What was this song?

April 19, 2006 5:21 PM

Can you help me identify this song?

I vaguely recall a novelty tune from the 50's or 60's about a guy who's driving on a urban freeway, takes the wrong turnoff, and gets so confused about where he's going that he spends the rest of his life trying to get back on track. On moonlit nights you can still see his ghost roaming the freeway...

What was this song?

posted by 327.ca to Media & Arts (8 answers total)

Response by poster: I think it may be called "The Legend of [guy's name]."
posted by 327.ca at 5:26 PM on April 19, 2006

The description kind of reminds me of "The Man Who Never Returned"/"Charlie and the MTA", but the details don't fit.

I vaguely remember hearing a song that was probably a parody of what you're thinking of. I think it was something about "The Phantom of ___"
posted by needs more cowbell at 5:37 PM on April 19, 2006

Legend of Wooley Swamp features a ghost on moonlit nights, but it doesn't have anything to do with a highway.
posted by daninnj at 5:42 PM on April 19, 2006

(What I was thinking of was Big Joe and Phantom 309, which doesn't seem to match. Sorry.)
posted by needs more cowbell at 6:01 PM on April 19, 2006

Got a wife and kids in Baltimore, Jack
I went out for a ride and I never went back
Like a river that don't know where it's flowin'
I took a wrong turn and I just kept goin'

I doubt that's it, though, as it doesn't match the rest of the description...
posted by First Post at 6:36 PM on April 19, 2006

first post, that's bruce springsteen, not the tune from the 50's or 60's.
posted by ashbury at 7:28 PM on April 19, 2006

If you remember the tune, maybe try SongTapper ?
posted by XiBe at 4:59 AM on April 20, 2006

Response by poster: Thanks for the suggestions, folks, but none of these so far have lead me to identifying that song. Ah well, I'll keep searching.
posted by 327.ca at 5:28 AM on April 20, 2006