Keep On Truckin'

"Keep on truckin'" is a phrase of encouragement meaning to stay focused regardless of circumstances or setbacks. The term originates from a song first recorded by Blind Boy Fuller in the 1930s, "Truckin' My Blues Away." Truckin' on down the line Hey hey hey I say keep on truckin' Truckin' my blues away The phrase was popularized by the US underground cartoonist Robert Crumb in a one-page comic published in the first issue of Zap Comix in 1968. In this song, Kendricks is in pursuit of good lovin', as he's truckin' to see his girl.

This song was Eddie Kendricks' first major hit as a solo artist, coming two years after his departure from The Temptations. He believed it was the title that ensured it was a success. "The old people used to truck when they were dancing. And I knew the trucking industry would embrace the record," Kendricks told Fred Bronson.

The song's grooves were clearly aimed at the dance floor and it was arguably the first-recorded and released disco hit record. Other possible candidates for the first disco hit include "TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia)," George McRae's "Rock Your Baby," The Hues Corporation's "Rock The Boat" and Barry White's "Can't Get Enough of Your Love, Babe."