*First line is the artist name. 1973. This song hit #! in 1973. Later that year, the artist was killed in a plane crash. The title character in the song is 6'4" and from the South Side of Chicago. The song was inspired by a guy he was in the army with who went AWOL. The artist had a $29 car and would spend time looking for parts in junkyards which was also an inspiration.