I always forget how much I love this song.
The soundtrack dropped recently for The Ice Road, a new Netflix movie starring Liam Neeson as a truck driver on a mission across a frozen ocean to save a group of miners after a collapse in a diamond mine.
And it features some heavy-hitters in country music, including Miranda Lambert covering Hank Snow’s 1950 hit “I’m Movin’ On,” The Cadillac Three with their version of Dave Dudley’s “Six Days on the Road,” and Jason Isbell with a cover of Johnny Cash’s trucker anthem “All I Do Is Drive.”
But my favorite of all of them might be Carly Pearce‘s contribution, a cover of Kathy Mattea‘s “Eighteen Wheels and A Dozen Roses.”
The song, a tribute to a truck driver who’s retiring after 30 years to finally spend time with his wife, was released by Mattea in 1988. And now it’s gotten a remake from a fellow singer out of Appalachia.
It’s been a big week for Carly, who was surprised by Dolly Parton with an invitation to become a member of the Grand Ole Opry earlier this week. (And after over 80 performances at the Opry I’ve gotta say it’s about damn time).
She was also recently on The Justin Moore Podcast discussing her influences in country music, including superstar women of country like LeAnn Rimes and another product of her home state of Kentucky, Patty Loveless.
And with her incredible cover of this song by another woman of country from the neighboring state of West Virginia, you’ve gotta assume that Kathy Mattea is probably on Carly’s list too.
Check out Carly’s version of the Kathy Mattea classic.
And here’s a version from Mattea, brought to you from a cave in Tennessee during a performance on Bluegrass Underground.
