbed (“Damn, she got some nerve way she kicked me to the curb”). No further analysis or explanation necessary.

3. Joji, “YUKON (INTERLUDE)”

💿 SMITHEREENS • 🏷 88rising / Warner • 📅 2022

“And my eyes get low in that all-white truck, I can barely see shit.” A GMC Yukon is a large, cumbersome, gas-guzzling SUV! 🎵 “YUKON (INTERLUDE)”, a highlight from 🎙 Joji’s 2022 album, 💿 SMITHEREENS, eschews a traditional form.  Following the intro, Joji delivers one verse.  Interestingly, that verse includes the excerpted line from the intro.  Lyrically, the musician is ‘all over the place’ asserting, “And I overflow like mercury / Glowing with uncertainty / Circles at the Chevron / I might be forever gone.”  So, he’s driving in circles at the gas station, seemingly in a compromised place mentally.  Perhaps. Joji also asserts, “I was throwing stones at Hercules / throwing them so perfectly,” before revisiting “Circles at the Chevron / I can’t be forever young.” “YUKON” is confusing and thought-provoking at the same time. All told, cerebral Joji is an intriguing Joji.

4. Eric Church, “Bad Mother Trucker”

💿 Soul • 🏷 EMI Records Nashville / UMG Recordings, Inc. • 🗓 2021

“She is hell on wheels where the road meets the rubber / A real gear jammer, a white line wonder.”  🎵 “Bad Mother Trucker” (💿 Soul, 2001) is country music listener’s dream, PERIOD.  🎙 Eric Church manages to blend love for his mama as well as reference trucks – SWEET! He continues singing in the chorus, “Yeah, you only get one and I wouldn’t want another / ‘Cause mama was a bad mother trucker.” Woo – what a euphemism, Eric! It also seems that Mr. Church is a bad mother trucker too! Add to the equation a funked-up country backdrop, awesome lyrics, and a kick-ass performance by Mr. Church and “Bad Mother Trucker” is E-P-I-C.

5. Lil Peep, “Benz Truck (Гелик)”

💿 Come over When You’re Sober, Pt. 1 • 🏷 Lil Peep • 📅 2017 

“Lil Bo Peep with a brand-new bitch / In the back of the club with the GothBoiClique / Iced out teeth on an iced-out whip / With the limousine tints, you can suck my dick.” Woo! It is tragic that 🎙 Lil Peep (Gustav Åhr) died at only 21 years old.  As a rapper and singer, he brought a unique style and aesthetic to hip-hop. Furthermore, he was interesting in regards to his background, personality, sexuality,  and, most noticeably, his abundance of body ink. While alive, most of the world only got a taste of artistry, with his 2017 EP/mini album, 💿 Come over When You’re Sober, Pt. 1 showcasing his potential. 🎵 “Benz Truck (Гелик)” was among the songs to beat. It was produced by 🎛 smokeasac.

“Friends switch up when you in a Benz truck

Always wanna fuck, tell a bitch, ‘Good luck’

Always wanna fuck ‘cause I just came up

Drugs in my nose, good drugs in my cup.”

As catchy as the chorus of “Benz Truck (Гелик)” are, one must take pause when Lil Peep mentions drugs. From the start of the record, the sound is dark and foreboding. Elevating the unsettling nature of “Benz Truck (Гелик)” is Lil Peep, whose personality is embedded for sure. Clearly sad, Åhr raps and sings in an undertone that continues throughout the song.  There’s something hypnotic about the delivery. Sure, the verse isn’t particularly deep, but the vibe is quite compelling. Mercedes Benz is a luxury brand – truly elite automobiles.  For Lil Peep, the Benz truck represents his come up in the rap game. R.I.P. Gustav Åhr.

6. BRELAND, “My Truck”

💿 BRELAND (EP) • 🏷 Bad Realm / Atlantic • 📅 2020

Country and rap can coexist, believe it or not.  Sometimes it works seamlessly, while others – eh, not so much. 🎙 BRELAND willingly takes a risk, entering into the hella divisive realm with 🎵 “My Truck.” “My Truck” is a novel country trap number, which is certainly distinct if nothing else.  “You can drink my liquor, you can call my lady / You can take my money, you can smoke my blunt / … Don’t touch my truck.” Yeah – that’s a country cliché to the core.  That truck is everything, though to be fair, sometimes it’s a tractor.  As you can expect, BRELAND characterizes his baby which includes “V8 engine with the windows tinted” and – wait for it – “Woodgrain dash with the matte black finish.” Yeah, seems appropriate for me to scream WOO to the top of my lungs…or maybe yeehaw?  Also, as rappers and country artists do alike, he mentions his girl’s “big ol’ butt” and of course a “Red cup full of Henny.” Hate it or love it, “My Truck” is definitely worth discussing.

Appears in 🔻:

• 10 Absolutely Alluring Songs About Cars (2020)

7. Lainey Wilson, “Heart Like A Truck”

💿 Bell Bottom Country • 🏷 This Is Hit, Inc. / Broken Bow • 📅 2022 

“I gotta find a field, I need to spin my wheels / I gotta hankerin’ for four wide tires.” Hmm, sounds like a truck to me! Fittingly, country singer 🎙 Lainey Wilson is indeed referencing a truck on 🎵 “Heart Like A Truck”, a highlight from her 2022 album, 💿 Bell Bottom Country. As important as the truck is, the key noun in this is the heart.  Still, in order to have a “heart like a truck,” you’ve gotta have both. Wilson penned “Heart Like A Truck” alongside 🎼 ✍ Trannie Anderson and Dallas Wilson. 🎛 Jay Joyce produced the track.

“I got a heart like a truck / It’s been drug through the mud / Runs on dreams and gasoline / And that old highway holds the key,” Wilson sings in the chorus, continuing, “It’s got a lead foot down when it’s leavin’ / Lord knows it’s taken a hell of a beatin’ / A little bit of love is all that it’s needin’.” Really, is any further explanation needed? Wilson’s heart is like a truck, which is a prize possession among country artists.  Wilson sings with plenty of emotion, impressing with her power and her twang.

8. Roddy Ricch, “Aston Martin Truck”

💿 Feed The Streets III • 🏷 Atlantic • 📅 2022

Country musicians aren’t the only musicians who enjoy their trucks.  Rappers enjoy them too, albeit more high-lux, foreign trucks.  “Aston Martin truck, ride the tail off (Vroom) / Had to get a new butler, four new maids to clean my house,” 🎙 Roddy Ricch raps on the chorus of 🎵 “Aston Martin Truck”, the seventh track off his 2022 LP, 💿 Feed The Streets III.  While Ricch does mention a sweet ride, “Aston Martin Truck” is less about specific luxury truck, sigh.

So, if Roddy Ricch isn’t focused purely on that Aston Martin, what does he cover on “Aston Martin Truck”? Basically, it’s a melodic rap flex fest. A prime example occurs in the first verse: “Niggas on my dick, niggas watchin’ my show, tryna see my scene / I been dickin’ your bitch, I been dickin’ your bitch, I’m the heartbreak king.” Woo! Need another example? See the beginning of verse two: “I pop my shit, she topless, these niggas ain’t stoppin’ shit.” “Aston Martin Truck” isn’t deep but it is enjoyable – a respectable rap banger.

9. Arctic Monkeys, “The World’s First Ever Monster Truck Front Flip”

💿 Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino • 🏷  Domino • 📅 2018

“I put a taqueria on the roof, it was well-reviewed / Four stars out of five / And that’s unheard of”. It’s rare you hear a song referencing a taqueria, critic’s rating, and a hotel on the moon, but that’s what 🎙 Arctic Monkeys serves up on the weird, but incredibly alluring album, 💿 Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino. Following mention of the taqueria in a hotel and casino on the moon, 🎙 Alex Turner and company move on to 🎵 “The World’s First Ever Monster Truck Front Flip,” named after a headline.

“There are things that I just cannot explain to you

And those that I hope I don’t ever have to.”

Um, okay, if you say so, Alex Turner! Despite the unique song title, thematically, the monster truck doesn’t play a big role on this song. Unsurprisingly, technology does play a sizable role. The central lyric: “You push the button, and we’ll do the rest.”  Keep being quirky Arctic Monkeys, keep being quirky.

Appears in 🔻:

• 13 Songs That Focus on the World (2018)

10. Thomas Rhett, “That Old Truck”

💿 Center Point Road • 🏷 Big Machine • 📅 2019

“She heard me laugh, heard me cry / Heard me pray sometimes.” If you are wondering who heard 🏆 Grammy-nominated country singer 🎙 Thomas Rhett cry, it was 🎵 “That Old Truck”, a highlight from his 2019 album, 💿 Center Point Road. Country musicians are no strangers to singing and reminiscing about their vehicles ( 🎵 “She Thinks My Tractor’s Sexy” comes to mind).  The old truck Rhett references represents a rite of passage for him. Many of the lyrics of “That Old Truck” are familiar, given the fact that singing about cars, trucks, and apparently, tractors have been done a countless number of times.  On the first verse, Rhett describes the experience with ‘her’ – “Up and down the streets of a no-name town / Me and her with the windows down / 35s rolling on the ground / Loving every minute.” By the end of the second verse, he sings about “Cussing out all that grass I mowed / Just saving up to fix her.” The centerpiece of the record is the sentimental chorus.

Appears in 🔻:

• 10 Absolutely Alluring Songs About Cars (2020)
• 13 OLD Songs Filled with Freshness (2020)

11. Eddie Kendricks, “Keep On Truckin’”

💿 Eddie Kendricks • 🏷 UMG Recordings, Inc. • 🗓 1973 

“Keep on truckin’, baby / I got to keep on truckin’ / Got to get to your good lovin’,” soul legend, 🎙 Eddie Kendricks sings on his beloved, no. 1 hit, 🎵 “Keep On Truckin’”. In its full, un-edited form, the highlight from the Kendrick’s 1973, self-titled album clocks in at eight minutes long.  Although lengthy, “Keep On Truckin’” yields some of the sweetest music you’ll ever hear from the former 🎙 The Temptations member. The arrangement (horns, strings, vibraphone, keys and such) and production supporting Kendricks is insane – in the most awesome, creative, and soulful way possible.  It is no surprise that “Keep On Truckin’” has been sampled multiple times.

So, is Eddie Kendricks a truck driver? Not in the traditional sense! “I’ve got a fever rising with desire / It’s my love jones,” he asserts at one point, continuing, “And I feel like I’m on fire.” Woo! Furthermore, the anointed tenor and falsetto king asserts, “I’m the red ball express of lovin’ / Diesel-powered straight to you / I’m truckin’.” Let’s just cut straight to the chase – this man is horny.  Honestly, his desire is relatable.  Most importantly, 🎵 “Keep On Truckin’” is incredibly fun. Epic vocals, a top-notch backdrop, and those relatable, desire-laden lyrics make this one a winner for all time.  Also, can’t forget about that diss to his former group: “In old Temptation’s rain / I’m duckin’.”

Appears in 🔻:

• Eddie Kendricks, “Keep On Truckin’”: Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶 38 (2023)

11 Heavy Duty Songs About Trucks [📷: Brent Faulkner/ The Musical Hype; 88rising, Atlantic, Bad Realm, Big Loud / Big Loud Rock, Big Machine, Domino, EMI Records Nashville, Lil Peep, This Is Hit, Inc. / Broken Bow, UMG Recordings, Inc., Warner; Jc Siller via Pexels]