"A Tombstone Every Mile" is a song written by Dan Fulkerson and recorded by American country music artist
Dick Curless
Richard William Curless (March 17, 1932 – May 25, 1995) was an American country music singer. He usually wore a patch over his right eye.
Biography
Curless was born in Fort Fairfield, Maine, United States, and moved with his family to Ma ...
. It was released in January 1965 as the lead single from the album of the same name. The song stayed at number five for two weeks and spent a total of seventeen weeks on the chart. The song refers to the "Haynesville Woods", an area around the small town of Haynesville in Aroostook County in northern
Maine
Maine () is a state in the New England and Northeastern regions of the United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec to the northeast and ...
noted for many automobile crashes. Truck drivers would ship potatoes to market in Boston and a dangerous hairpin turn in the route through Haynesville was the inspiration for the song.
Chart performance
Cover versions
Bill Kirchen
William Knight Kirchen (born June 29, 1948) is an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. He was a member of Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen from 1967 to the mid-1970s and later worked with Nick Lowe. ''Guitar Player'' magazine desc ...
recorded the song in 1994 and made it the title track of his album, ''Tombstone Every Mile''. He also sang on a live version of the track on
Nick Lowe
Nicholas Drain Lowe (born 24 March 1949) is an English singer-songwriter, musician and producer. A noted figure in power pop and New wave music, new wave,Untouched Takeaway''.