Edited by Azizi Powell
This is Part I of a four part pancocojams series on the African American Vernacular English word "truckin", the African American Vernacular English saying "Keep on truckin", and the Jazz dance "truckin'".
This post presents information about the American Vernacular English (AAVE) meanings of the word "truckin'" and the saying "Keep on truckin" and considers possible early sources for those vernacular meanings.
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2024/10/blind-boy-fuller-truckin-my-blues-away.html for Part II of this pancocojams series. That post showcases the 1936 Blues song "Truckin' My Blues Away" by Blind Boy Fuller. Information about Blind Boy Fuller and information about the song "Truckin' My Blues Away" are also included in that post along with the lyrics to that song.
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2024/10/eddie-kendricks-keep-on-truckin-r-dance.html for Part III of this pancocojams series. That post showcases a YouTube video of Eddie Kendricks' 1973 R&B song "Keep On Truckin". Information about Eddie Kendricks is included in this post along with information and lyrics for this song.
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2024/10/eddie-kendricks-keep-on-truckin-r-dance_4.html for Part IV of this pancocojams series. That post showcases a YouTube sound file of video of Eddie Kendricks' 1973 R&B song "Keep On Truckin" along with selected comments from that sound file's discussion thread.
The content of this post is presented for historical, linguistics, and cultural purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post. Thanks also to the publisher of this sound file on YouTube.
****
INFORMATION ABOUT THE AMERICAN ENGLISH SAYING "KEEP ON TRUCKIN'"These online excerpts are given in no particular order and are numbered for referencing purposes only.
EXCERPT #1
From https://www.betteratenglish.com/keep-on-tracking-or-keep-on-trucking# "What does keep on trucking mean in English? published by blog, English Learning Tips, Vocabulary / by Lori (no publishing date given, retrieved October 4, 2024)
"First of all, if you found this page by searching for keep
on tracking, chances are that you misheard. Keep on tracking isn’t really
an expression in English. You’re probably looking for the meaning of keep on
trucking. If so, read on!
Keep on trucking means to continue or persist doing
something — usually something boring, uninteresting, or tedious. You can say it
about yourself, to show that you plan to persist with the task. But Keep on
trucking is often said to encourage someone else who is doing a boring or
unpleasant task. Here are a couple of examples:
Example 1. About yourself
Speaker one: How is the Henderson report coming along,
John?
Speaker two: I’m making progress. It’s a massive job, but
I just keep on trucking. I should be done in time.
Speaker one: Hang in there!
Example 2 — Encouraging someone else
Speaker one: How is the Henderson report coming along,
John?
Speaker two: I’m making progress, but it’s a massive job.
I hope I’ll be done in time.
Speaker one: Well, I’m impressed with what you’ve shown
me so far. Just keep on trucking and I’m sure you’ll make it.”…
****
EXCERPT #2
From https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-origin-of-the-sixties-phrase-Keep-On-Truckin-What-did-it-actually-mean "What is the origin of the sixties' phrase "Keep On
Truckin'? What did it actually mean?"
1. Martin Reyto, 2019
retired English teacher
"It was made famous in the 1960s by underground comic legend
R. Crumb, whose characters both said it and demonstrated it. Here’s one of
them, truckin’:
[An illustration of that character is inserted here.]
As you can see, it’s a style of walking. Cheerful,
loose-jointed, long stride, ready to dance. The expression generally means
something like, “Stay happy, stay in the groove, and keep on doing your thing.”
The expression probably pre-existed Crumb, but his work jacked it into the
“counter-culture,” which then became the pop culture of the day."
**
2. Sam Spencer
News editor, native English speaker, American, 2019
"Originally Answered: What does the phrase "Keep on
truckin' " mean, and when did it start?
There is lots of info on this on Wikipedia but I will give a
very brief answer here: This was a cartoon by cartoonist Robert Crumb who in
1968 published a cartoon called Keep On Truckin with men with big feet moving
across landscapes. The idea was a kind of optimism that the Hippie movement
latched onto. Here is something Crumb is reported to have said about it: Big
feet equals collective optimism. You're a walkin' boy! You're movin' on down
the line! It's proletarian. It's populist.
Find out more at Wikipedia page for Keep On Truckin’ and I
think it all looks pretty correct. I used to see the phrase and pictures of the
men related to it on cars in the Washington, DC, area in the 1970s a lot. I was
a teenager but it was slightly older people in their 20s who seemed to know and
like what it was about at the time.
I have a positive feeling about it but I feel positive about
the Hippy mindframe in many ways, too.
**
3. Jim Heaphy, 2019
"I am a native American English speaker, born and raised in
Michigan, and a Californian since 1972.
The phrase was part of a blues song in the 1930s but entered
into pop culture in 1968 when the underground comic artist R. Crumb drew a
single panel comic strip. It showed various men striding forward boldly and
confidently. I grew up in that era and associate the phrase with the Grateful
Dead and the hippie counterculture. To me, the phrase implies a certain grubby
style of hardworking self-confidence, determination and optimism.
Keep on Truckin' (comics) - Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keep_On_Truckin%27_(comics) "
**
4. Yochanan Ben Hernandez, 2019
Knows English
Originally Answered: What does the phrase "Keep on truckin' " mean, and when did it start?
"Although this expression was used as early as the 1930s and may have originated in jazz, “Keep on Truckin” is a phrase from the famous song "Trucking My Blues Away" by Blind Boy Fuller. It may also refer to: Keep on Truckin' (comics), a comic and visual motif of underground comix by Robert Crumb.
It became even more popular in the late 60s and early 70s, with the boom of the Hippie Movement, a countercultural movement that rejected the mores of mainstream American life. The movement originated on college campuses in the United States, although it spread to other countries, including Canada and Britain.
It is unclear exactly how this expression developed into its use of the day, but some sources speculate that it may be associated with the large trucks that drive for many hours to transport goods across states and across the country. It was indeed praised in movies of that time like “Smokey and the Bandit” about the life of truck drivers in America. They must drive for long stretches of time, and therefore are thought of as something that just keeps going.
This expression can be used either as encouragement or as a description."
**
5. Keith W., Udoologist, Pastafarian, 2020
Knows English
Originally Answered: What does "keep on truckin"
mean?
"When I was much younger, this was a popular expression. Most
of the time it roughly equated to “be cool" or “be good" or “stay out
of trouble". Simply another way to say see you later or even good luck.
It can also be used as an encouragement in rough times. If
someone is in a difficult period due to work issues or financial stress (or
other), you might tell them to “keep on truckin' bro/sis" or “keep on
keepin' on" as a friendly gesture of support."
**
6. Doc, 2022
" "Truckin'" was originally a dance move. There are
several theories about where it came from, but the most likely is that it was
invented in Harlem during the late 1920's. It was done to a shuffle rhythm and
involved moving away from your partner while strutting and waggling your index
finger.
It was popularized in the late sixties by cartoonist Robert
Crumb. His "Keep on Truckin'" cartoon in Zap comics (1968), featuring
a guy leaning way back with his index finger up and his foot thrust forward. It
was a popular subject of poster art in the late sixties."
**
7. Assistant Bot, Aug 16, 2024
"The phrase "Keep On Truckin'" originated in the 1960s and is closely associated with the counterculture movement of that era. Its most notable popularization came from a 1965 comic strip by R. Crumb, which depicted a group of characters walking along a road with the caption "Keep on Truckin'." This imagery captured the spirit of perseverance, freedom, and the pursuit of one's own path, resonating with the youth of the time who were exploring new social, cultural, and political ideas.
"Keep on Truckin'." This imagery captured the spirit of perseverance, freedom, and the pursuit of one's own path, resonating with the youth of the time who were exploring new social, cultural, and political ideas.
The phrase itself means to continue moving forward or to keep going despite challenges or obstacles. It embodies a sense of resilience and determination, encouraging individuals to maintain their course and not give up. Over time, "Keep On Truckin'" became a motivational slogan, symbolizing the optimism and adventurous spirit of the 1960s counterculture, as well as the broader themes of the American road and lifestyle."
****
EXCERPT #3
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keep_On_Truckin%27_(comics)
" "Keep On Truckin' is a one-page cartoon by Robert
Crumb, published in the first issue of Zap Comix in 1968. A visual burlesque of
the lyrics of the Blind Boy Fuller song "Truckin' My Blues Away", it
consists of an assortment of men, drawn in Crumb's distinctive style, strutting
across various landscapes. The cartoon's images were imitated and much
displayed during the hippie era.
[...]
Copyright and licensing issues
The image has been imitated often without permission,
appearing on T-shirts, posters, belt buckles, mudflaps, and other items.
[...]
A.A.
Sales claimed the work was in the public domain, because Crumb had not included
the copyright symbol on the work, although he had done so in Zap #1 as a whole.
The work was protected by the terms of the 1909 Copyright Act, and any omission
of notice was considered to cause the work to be public domain. The drawing had
also appeared on the business card of Crumb's publisher without the copyright
symbol. Based on that, Wollenberg granted A.A. Sales' request for summary
judgment, and Keep On Truckin' became public domain. In 1977, the U.S. Court of
Appeals reversed that decision, and it returned to copyrighted.
[...]
Crumb's notions
Crumb used the cartoon as an example of what caused the
discomfort he claims he felt with his sudden fame during the late 1960s,
saying:
I became acutely self-conscious about what I was doing. Was
I now a "spokesman" for the hippies or what? I had no idea how to
handle my new position in society! ... Take Keep on Truckin... for example.
Keep on Truckin'... is the curse of my life. This stupid little cartoon caught
on hugely. There was a D.J. on the radio in the seventies who would yell out
every ten minutes: "And don't forget to KEEP ON TR-R-RUCKIN'!" Boy,
was that obnoxious! Big feet equals collective optimism. You're a walkin' boy!
You're movin' on down the line! It's proletarian. It's populist. I was thrown
off track! I didn't want to turn into a greeting card artist for the
counter-culture! I didn't want to do 'shtick'—the thing Lenny Bruce warned
against. That's when I started to let out all of my perverse sex fantasies. It
was the only way out of being "America's Best Loved Hippy
Cartoonist".[4]”…
****
SPECULATION ABOUT THE SOURCE FOR AN EARLY AFRICAN AMERICAN VERNACULAR ENGLISH MEANING OF 'TRUCKIN'
I believe that "The Ward Line" work song that was collected in the 1930s includes a meaning of the word "truck" that directly influenced the later African American Vernacular English word "truckin'" and the later African American Vernacular English saying "Keep on Truckin'".
"The Ward Line" is categorized as a sea shanty. However, instead of being sung by sailors, it was sung by the Black men who were laborers on land who loaded and emptied cargo in the holds of sailing vessels. The title "The Ward Line" refers to the route that that vessel followed or "The Ward Line" is the "brand name" for the ships that were owned and operated by the Ward family. [Correction welcomed]
The word "truck" in "The Ward Line" song refers to the "wheelbarrow" that the laborers pushed to load cargo into the ship's hold or to empty cargo from the ship's hold. The Black men who did this back breaking labor were referred to as "truckers". Those men had to "keep on truckin' " all those long hours until they completed that difficult work.
Here are two verses from that 1930s sea shanty "The Ward Line":
https://www.judybwebdesign.com/handspikes/cast_off/coel_lyrics/ka03wardline.htm
"Get along there, Mose, your feet ain't stuck
Just hump your back and-a push that truck"
**
"Lake Superior is big and rough
And for this old trucker one trip's enough"
Here's an excerpt from that same online published source that provides information about the vernacular meaning of the word "truck" and "trucked" in the context of that 1930s sea shanty:
"NOTES:
Another cargo-loading shanty from the Great Lakes of America. I first heard this sung by the East Coast shanty group The Boarding Party. It was one of the songs collected by Ivan H. Walton and appears in the recently published book Windjammers: Songs of the Great Lakes Sailors. Lyrics used are taken out of dialect shown in the book to avoid some highly offensive language.
Notes from the book about this song:
There is mystery in this song – or at least in its recovery – and the mystery reveals the strange lives and turns these songs took. Throughout the Upper Great Lakes, sailors know the Ward Line and the work chantey of the black men who trucked the iron ore and copper pigs that filled the boats' holds.
[...]
Eber Brock Ward became Michigan's richest man with his ventures in steelmaking, glass making, real estate, and banking. Ward's wealth was rooted in shipping, the family business started by his uncle Sam at Marine City, Michigan, in 1820. Although E.B. Ward dropped dead on the streets of Detroit in 1875, his shipping business survived, as did this song about one of the most prominent Ward Line vessels, the Sam Ward. Nicknamed the "Old Black Sam" for its distinctive paint job, the side-wheeler steamed between Michigan's Lake Superior copper country and the ports of Detroit, Cleveland, and Buffalo. Captain Harvey Kendall of Marysville, Michigan, claimed to have served as mate for several seasons on the "Old Black Sam." The mystery is that the vessel was lost in 1861, making it unlikely that Kendall had ever served on it. And why should verses mention vessels that were not around while the Sam Ward sailed? The explanation might be that the song outlived its namesake, and grew with additions and embellishments.
Kendall said that the steamer would stop at Detroit on its upbound trip and ship a team of twenty or more black men to load the copper pigs waiting at the Keweenaw Peninsula on Lake Superior. The men would stay on until after they had unloaded the pigs at their destination, received their substandard wages (about fifty cents per day), and been put off at Detroit. The deckhands unloaded the "Old Black Sam" with hand trucks or wheelbarrows. Pushing their heavy loads in an endless loop between vessel and warehouse, the men worked continuously with only brief time-outs. It took two or three laborious days to load a cargo of copper this way. During the long, tedious work and for similar chores, the men sang. They preferred chanteys for their steady rhythm, improvisation, and group choruses."...
-snip-
It's easy for me to conjecture that the vernacular meaning of "Keep on truckin" (to persist in spite of difficulties) could have come from this history of laborers pushing trucks loaded with cargo to fill the holds of sailing vessels or to empty cargo from the holds of those sailing vessels. I can also imagine that that history was an early source of the "truckin" dance since we Black people sometimes have to find some enjoyment in the midst of bleak times, and laugh to keep from crying.
With regard to that 1930s sea shanty's meaning of the word "truck", recall that Blind Boy Fuller wrote and recorded hiss song "Truckin' My Blues Away" in 1936. However, that sea shanty probably was sung before the 1930s as it referred to a vessel that had stop sailing some time before that decade.
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2024/10/the-ward-line-african-american-sea.html for more information about the sea shanty "The Ward Line",
****
SOME NOTES ABOUT THE JAZZ DANCE "TRUCKIN"
There's documentation of the word "truckin'" being used for the name of a Harlem dance in 1927, but that doesn't mean that that term or that dance originated in Harlem (New York).
Here are two quotes about the Jazz dance "truckin"
Quote #1
From http://www.streetswing.com/histmain/z3truck.htm
“Truckin is considered a Harlem dance originating around 1927...It signifies the Strutting Walk done when one is happy or joyful...It’s mainly used in Lindy Hop today after separating from your partner to return later back together again. Truckin can be done as a couple or as a solo...
Truckin is the shoulders which fall and rise as the dancers move toward each other while the fore finger points up and wiggles back and forth like a windshield wiper.”
**
Quote #2
From http://www.barrypopik.com/index.php/new_york_city/entry/truckin_or_truck_on_down_1935/
"The Big Apple: Truckin
Entry from February 19, 2006
“Truckin‘“ or “Truck on Down” (1935)
The dance "Truckin" or "Truck on Down" was popularized in Harlem in 1935. Various Harlem spots and entertainers took credit for popularizing it."...
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2013/02/the-jazz-dance-truckin-information.html for the 2013 pancocojams post entitled "The Jazz Dance "Truckin" (Information & Video Examples)"
****
This concludes Part I of this four part pancocojams series.
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome.
