Both of them were found dead 2 weeks later at the bottomï»¿ of a ravine in Arkansas, which was way off of their original driving route. 'An elderly couple in Texas (where Fastball is from) went out to drive to a Pioneer Day Festival one day in June 1997, but they never arrived. Okay well anyways, I read this on this one website and it sounds pretty legit: Every time I listen to it I get goose bumps and/or start to cry. For some people that might just be enough to make them bail for 'a weekend to themselves' and then maybe never end up coming back. Sometimes maybe it's just 1971 and too much of what you were told has recently been proven BULLSHIT.

And not all the ideas I have about why people might do that are dark or terrible. It has always led me to think of the things that might make adults (proper citizens, perhaps) abscond from even their children in favor of living as wandering shadows (vs. I'm suggesting that The Way conveys very well a different story than that of two old senile people driving off the road.

In that respect, the story of 'The Way' can be compared to 'Feel it Still.' In the latter, 'Leave her for the babystitter, momma, call the grave digger' carries a similar suggestion to the former's 'The children woke up and they couldn't find them they left before the sun came up that day.' Sometimes it was young women or couples on their way to Woodstock who might ditch their kids with moms & pops for way too long. The Man 'Feel it Still' and tell me you don't see how it could relate very well to some themes that band's latest album (entitled 'Woodstock') expresses.įor example, the chaotic social landscape of 1960's and 1970's America certainly included examples of parents leaving children behind. But even if not consciously intended, I think this song deserves high praise for its transcendent lyrics.Ĭompare it to the recent hit song by Portugal. I've read authenticated comments from the author of the lyrics that tie the song to the story of the elderly couple who drove off and disappeared to later be found dead in an auto accident (possibly dementia-related). So I posted one tonight that says the below: But I think there's more going on here poetically in terms of human mythic value for people than I found expressed in the 6 or 7 comments I just read tonight. Hey, this post was well to point and tight. They just drove off and left it all behind 'em The children woke up, and they couldn't find 'em They wanted the highway, they're happier there today, today They won't make it home but they really don't care You can see their shadows wandering off somewhere They'll never get hungry, they'll never get old and gray It's always summer, they'll never get cold Where were they going without ever knowing the way?Īnyone could see the road that they walk on is paved in gold They now had more important things to sayĪnd when their car broke down they started walking They drank up the wine, and they got to talking They left before the sun came up that dayīut where were they going without ever knowing the way? The song also reached #1 in Canada and at #21 in the UK.They made up their minds, and they started packing It peaked at #1 on the US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart in April 1998 and remained there for seven weeks.

The single was released from the Fastball album All the Pain Money Can Buy in February 1998. Thus, I feel the lyrics and my visual interpretation, which essentially conforms to the lyrics, do much more justice to this song without adding any detailed write-up.

One can not have a 'concept of wonder' if the 'wonder' is explained. The story is modern mythic the stuff that legends are created from. The nuts and bolts are much more detailed than that, but I feel getting into the event of '97 or an explanation of what aspects of it were changed and what the song ultimately evolved into as a result will literally take all the heart and soul right out of it. The original idea for 'The Way' was based on an actual event in July 1997, the song was modified and made into a romance and a mystery, one without any apparent resolution. Power pop had not sounded this good in over 20 years. It certainly appeared as though it was going to be smooth sailing for pop rock in the 21st Century when this song became a major hit in 1998.

The way fastball lyrics