Chevy Van

Album: Sammy Johns (1973)
Charted: 5
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Songfacts®:

  • North Carolina native Sammy Johns was playing guitar by age 9 and formed his own band, the Devilles, as a teenager. He scored his first solo record deal in 1973, after moving to Atlanta, releasing his self-titled debut album that same year.
  • Although Johns wrote a number of hit songs for other artists, most notably "America," recorded by Waylon Jennings, "Common Man" by John Conlee and "Desperado Love" for Conway Twitty, he is best remembered for this tune, which drove up to #5 in the Billboard Hot 100 chart, earning him a gold disc. The song struck a chord with listeners in the sexually liberated early 1970s detailing a one night stand in the back of the loose-living male protagonist's Chevrolet Van.
  • The song features on the soundtrack to the 1977 movie The Van, one of Danny DeVito's lesser-known films.
  • Other artists that have covered this song include Eric Church, Waylon Jennings and Sammy Kershaw.
  • Johns passed away on January 4, 2013 at Gaston Memorial Hospital in Gastonia, North Carolina at the age of 66.

Comments: 15

  • Greg Palmer from Elon, NcOne of the first musical examples of "A ride for a ride"
  • George from Vancouver BcI've never heard it called a Braggin' Wagon; I guess because we plateddown our bragging. We called them "Shaggin' Wagons" ("If this vans a-rockin', don't come a-knockin'!"; Sounds like I was ten years or so behind you in era.
  • Rob Holding from Thames, New ZealandThe Van was not the first movie to feature Danny Devito. In fact, his name doesn't even appear on the original posters. Devito had been in nine movies before The Van including One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest.
  • Seventh Mist from 7th HeavenIf he HAD returned, a line from another song might have applied:
    “You can imagine his surprise when he saw his own eyes.”
  • Karmah from MinnesotaI'm watching "The Van" right now. Funny thing is, the song is about a Chevy van and in the movie he has a Dodge van. LOL Still great memories, though.
  • Karmah from MinnesotaFinally someone got the lyrics correct. Like a PRINCESS, not picture.
    I was a teen in the 70's and oh, what a time that was!
  • Old Herschel from North GaI was in my mid teens when this was all over the air waves. Oh if I had it to do over. Still, it was a great time to be young and chasing life. I heard this song last night, really hit me just how short our time here actually is.
  • Jeff from Minnesota1982. Her name was Amy. No last name. Dropped her off in in a small town outside of El Paso, TX. Used custom van we called them Braggin' Wagons. I paid $2000 for that crap can. Wish I still had it. My favorite memory from my youth.
  • Carolyn King from Carlisle PennsylvaniaBrenda Cunningham said she took a little offense with the line, "I put her out in a town that was so small..." It implies he kinda kicked her out."
    I thought he MET this girl in a town that was so small you could throw a rock from end to end. He was just passing through. They did their Thing, and she went back to her town and he rode off into the sunset. Nobody kicked out of anywhere. Just living the young travelling man 1970's kind of life.
  • Brenda Cunningham from Ocala, FlLove this song, always have. I do take a little offense with the line, "I put her out in a town that was so small..." It implies he kinda kicked her out. Would have sounded better to have phrased it, "I let her out...".
  • Phil Fischer from BellevueSong has a special meaning for me too, I had a buddy that had an old 70s Chevy van and even though I grew up in the 80s in the 90s we still roll around in it all the time in the back roads of Alaska passing through many small towns and occasionally we would get lucky and score some weird girls of course their legs weren’t tanned and to be completely transparent they didn’t really look like a princess lying there in tree he back of the van but what the hell you’re 16 years old it was great. I think about those times when the song comes on the radio
  • David from Pascagoula, MississippiThis song is a very special song to me because quite simply, I lost my virginity to a woman almost twice my age, I was 18, she was 32, in my parents 1974 Chevy van. I bought this album the year it was released, parents bought the Van a year later, not having a clue that this song would end up being a reality for me in almost way, except I met her in a bar, and then took her for ride in my wagon. That night was 42 years ago, and I remember it like it was last night. I just wish I still had the Van!
  • Donnie from Sugarloaf Song about my youth
  • Mark from PhiladelphiaGreat song that for me really paints a picture of the 70's.
  • Tony from San DiegoWhat an unbelievably sexy song. The groove is so sultry. Sorry to hear of Sammy's passing.
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