Aside from the obvious references to truck driving, outlaw way of life (drugs, smuggling) and the scars one gets in that profession, it's really interesting that Lowell George references the cities Tucumcari and Tonapah in his alliteration. According to Indian legend, (look up Tucumcari on Wiki) Tonapah and Tocom were two braves vying for the hand of Indian princess Kari, and leadership of the tribe. Kari was in love with Tocom but Tonapah won the battle when they fought to the death. Kari then took the life of Tonapah before taking her own life. The story plays out as a tragic love triangle and quest for power in which all players lost everything. This sheds some light on the tie-in with Dallas Alice: lost love, lost opportunity and running away from life's troubles. The protagonist cannot go back to Dallas and can only move on by doing the things that he knows how to do, drive trucks, smuggle and self-medicate to ease the pain. By reitterating that he is "willin", the protagonist ackowledges that his life choices that led him to this point were of his own free will, that he accepts responsibility for his condition and knows the rough road that lies ahead of him is because of the choices he has made.
Aside from the obvious references to truck driving, outlaw way of life (drugs, smuggling) and the scars one gets in that profession, it's really interesting that Lowell George references the cities Tucumcari and Tonapah in his alliteration. According to Indian legend, (look up Tucumcari on Wiki) Tonapah and Tocom were two braves vying for the hand of Indian princess Kari, and leadership of the tribe. Kari was in love with Tocom but Tonapah won the battle when they fought to the death. Kari then took the life of Tonapah before taking her own life. The story plays out as a tragic love triangle and quest for power in which all players lost everything. This sheds some light on the tie-in with Dallas Alice: lost love, lost opportunity and running away from life's troubles. The protagonist cannot go back to Dallas and can only move on by doing the things that he knows how to do, drive trucks, smuggle and self-medicate to ease the pain. By reitterating that he is "willin", the protagonist ackowledges that his life choices that led him to this point were of his own free will, that he accepts responsibility for his condition and knows the rough road that lies ahead of him is because of the choices he has made.