Origin: Keep on Truckin'

The phrase “Keep on Truckin’ “ is now a general form of encouragement in the sense of telling someone that they’re doing a good job and also as an equivalent to telling someone to go for it. It originated in the 1920’s and 1930’s with jazz musicians. Blind Boy Fuller incorporated it in a song by the name of Keep on Truckin’:

Truckin' on down the line
Hey hey hey
I say keep on truckin'
Truckin' my blues away
Keep on truckin' mama
Truckin' my troubles away
I say keep on truckin' mama
Truckin' my troubles away
Do that thing you do so well
I can tell what you been doin'\
By the way that you smell.
Keep on truckin' mama

Truckin' my troubles away.

In 1968 Robert Crumb used the phrase as the title for a one page comic, being the first issue of Zap Comix, illustrating it with the image that has become associated with the phrase. Drawn in Crumb’s distinctive style, it shows a cartoon men strutting confidently across a barren landscape. The strip’s drawings became iconic images of optimism during the hippie era. Like most underground comics, it was not copyrighted and was extensively on t shirts, posters and other items. It has also led to variations on the Crumb image: