Toby McAllister, a Mechanic Falls-based singer-songwriter, just released an outstanding cover of the tune “A Tombstone Every Mile.”
The song was written by Dan Fulkerson and recorded in 1965 by the late country singer Dick Curless, a native Mainer who was born in Fort Fairfield in 1932. Curless passed away in 1995 at the age of 63, but his music lives on as he racked up more than 20 Top 40 hits on the Billboard charts. “A Tombstone Every Mile” made it all the way to No. 5 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles chart.
The song speaks of a dangerous stretch of road in Aroostook County and how truckers had best pay attention when driving in the area.
When you’re loaded with potatoes and you’re headed down
You’ve got to drive the woods to get to Boston town
When it’s winter up in Maine better check it over twice
That Haynesville road is just a ribbon of ice
It’s a stretch of road up north in Maine
That’s never ever seen a smile
If they’d buried all them truckers lost in them woods
There’s be a tombstone every mile
McAllister and his band have sped up the song and put a pop punk twist on it. With twangy electric guitar and pounding drums, “A Tombstone Every Mile” is a fun, energetic romp that combines classic lyrics with a modern sound.
Here’s “A Tombstone Every Mile:”
McAllister has a very busy summer of live shows and you can see the entire schedule on his Facebook page.
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