"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.
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, 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. The authorities who investigated the incident believed that Lela, who was driving the car, was trying to locate a place where she had once vacationed.
Content 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. Singer Tony Scalzo explained the meaning by saying: "These people are gone, and their kids are all adults. It’s their lives; they’re probably just trying to get back that flavor of young love and adventure: 'Let’s go! We don’t have to tell anybody where we’re going; what business is that of theirs?'"
The beginning of the song features a few seconds of a radio scanning through FM stations. Most of the content heard is advertisements, but a brief fragment of the song "Foolish Games" by Jewel is audible.
Track listings UK 7-inch and cassette single; European CD single "The Way" (radio edit) – 4:08 "Are You Ready for the Fallout?" – 3:15
UK, Australian, and Japanese CD single "The Way" (radio edit) – 4:08 "Are You Ready for the Fallout?" – 3:15 "Freeloader Freddy" – 3:09
Charts
Weekly charts Chart (1998)PeakpositionEurope (Eurochart Hot 100)42Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40)16Italy Airplay (Music & Media)8Netherlands (Dutch Top 40 Tipparade)18
Year-end charts Chart (1998)PositionAustralia (ARIA)48Canada Top Singles (RPM)4Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM)51Canada Rock/Alternative (RPM)3Sweden (Hitlistan)48US Hot 100 Airplay (Billboard)12US Adult Top 40 (Billboard)4US Mainstream Rock Tracks (Billboard)78US Mainstream Top 40 (Billboard)16US Modern Rock Tracks (Billboard)8US Triple-A (Billboard)4 Chart (1999)PositionUS Adult Top 40 (Billboard)100
Certifications
Release history RegionDateFormat(s)Label(s)United StatesJanuary 7, 1998HollywoodFebruary 24, 1998Mainstream rock radioUnited KingdomSeptember 21, 1998JapanSeptember 30, 1998CDUnited StatesOctober 28, 2003Digital download
Covers In 2019, alt-country band Silverada (then known as 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.
Uses in media In 2026, "The Way" was featured in the fifth episode of the third season of the Hulu drama series Tell Me Lies, playing during a scene in which a character confesses she is secretly planning to drive and visit her estranged mother.
References