Lyrics

[Sung Intro] I'm an old hog-hauler, I drove my big truck I shot the pinball machine, but it caused me bad luck [Spoken Intro] This here's a story about an ex-truck driver, being named John James Wall, before his friends blackballed him and nicknamed him Pinball I gathered this story from a truck stop in Gallipolis, Ohio, when this old feller––I'd reckon about 70 year old––asked me to buy him a strong cup of coffee and a piece of good ol' apple pie I'm glad I did, because he winked his eye and said "Mm, my my" Then I noticed in a few minutes, with tremblin' hands, he pushed a part of his pie and coffee back, and he looked at me with tears runnin' down his poor ol' weather-beaten cheeks And this is what he said [Verse] I put all I ever made in the pinball machine I'd get four catty-corners, and I'd miss the 16 I wish they would outlaw the pinball machine Many weeks they have caused me to live on sardines [Verse] The last time I called my wife on the phone The first thing she said, "John, when can you come home?" "I got a load of hogs, honey, they've got to go I'll see you when I get back from old Chicago" She said, "John, I love you, wish you wouldn't go Send your babies some money, they're hungry and cold" [Verse] I made my trip on to Chicago I was gone two months, 'cause I shot up my dough And when I got home, Lord, my family was gone The best friend I had rung my telephone He said, "John, I guess you're wondering about your babies and wife Pneumonia got your babies, your wife took her life" I lost all my friends, can't sleep for bad dreams Dream about an old truck and a pinball machine [Verse] I never will forget the last words that old man said "Oh Lord, if I could live my life over," then he fell dead They tell me John was a clean-cut young man at the age of 19 Now he's a victim of a big ol' truck, and a pinball machine