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| artist = [[Fastball (band)|Fastball]]
| artist = [[Fastball (band)|Fastball]]
| album = [[All the Pain Money Can Buy]]
| album = [[All the Pain Money Can Buy]]
| B-side = Are You Ready for the Fallout?
| B-side =
* "Are You Ready for the Fallout?"
* "Freeloader Freddy"
⚫
| written = 1997
| released = {{start date|1998|1|7}}<ref name="usrockradio"/>
| released = {{start date|1998|1|7}}<ref name="usrockradio"/>
⚫
| recorded = 1997
| studio =
| studio =
| venue =
| genre = [[Alternative rock]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.spin.com/featured/best-alternative-rock-songs-1998/10/|title=The 88 Best Alternative Rock Songs of 1998|magazine=[[Spin (magazine)|Spin]]|page=10|access-date=September 18, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://consequenceofsound.net/2017/07/ranking-every-alternative-rock-hit-from-worst-to-best/8/|title=Ranking: Every Alternative Rock No. 1 Hit from Worst to Best|last=Cosores|first=Philip|magazine=[[Consequence of Sound]]|page=8|date=July 4, 2017|access-date=February 28, 2021}}</ref>
| genre = [[Alternative rock]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.spin.com/featured/best-alternative-rock-songs-1998/10/|title=The 88 Best Alternative Rock Songs of 1998|magazine=[[Spin (magazine)|Spin]]|page=10|access-date=September 18, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://consequenceofsound.net/2017/07/ranking-every-alternative-rock-hit-from-worst-to-best/8/|title=Ranking: Every Alternative Rock No. 1 Hit from Worst to Best|last=Cosores|first=Philip|magazine=[[Consequence of Sound]]|page=8|date=July 4, 2017|access-date=February 28, 2021}}</ref>
| length = {{unbulleted list|4:17 (album version)|4:08 (radio edit)}}
| length =
* 4:17 (album version)
* 4:08 (radio edit)
| label = [[Hollywood Records|Hollywood]]
| label = [[Hollywood Records|Hollywood]]
| writer = [[Tony Scalzo]]
| writer = [[Tony Scalzo]]
Line 25: Line 28:
| next_title = Fire Escape
| next_title = Fire Escape
| next_year = 1998
| next_year = 1998
| misc = {{External music video
| type = single
| header = Music videos
| 1 = {{YouTube|X5jlTlUTWfQ|"The Way"}}
}}
}}
}}
"'''The Way'''" is a song by American [[alternative rock]] band [[Fastball (band)|Fastball]]. It was released on January 7, 1998, as the lead single from their second studio album, ''[[All the Pain Money Can Buy]]'' (1998). The song was written by the band's lead vocalist, [[Tony Scalzo]], and was produced by the band and [[Julian Raymond]]. Scalzo was inspired to write the song after reading about the disappearance of an elderly couple who were found dead in their car many miles away from their original destination.
"'''The Way'''" is a song by American [[alternative rock]] band [[Fastball (band)|Fastball]]. It was released on January 7, 1998, as the lead single from their second studio album, ''[[All the Pain Money Can Buy]]'' (1998). The song was written by the band's lead vocalist, [[Tony Scalzo]], and was produced by the band and [[Julian Raymond]]. Scalzo was inspired to write the song after reading about the disappearance of an elderly couple who were found dead in their car many miles away from their intended destination.


"The Way" peaked at number one on the US ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' [[Alternative Songs|Modern Rock Tracks]] chart in April 1998 and remained there for seven weeks. It also reached number one in Canada on the week of June 15, 1998, and topped the ''[[RPM (magazine)|RPM]]'' [[Canadian rock/alternative chart|Alternative 30]] chart for four weeks. Worldwide, the song peaked at number seven in Sweden and entered the top 20 in Australia, Iceland, and Norway. The song was voted by [[VH1]] as one of its "100 Greatest Songs of the '90s", ranking it at number 94.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.vh1.com/shows/dyn/the_greatest/127762/episode_featured_copy.jhtml|title=VH1 Original TV Shows, Reality TV Shows – VH1|publisher=[[VH1]]|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071222121154/http://www.vh1.com/shows/dyn/the_greatest/127762/episode_featured_copy.jhtml|archive-date=December 22, 2007}}</ref>
"The Way" peaked at number one on the US ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' [[Alternative Songs|Modern Rock Tracks]] chart in April 1998 and remained there for seven weeks. It also reached number one in Canada on the week of June 15, 1998, and topped the ''[[RPM (magazine)|RPM]]'' [[Canadian rock/alternative chart|Alternative 30]] chart for four weeks. Worldwide, the song peaked at number seven in Sweden and entered the top 20 in Australia, Iceland, and Norway. The song was voted by [[VH1]] as one of its "100 Greatest Songs of the '90s", ranking it at number 94.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.vh1.com/shows/dyn/the_greatest/127762/episode_featured_copy.jhtml|title=VH1 Original TV Shows, Reality TV Shows – VH1|publisher=[[VH1]]|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071222121154/http://www.vh1.com/shows/dyn/the_greatest/127762/episode_featured_copy.jhtml|archive-date=December 22, 2007}}</ref>


==Background and writing==
==Background and writing==
Fastball frontman Tony Scalzo came up with the idea for the song after reading articles that described the June 1997 disappearance of an elderly married couple, Lela and Raymond Howard from [[Salado, Texas]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.wusa9.com/article/article/news/local/the-way-how-a-salado-couples-tragic-story-inspired-a-chart-topping-song/269-459113059|title=The Way: How a Salado couple's tragic story inspired a chart-topping song|last=Perchick|first=Michael|date=July 27, 2017|publisher=[[WUSA (TV)|WUSA]]|access-date=December 24, 2019}}</ref> 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.<ref>[http://www.texnews.com/texas97/miss071097.html Family remains mystified by {{sic|disap|perance}}] AP Thursday, July 10, 1997. {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131220002750/http://www.texnews.com/texas97/miss071097.html|date=December 20, 2013}}</ref><ref>[http://www.texnews.com/texas97/coup071497.html Salado couple shared passions for church, each other] AP Monday, July 14, 1997. {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131220002753/http://www.texnews.com/texas97/coup071497.html|date=December 20, 2013}}</ref> The authorities who investigated the accident believed that Lela, who was driving the car, was trying to locate a place where she had once vacationed.<ref name="bell">{{cite magazine|title=The Modern Age|last=Bell|first=Carrie|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|volume=110|issue=10|page=69|date=March 7, 1998}}</ref>
Fastball frontman Tony Scalzo came up with the idea for the song after reading articles that described the June 1997 disappearance of an elderly married couple, Lela and Raymond Howard from [[Salado, Texas]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.wusa9.com/article/article/news/local/the-way-how-a-salado-couples-tragic-story-inspired-a-chart-topping-song/269-459113059|title=The Way: How a Salado couple's tragic story inspired a chart-topping song|last=Perchick|first=Michael|date=July 27, 2017|publisher=[[WUSA (TV)|WUSA]]|access-date=December 24, 2019}}</ref> who left home to attend the Pioneer Day festival at nearby [[Temple, Texas]], despite Lela's [[Alzheimer's disease]] 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.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.texnews.com/texas97/miss071097.html|title=Family Remains Mystified by {{as written|Disap|perance [sic]}}|website=texnews.com|date=July 10, 1997|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131220002750if_/http://www.texnews.com/texas97/miss071097.html|archive-date=December 20, 2013|access-date=January 1, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.texnews.com/texas97/coup071497.html|title=Salado Couple Shared Passions for Church, Each Other|last=Williams|first=Melissa|website=texnews.com|date=July 14, 1997|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140315061028/http://www.texnews.com/texas97/coup071497.html|archive-date=March 15, 2014|access-date=January 1, 2023}}</ref> The authorities who investigated the accident believed that Lela, who was driving the car, was trying to locate a place where she had once vacationed.<ref name="bell">{{cite magazine|title=The Modern Age|last=Bell|first=Carrie|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|volume=110|issue=10|page=69|date=March 7, 1998}}</ref>


==Content==
==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.{{cn|date=December 2021}}
The song's lyrics revolve around a couple who decide to leave their lives behind by going out driving, without telling their children about their plans. Their car breaks down during the trip, and they 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.{{citation needed|date=December 2021}}


The beginning of the song features a radio scanning through [[FM broadcasting|FM]] [[radio broadcasting|stations]]. Most of the content heard is advertisements, and at one point, the radio tunes in while "[[Foolish Games]]" by [[Jewel (singer)|Jewel]] is playing.<ref name="bell"/>
The beginning of the song features a few seconds of a radio scanning through [[FM broadcasting|FM]] [[radio broadcasting|stations]]. Most of the content heard is advertisements, but brief fragments of the songs "[[Foolish Games]]" by [[Jewel (singer)|Jewel]] and "[[You Got It]]" by [[Roy Orbison]] are audible.<ref name="bell"/>


==Track listings==
==Track listings==
'''UK 7-inch and cassette single; European CD single'''<ref>{{cite AV media notes|title=The Way|others=[[Fastball (band)|Fastball]]|year=1997|type=UK 7-inch single vinyl sleeve|publisher=[[Hollywood Records]]|id=569 946-7}}</ref><ref>{{cite AV media notes|title=The Way|others=Fastball|year=1997|type=UK cassette single sleeve|publisher=Hollywood Records|id=569 946-4}}</ref><ref>{{cite AV media notes|title=The Way|others=Fastball|year=1997|type=European CD single liner notes|publisher=Hollywood Records|id=569 946-2}}</ref>
⚫
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
'''US CD single'''<ref>{{cite AV media notes|title=The Way|others=[[Fastball (band)|Fastball]]|year=1997|type=US CD single liner notes|publisher=[[Hollywood Records]]|id=569 946-2}}</ref>
# "The Way" (radio edit) – 4:08
# "The Way" (radio edit) – 4:08
# "Are You Ready for the Fallout?" – 3:15
# "Are You Ready for the Fallout?" – 3:15


'''UK 7-inch vinyl and Italian 12-inch vinyl'''<ref>{{cite AV media notes|title=The Way|others=Fastball|year=1997|type=UK 7-inch vinyl sleeve|publisher=Hollywood Records|id=569 946-7}}</ref><ref>{{cite AV media notes|title=The Way|others=Fastball|year=1998|type=Italian 12-inch vinyl disc|publisher=Many Records|id=MN01812}}</ref>
'''UK, Australian, and Japanese CD single'''<ref>{{cite AV media notes|title=The Way|others=Fastball|year=1997|type=UK & Australian CD single liner notes|publisher=Hollywood Records, [[Polydor Records]] (Australia)|id=569 947-2}}</ref><ref>{{cite AV media notes|title=The Way|others=Fastball|year=1997|type=Japanese CD single liner notes|publisher=Hollywood Records|id=POCP-7348}}</ref>
:A. "The Way" – 4:08
:B. "Are You Ready for the Fallout?" – 3:15
{{col-2}}
'''UK, European, and Australian CD single'''<ref>{{cite AV media notes|title=The Way|others=Fastball|year=1997|type=UK, European & Australian CD single liner notes|publisher=Hollywood Records, [[Polydor Records]] (Australia)|id=569 947-2}}</ref>
# "The Way" (radio edit) – 4:08
# "The Way" (radio edit) – 4:08
# "Are You Ready for the Fallout?" – 3:15
# "Are You Ready for the Fallout?" – 3:15
# "Freeloader Freddy" – 3:09
# "Freeloader Freddy" – 3:09
{{col-end}}


==Charts and certifications==
==Charts==
{{col-begin}}
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
{{col-2}}

===Weekly charts===
===Weekly charts===
{|class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
{|class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
Line 78: Line 80:
!scope="row"|Iceland ([[Íslenski listinn|Íslenski Listinn Topp 40]])<ref>{{cite news|url=https://timarit.is/page/2972055#page/n9/mode/2up|title=Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (23.7.–30.7. 1998)|newspaper=[[DV (newspaper)|Dagblaðið Vísir]]|language=is|page=10|date=July 24, 1998|access-date=October 3, 2019}}</ref>
!scope="row"|Iceland ([[Íslenski listinn|Íslenski Listinn Topp 40]])<ref>{{cite news|url=https://timarit.is/page/2972055#page/n9/mode/2up|title=Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (23.7.–30.7. 1998)|newspaper=[[DV (newspaper)|Dagblaðið Vísir]]|language=is|page=10|date=July 24, 1998|access-date=October 3, 2019}}</ref>
|16
|16
|-
!scope="row"|Netherlands ([[Dutch Top 40|Dutch Top 40 Tipparade]])<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.top40.nl/tipparade/1998/week-38|title=Tipparade-lijst van week 38, 1998|publisher=[[Dutch Top 40]]|language=nl|access-date=March 27, 2023}}</ref>
|18
|-
|-
{{single chart|Dutch100|90|artist=Fastball|song=The Way|rowheader=true}}
{{single chart|Dutch100|90|artist=Fastball|song=The Way|rowheader=true}}
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|}
|}
{{col-2}}
{{col-2}}

===Year-end charts===
===Year-end charts===
{|class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
{|class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
Line 115: Line 121:
|4
|4
|-
|-
!scope="row"|Canada Adult Contemporary (''RPM'')<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/films-videos-sound-recordings/rpm/Pages/image.aspx?Image=nlc008388.6979&URLjpg=http%3a%2f%2fwww.collectionscanada.gc.ca%2fobj%2f028020%2ff4%2fnlc008388.6979.gif&Ecopy=nlc008388.6979|title=RPM's Top 100 Adult Contemporary Tracks of '98|magazine=RPM|publisher=Library and Archives Canada|access-date=February 1, 2019}}</ref>
!scope="row"|Canada Adult Contemporary (''RPM'')<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/films-videos-sound-recordings/rpm/Pages/image.aspx?Image=nlc008388.6979&URLjpg=http%3a%2f%2fwww.collectionscanada.gc.ca%2fobj%2f028020%2ff4%2fnlc008388.6979.gif&Ecopy=nlc008388.6979|title=RPM's Top 100 Adult Contemporary Tracks of '98|magazine=RPM|via=Library and Archives Canada|access-date=February 1, 2019}}</ref>
|51
|51
|-
|-
!scope="row"|Canada Rock/Alternative (''RPM'')<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/films-videos-sound-recordings/rpm/Pages/image.aspx?Image=nlc008388.6985&URLjpg=http%3a%2f%2fwww.collectionscanada.gc.ca%2fobj%2f028020%2ff4%2fnlc008388.6985.gif&Ecopy=nlc008388.6985|title=RPM's Top 50 Alternative Tracks of '98|magazine=RPM|publisher=Library and Archives Canada|access-date=February 1, 2019}}</ref>
!scope="row"|Canada Rock/Alternative (''RPM'')<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/films-videos-sound-recordings/rpm/Pages/image.aspx?Image=nlc008388.6985&URLjpg=http%3a%2f%2fwww.collectionscanada.gc.ca%2fobj%2f028020%2ff4%2fnlc008388.6985.gif&Ecopy=nlc008388.6985|title=RPM's Top 50 Alternative Tracks of '98|magazine=RPM|via=Library and Archives Canada|access-date=February 1, 2019}}</ref>
|3
|3
|-
|-
!scope="row"|Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.sverigetopplistan.se/chart/43?dspy=1998&dspp=1|title=Årslista Singlar, 1998|publisher=[[Sverigetopplistan]]|language=sv|access-date=August 2, 2020}}</ref>
!scope="row"|Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.sverigetopplistan.se/chart/43?dspy=1998&dspp=1|title=Årslista Singlar, 1998|publisher=[[Sverigetopplistan]]|language=sv|access-date=August 2, 2020}}</ref>
|48
|48
|-
!scope="row"|US Hot 100 Airplay (''Billboard'')<ref>{{cite magazine|title=The Year in Music 1998: Hot 100 Singles Airplay|magazine=Billboard|volume=110|issue=52|page=YE-46|date=December 26, 1998}}</ref>
|12
|-
!scope="row"|US Adult Top 40 (''Billboard'')<ref>{{cite magazine|title=The Year in Music 1998: Hot Adult Top 40 Singles & Tracks|magazine=Billboard|volume=110|issue=52|page=YE-96|date=December 26, 1998}}</ref>
|4
|-
!scope="row"|US Mainstream Rock Tracks (''Billboard'')<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Most Played Mainstream Rock Songs of 1998|magazine=[[Airplay Monitor]]|volume=6|issue=52|page=34|date=December 25, 1998}}</ref>
|78
|-
!scope="row"|US Mainstream Top 40 (''Billboard'')<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Most Played Mainstream Top 40 Songs of 1998|magazine=Airplay Monitor|volume=6|issue=52|page=45|date=December 25, 1998}}</ref>
|16
|-
!scope="row"|US Modern Rock Tracks (''Billboard'')<ref>{{cite magazine|title=The Year in Music 1998: Hot Modern Rock Tracks|magazine=Billboard|volume=110|issue=52|page=YE-84|date=December 26, 1998}}</ref>
|8
|-
!scope="row"|US Triple-A (''Billboard'')<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Best of '98: Most Played Triple-A Songs|magazine=Airplay Monitor|volume=6|issue=52|page=35|date=December 25, 1998}}</ref>
|4
|}
|}
{|class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
!scope="col"|Chart (1999)
!scope="col"|Position
|-
!scope="row"|US Adult Top 40 (''Billboard'')<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Most Played Adult Top 40 Songs of 1999|magazine=Airplay Monitor|volume=7|issue=52|page=47|date=December 24, 1999}}</ref>
|100
|}
⚫
{{col-end}}


===Certifications===
==Certifications==
{{Certification Table Top}}
{{Certification Table Top}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Australia|type=single|award=Gold|relyear=1998|certyear=1998|access-date=February 1, 2019}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Australia|type=single|award=Gold|relyear=1998|certyear=1998|access-date=February 1, 2019}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Sweden|type=single|award=Gold|relyear=1998|certyear=1998|access-date=February 1, 2019}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Sweden|type=single|award=Gold|relyear=1998|certyear=1998|access-date=February 1, 2019}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=United States|type=single|artist=Fastball|title=The Way|award=Gold|relyear=1998|certyear=2014|access-date=February 1, 2019}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=United States|type=single|artist=Fastball|title=The Way|award=Gold|relyear=1998|certyear=2014|access-date=February 1, 2019|refname="riaa"}}
{{Certification Table Bottom|streaming=true|nosales=true}}
{{Certification Table Bottom|streaming=true|nosales=true}}
{{col-end}}


==Release history==
==Release history==
Line 144: Line 175:
|January 7, 1998
|January 7, 1998
|{{hlist|[[Modern rock]]|[[Adult album alternative|triple A]] radio}}
|{{hlist|[[Modern rock]]|[[Adult album alternative|triple A]] radio}}
|rowspan="3"|[[Hollywood Records|Hollywood]]
|rowspan="5"|[[Hollywood Records|Hollywood]]
|rowspan="2"|<ref name="usrockradio">{{cite magazine|title=Hollywood Has a Hit with Rockers Fastball|last=Reece|first=Doug|magazine=Billboard|volume=110|issue=17|page=92|date=April 25, 1998}}</ref>
|rowspan="2"|<ref name="usrockradio">{{cite magazine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aQ0EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA92|title=Hollywood Has a Hit with Rockers Fastball|last=Reece|first=Doug|magazine=Billboard|volume=110|issue=17|page=92|date=April 25, 1998}}</ref>
|-
|-
|February 24, 1998
|February 24, 1998
Line 154: Line 185:
|{{hlist|CD|cassette}}
|{{hlist|CD|cassette}}
|<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Reviews – For Records Out on 21 September 1998: Single Reviews|magazine=[[Music Week]]|page=10|date=September 12, 1998}}</ref>
|<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Reviews – For Records Out on 21 September 1998: Single Reviews|magazine=[[Music Week]]|page=10|date=September 12, 1998}}</ref>
|-
!scope="row"|Japan
|September 30, 1998
|CD
|<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.polygram.co.jp/music/intl/fastball/disco.html|title=Fastball Discography|publisher=[[PolyGram]]|language=ja|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19990128002055/http://www.polygram.co.jp/music/intl/fastball/disco.html|archive-date=January 28, 1999|access-date=August 27, 2023}}</ref>
|-
!scope="row"|United States
|October 28, 2003
|[[Music download|Digital download]]
|<ref name="riaa"/>
|}
|}


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[[Category:Music videos directed by McG]]
[[Category:Music videos directed by McG]]
[[Category:RPM Top Singles number-one singles]]
[[Category:RPM Top Singles number-one singles]]
[[Category:Songs based on real people]]
[[Category:Songs based on actual events]]

Latest revision as of 13:22, 3 November 2024

"The Way"
Single by Fastball
from the album All the Pain Money Can Buy
B-side
  • "Are You Ready for the Fallout?"
  • "Freeloader Freddy"
Written1997
ReleasedJanuary 7, 1998 (1998-01-07)[1]
GenreAlternative rock[2][3]
Length
  • 4:17 (album version)
  • 4:08 (radio edit)
LabelHollywood
Songwriter(s)Tony Scalzo
Producer(s)
Fastball singles chronology
"Are You Ready for the Fallout?"
(1997) 		"The Way"
(1998) 		"Fire Escape"
(1998)
Music videos
"The Way" on YouTube

"The Way" is a song by American alternative rock band Fastball. It was released on January 7, 1998, as the lead single from their second studio album, All the Pain Money Can Buy (1998). The song was written by the band's lead vocalist, Tony Scalzo, and was produced by the band and Julian Raymond. Scalzo was inspired to write the song after reading about the disappearance of an elderly couple who were found dead in their car many miles away from their intended destination.

"The Way" peaked at number one on the US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart in April 1998 and remained there for seven weeks. It 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 and entered the top 20 in Australia, Iceland, and Norway. The song was voted by VH1 as one of its "100 Greatest Songs of the '90s", ranking it at number 94.[4]

Background and writing

[edit]

Fastball frontman Tony Scalzo came up with the idea for the song after reading articles that described the June 1997 disappearance of an elderly married couple, Lela and Raymond Howard from Salado, Texas,[5] who left home to attend the Pioneer Day festival at nearby Temple, Texas, despite Lela's Alzheimer's disease 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.[6][7] The authorities who investigated the accident believed that Lela, who was driving the car, was trying to locate a place where she had once vacationed.[8]

Content

[edit]

The song's lyrics revolve around a couple who decide to leave their lives behind by going out driving, without telling their children about their plans. Their car breaks down during the trip, and they 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.[citation needed]

The beginning of the song features a few seconds of a radio scanning through FM stations. Most of the content heard is advertisements, but brief fragments of the songs "Foolish Games" by Jewel and "You Got It" by Roy Orbison are audible.[8]

Track listings

[edit]

UK 7-inch and cassette single; European CD single[9][10][11]

  1. "The Way" (radio edit) – 4:08
  2. "Are You Ready for the Fallout?" – 3:15

UK, Australian, and Japanese CD single[12][13]

  1. "The Way" (radio edit) – 4:08
  2. "Are You Ready for the Fallout?" – 3:15
  3. "Freeloader Freddy" – 3:09

Charts

[edit]

Certifications

[edit]
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[46] Gold 35,000^
Sweden (GLF)[47] Gold 15,000^
United States (RIAA)[48] Gold 500,000‡

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

[edit]
Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref.
United States January 7, 1998
Hollywood [1]
February 24, 1998 Mainstream rock radio
United Kingdom September 21, 1998
  • CD
  • cassette
 [49]
Japan September 30, 1998 CD [50]
United States October 28, 2003 Digital download [48]

Covers

[edit]

In 2019, alt-country band Mike and the Moonpies recorded a cover of the song while playing a show to mark the 45th anniversary of the "Hole in the Wall" bar that gave both Mike and the Moonpies and Fastball their start.[51]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b Reece, Doug (April 25, 1998). "Hollywood Has a Hit with Rockers Fastball". Billboard. Vol. 110, no. 17. p. 92.
  2. ^ "The 88 Best Alternative Rock Songs of 1998". Spin. p. 10. Retrieved September 18, 2020.
  3. ^ Cosores, Philip (July 4, 2017). "Ranking: Every Alternative Rock No. 1 Hit from Worst to Best". Consequence of Sound. p. 8. Retrieved February 28, 2021.
  4. ^ "VH1 Original TV Shows, Reality TV Shows – VH1". VH1. Archived from the original on December 22, 2007.
  5. ^ Perchick, Michael (July 27, 2017). "The Way: How a Salado couple's tragic story inspired a chart-topping song". WUSA. Retrieved December 24, 2019.
  6. ^ "Family Remains Mystified by Disapperance [sic]". texnews.com. July 10, 1997. Archived from the original on December 20, 2013. Retrieved January 1, 2023.
  7. ^ Williams, Melissa (July 14, 1997). "Salado Couple Shared Passions for Church, Each Other". texnews.com. Archived from the original on March 15, 2014. Retrieved January 1, 2023.
  8. ^ a b Bell, Carrie (March 7, 1998). "The Modern Age". Billboard. Vol. 110, no. 10. p. 69.
  9. ^ The Way (UK 7-inch single vinyl sleeve). Fastball. Hollywood Records. 1997. 569 946-7.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  10. ^ The Way (UK cassette single sleeve). Fastball. Hollywood Records. 1997. 569 946-4.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  11. ^ The Way (European CD single liner notes). Fastball. Hollywood Records. 1997. 569 946-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  12. ^ The Way (UK & Australian CD single liner notes). Fastball. Hollywood Records, Polydor Records (Australia). 1997. 569 947-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  13. ^ The Way (Japanese CD single liner notes). Fastball. Hollywood Records. 1997. POCP-7348.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  14. ^ "Fastball – The Way". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
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  16. ^ "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Issue 3576." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved February 1, 2019.
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  38. ^ "Årslista Singlar, 1998" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved August 2, 2020.
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  48. ^ a b "American single certifications – Fastball – The Way". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved February 1, 2019.
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  51. ^ Hudak, Joseph (May 30, 2019). "Hear Mike and the Moonpies' Nostalgic Cover of Fastball's Nineties Hit 'The Way'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved August 24, 2021.
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