Not only did Johnny Cash see fit to write a song about this windy, treacherous stretch of Interstate, but so did the late Jerry Reed. And he did so 10 years before Cash—once again reiterating the catastrophic brake failures that can occur on this pass.
Anyone remember the opening song called “The Legend” at the beginning of the greatest film of all time titled: “Smokey And The Bandit”? Well, that’s the song that plays once Burt Reynolds’ Kenworth W900A roars to life, and tells the story of his fictional runaway incident back in 1963.
Remember…
“He left Atlanta back in '63
Callin’ him the loner from Tennessee
He hit Monteagle in the driving rain
So hard he couldn't even see the passing lane
Well he started down the grade when he lost the gear
He hit them brakes found he had no air
The Monteagle grade is steep and long
And everbody that seen it thought the Bandit was gone.”