This song has been in my head for the past coupla days now. Can't shake it off. It's my new ringtone as well. It's an awesome freedom anthem man. The embodiment of an urban fantasy for eternal bliss.
It's based on a true story, that of Lela and Raymond Howard, an elderly couple from Salado, Texas. They left their home to go to a family reunion 15 miles away and never arrived there. They disappeared on the road. Fastball bassist Tony Scalzo came up with the idea for the song after reading the articles (the band is from Austin, Texas) in the papers after the couple's disappearance. He said "It's a romanticized take on what happened" meaning he didnt go 'aiyo sin men' and picture something that someone else might, like an unfortunate accident maybe. No, He pictured them on a quest for freedom. Reunited with their younger days, punch drunk with love again, their whole lives ahead of them, going down that golden road, perhaps signifying heaven.
As it turned out, and as the band discovered soon after they wrote the song, the couple had met with an accident, and a very unfortunate one at that. But the song stands testament to Fastball's brilliance. And to the wonderful nature of the human imagination. And also i am sure, as a fitting tribute to Lela and Raymond.
***
They made up their minds
And they started packing
They left before the sun came up that day
An exit to eternal summer slacking
But where were they going without ever knowing the way?
They drank up the wine
And they got to talking
They now had more important things to say
And when the car broke down They started walking
Where were they going without ever knowing the way?
Anyone could see The road that they walk on is paved in gold
And It's always summer, they'll never get cold
They'll Never get hungry
They'll never get old and gray
You can see their shadows Wandering off somewhere
They won't make it home
But they really don't care
They wanted the highway
They're happier there today , today
The children woke up
And they couldn't find 'em
They left before the sun came up that day
They just drove off
And left it all behind 'em
But Where were they going Without ever knowing the way?
Anyone could see the road that they walk on is paved in gold
And It's always summer, they'll never get cold
They'll Never get hungry
They'll never get old and gray
You can see their shadows wandering off somewhere
They won't make it home
But they really don't care
They wanted the highway
They're happy there today , today (repeat)
~ Fastball.
(video)
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13 Comments:
me is going to find the discography of Fastball and download it..:)
Since I don't have speakers in office and hardly ever remember to bring my headset, guess I'll have to wait till I go home....
argh!
gah!
i love this song its amazing..didnt know the story behind it tho.. thanks for the insight it makes it more interesting..
oh wow....is that what its all about. nice...
i'm a huge fan of the song, and thanks for sharing the story.
but the second article u posted is about a couple named the martins? not howard?
hmmm dude...thanx for the insight...lov that song..better listen now...
loe the song - from the era of marcy playground, the rick dees weekly top forty, yes fm, and days we were too young to go clubbing... Great song, fastball had another great song, don't know much others from them though. Rick dees said it was a true story. Did you also grow up in the TNL/Yes Fm generation?
dont know if you'll remember "abra, abra cadabra, I wanna reach out and grab ya" The names at the tip of my tongue... But this song (the way) has a tune like few songs have, the majesty of DMB Big Eyed Fish, with the happy, brown, retro effect
I downloaded the discography the very same day you posted this...
Can't stop listening to "The way"..
it's like I knew this song but never knew what it was called...
just loved it!! and will always love it..:)
onfab - yes oopsie! your right! will try to get a better link, but that story is hard to track down. and this like makes a reference to it
LD - glad you liked it!
Someone -yeah man i know what your talking about!
Forgt10, dee and RSZ - your welcome! and thanks for dropping by!
I have loved this song since it first came out. That summer my husband, kids and I took a long trip in a car with nearly 200,000 miles and everyone was telling us we'd never make it, and I said, even if we don't it's still more fun than staying home. So it was our theme song. It also reminded me of the couple across the street who were evicted that summer, he was very heavy and she was mental. They sat there until the utilities were cut off and the broken old truck was repossessed, then they got kicked out and just took off walking. My email addy is a tribute to this song, "She wanted the highway".
I am sorry to hear the old couple died. I would rather their bodies were never found and we could just imagine them like in the song.
In 1998 my husband & I took off from our home in Wisconsin & ended up in Montana. We went back home, then decided to do it all again - this time ending up in Oregon, at the coast. We then went home, sold the house, & moved here - no jobs - no idea what we were going to do. This song was playing on the radio alot at that time & it became "our song". We left the (adult) kids behind - & all their problems. For the rest of my life I will treasure this song & it's special meaning to us.
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