The Way (Fastball song)


"The Way" is a song by the American alternative rock band Fastball. It was released in February 1998 as the lead single from their second studio album, All the Pain Money Can Buy.
"The Way" peaked at number one on the US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart in April and remained there for seven weeks. The song also reached number one in Canada on the week of June 15, 1998, and topped the RPM Alternative 30 chart for four weeks. Worldwide, the song peaked at number seven in Sweden, number 14 in Australia, number 15 in Norway and number 16 in Iceland. The song was voted by VH1 as one of its 100 Greatest Songs of the '90s, ranking number 94.

Background and writing

Fastball front man Tony Scalzo came up with the idea for the song after reading articles which described the June 1997 disappearance of an elderly married couple, Lela and Raymond Howard from Salado, Texas, who left home to attend the Pioneer Day festival at nearby Temple, Texas, despite Lela's Alzheimer’s and Raymond recently recovering from brain surgery. They were discovered two weeks later, dead, at the bottom of a ravine near Hot Springs, Arkansas, hundreds of miles off their intended route.
About the song, Scalzo said that "It's a romanticized take on what happened" - he "pictured them taking off to have fun, like they did when they first met."

Content

The song's lyrics revolve around an older married couple who decide to leave their life behind by packing their things and going driving, without telling their children about their plans. Their car breaks down during the trip, forcing them to continue on foot. The chorus expresses the idea that the couple are achieving happiness by losing touch with the world, even though they may never see their home again.
The beginning of the song features a radio scanning through FM stations; among the songs played are Jewel's "Foolish Games", Roy Orbison's "You Got It", and Madonna's "Vogue."

Track listing

US CD Single
  1. "The Way"
  2. "Are You Ready for the Fallout?"
  3. "Freeloader Freddy"
ITA CD Single
  1. "The Way"
  2. "Are You Ready for the Fallout?"
US Promo CD
  1. "The Way "
  2. "The Way "

    Charts and certifications

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications