Such is my fascination with this song, I wrote about Wagon Wheel just after the inception of my blog back in 2014, but today we take a proper look at this Americana gem written by Bob Dylan and Ketch Secor of Old Crow Medicine Show. Well, it was Bob who first recorded a rough demo titled Rock Me, Mama during the Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid sessions in 1973.
If you listen to Dylan’s demo, Ketch used the original Dylan melody and chorus and built upon it. As usual, I’m surprised Dylan could leave such a sublime tune and chorus by the wayside and never properly flesh it out. Around 25 years later, Ketch added his own verses and what magnificent verses they are too, steeped in atmospheric Americana imagery.
The song describes a hitchhiking journey south through the eastern United States, from New England down through Roanoke, Virginia, with the intended destination of Raleigh, North Carolina, where the narrator hopes to reunite with his lover.
I think Bob would have been proud of how his song turned out in the end. Ketch turned it into a certified hit for his band, Old Crow Medicine Show. He had first heard Dylan’s demo played by his school friend and future bandmate Chris “Critter” Fuqua. He couldn’t get the tune out of his head, although he could barely make out Dylan’s mumbled lyrics (I think we’ve all been there).
A few months later, he added verses about hitchhiking and trying to emulate the beat poets, especially Dylan himself. You can read about his securing of the creative rights to the song in the reference below.
Of course, there are more versions of this song out there than you can poke a stick at, but I first became familiar with it through watching Josh Turner’s stripped-down, masterful version at the end of this post. As stated at the beginning, such was my awe of Josh’s version, I featured it near the inception of my blog way back in 2014.
Josh was a guitar prodigy in his youth and released his own videos out into the world on YouTube. Now, as a fully fledged grown-up, his channel is still going strong with many videos raking in millions of views. Anyhow, I’ve always been more partial to his version of Wagon Wheel (Take 2) than any other, although I enjoy Old Crow Medicine Show’s version a lot too.
So without further ado, I present to you Wagon Wheel from both Old Crow Medicine Show and Josh Turner respectively. Thanks for reading.
[Verse 1]
Headed down south to the land of the pines
I’m thumbin’ my way to 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
[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
[Verse 2]
Runnin’ 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
Ah, the north country winters keep a-gettin’ me
And I lost my money playin’ poker so I had to up and leave
But I ain’t a-turnin’ back
To livin’ that old life no more
[Chorus]
[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
[Chorus]
References:
1. Wagon Wheel (song) – Wikipedia
“The more I live, the more I learn. The more I learn, the more I realize, the less I know.”- Michel Legrand
Observation Blogger 
I love that rendition of Wagon Wheel!
I first heard Darius Rucker’s version of it through Kolton and enjoyed it greatly as well.
Which version do you refer to? Old Crow’s or Joshua Turner’s..
That Darius Rucker version is not shabby! lol Very nice.
I meant those renditions lol. My mind is all over the place recently.
I just realized Darius was the lead vocalist for Hootie and the Blowfish, my mind was blown lol
I feel a bit scattered-minded these days too.
You blew my mind about him being Hootie’s lead singer. What a blast from the past! They made a few great songs that I’d completely forgotten about. I had their album too. Thanks — you’ve given me something to do.
Hootie was another of my parent’s favorites. Such good music. Lol I hope you enjoy that blast from the past!
That it certainly was.
Now, there’s a groovy road thumbing song! Thanks for sharing. 👍
That it is. Thanks for commenting Chuckster.
Fascinating is a good word for this song. I can certainly hear Dylan in it, though Old Crow sure made it their own. Fab vocal harmonies truly stand out in the relative simplicity of Turner’s take 2.
And crikey, you’ve been at this for a long time, now, Matt! Wowza.
Turner’s version is all class, right? The vocal harmonies are exceptional, as are the guitar and banjo playing. You can definitely hear a lot of Dylan in this, especially from his days with the Band.
Thanks, Steve, re. the blog. I started it in 2014 and wrote only sporadically at first. Then I began the Music Library Project in 2019 and have written nearly every single day since. I won’t know what to do with my mornings when I finally finish it. It just goes so well with coffee. Hehe. Quite the dual addiction.
Though, I cringe when I look back at some of my earlier song articles 😛
Ha! Some of my early posts are pretty thin stuff, so you’re not alone! It’s a pretty big commitment going each day, that’s for sure.
I agree, Turner’s version is outstanding; really, I enjoyed both.
I imagine it’s similar for you, but when I haven’t written, it feels like withdrawal — like something important is gravely missing. My day just isn’t complete, not even remotely, without an article.
It is similar, yes, I like the daily discipline of it and it encourages me to read and learn. Although sometimes other pressures lean in, making it more challenging to take the time, which can simultaneously squeeze the inspiration. Still, we press on, lol.
I wrote that it’s kind of a logos for me to uncover these songs in a secular sense, and it gives me a great deal of pleasure. Like you, I find the reading and learning so fulfilling. Music, like any other art form, can touch people in profound ways. I appreciate its secularity and its mostly non-political nature — something genuinely welcoming in these increasingly polarising times.
Very well said! Music can be such a unifying influence, as it’s demonstrated through history.