Wagon Wheel is a popular song originally composed by Bob Dylan. The song was incomplete, and the chorus was missing when Dylan first wrote it. The song was later completed by Ketch Secor of the Old Crow Medicine Show. The song was released in 2004 and has since been a favorite of country and folk music lovers.
Verse 1
Headed down south to the land of the pines
I’m thumbin’ my way into North Caroline
Starin’ up the road and pray to God I see headlights
I made it down the coast in seventeen hours
Pickin’ me a bouquet of dogwood flowers
And I’m a hopin’ for Raleigh, I can see my baby tonight
The first verse of the song talks about the journey of the narrator from the north to the south. He is hitchhiking his way into North Carolina and hoping to meet his lover in Raleigh.
Chorus
So rock me, mama, like a wagon wheel
Rock me, mama, any way you feel
Hey, mama rock me
Rock me, mama, like the wind and the rain
Rock me, mama, like a south-bound train
Hey, mama rock me
The chorus of the song is catchy and has become synonymous with the song. The narrator asks his mother to rock him like a wagon wheel, any way she feels. The chorus is upbeat and perfect for singing along.
Verse 2
Running from the cold up in New England
I was born to be a fiddler in an old-time string band
My baby plays the guitar, I pick a banjo now
Oh, north country winters keep a-getting me down
Lost my money playin’ poker so I had to leave town
But I ain’t a-turnin’ back to livin’ that old life no more
The second verse of the song talks about the narrator’s background. He was born to be a fiddler and is now playing in an old-time string band. He is running away from the cold in New England and has lost his money playing poker.
Verse 3
Walkin’ due south out of Roanoke
I caught a trucker out of Philly had a nice long toke
But he’s a headed west from the Cumberland Gap
To Johnson City, Tennessee
And I gotta get a move on before the sun
I hear my baby callin’ my name and I know that she’s the only one
And if I die in Raleigh at least I will die free
The third verse of the song talks about the narrator’s journey further south. He is hitchhiking his way to Tennessee and is running out of time to meet his lover in Raleigh. He knows that she is the only one for him and is willing to die free if he dies in Raleigh.
Conclusion
Wagon Wheel is a classic song that has been covered by many artists. The Old Crow Medicine Show version has become the most popular and has been certified Platinum in the United States. The song is about a journey from the north to the south and the narrator’s love for his partner. The catchy chorus and upbeat rhythm make it a perfect song for singing along.
