"Drivin' My Life Away" | ||||
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Single by Eddie Rabbitt | ||||
from the album Horizon | ||||
B-side | "Pretty Lady" | |||
Released | June 9, 1980 | |||
Recorded | 1980 | |||
Genre | Country rock, country pop, rockabilly | |||
Length | 3:17 | |||
Label | Elektra | |||
Songwriter(s) |
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Producer(s) | David Malloy | |||
Eddie Rabbitt singles chronology | ||||
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Alternative release | ||||
"Drivin' My Life Away" is a song co-written and recorded by American country music artist Eddie Rabbitt. It was released in June 1980 as the first single from the album Horizon . The song was written by Rabbitt, Even Stevens and David Malloy.
The song is a look into the life of a truck driver and the long periods of time they spend away from home.
Although many of Rabbitt's successful songs were country-pop material, "Drivin' My Life Away" began his peak popularity as a crossover artist. The song peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100, and set the stage for his biggest career hit: "I Love a Rainy Night," which reached the top on the country, Hot 100 and adult contemporary charts in early 1981. Two more crossover hits - "Step by Step" and "You and I" (the latter a duet with Crystal Gayle) - followed in 1981 and 1982.
On Billboard's Hot Country Singles chart, it was his seventh out of 17 career chart toppers, spanning from 1976 through 1990.
In 1981, "Drivin' My Life Away" was certified gold for sales of half a million units by the Recording Industry Association of America. [1] It has also sold a further 267,000 digital copies in the US since it became available for download. [2]
"Drivin' My Life Away" was released in 1980 as the first single from his album Horizon . It reached number one on the Hot Country Singles in 1980, and peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Chart (1980) | Peak position |
---|---|
Australia (Kent Music Report) [3] | 100 |
Canadian RPM Country Tracks [4] | 2 |
Canada Top Singles ( RPM ) [5] | 45 |
Canada Adult Contemporary ( RPM ) [6] | 2 |
Dutch Top 40 [7] | 27 |
Netherlands (Single Top 100) [8] | 32 |
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ) [9] | 22 |
US Billboard Hot 100 [10] | 5 |
US Hot Country Songs ( Billboard ) [11] | 1 |
US Billboard Adult Contemporary [12] | 3 |
Year-end chart (1980) | Rank |
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US Top Pop Singles (Billboard) [13] | 85 |
US Hot Country Songs ( Billboard ) [14] | 18 |
"Drivin' My Life Away" | ||||
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Single by Rhett Akins | ||||
from the album Black Dog soundtrack | ||||
B-side | "A Man with 18 Wheels" | |||
Released | April 1998 | |||
Genre | Country | |||
Length | 3:06 | |||
Label | Decca | |||
Songwriter(s) |
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Producer(s) | Frank Liddell, Greg Droman [15] | |||
Rhett Akins singles chronology | ||||
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In 1998, country music artist Rhett Akins recorded a cover version of this song for the soundtrack to the 1998 film Black Dog . This cover, released with Lee Ann Womack's "A Man with 18 Wheels" on the B-side, peaked at number 56 on the country music charts. [16]
Akins told Billboard that he was "apprehensive" about recording the song because of the familiarity of Rabbitt's original version. He also said that he wanted to record the song "the way I want to do it", but also that he wanted it to fit with the tone of the movie. As he did not know what the movie was going to be about, he consulted its director, Kevin Hooks, who flew to Nashville and told him the movie's plot and tone. Akins felt that the movie "was going to be high energy", so he made his rendition "a pretty rockin' track, real edgy". [17]
Deborah Evans Price of Billboard panned Akins' cover, saying that "Akins delivery doesn't have the zip and punch of Rabbitt's energetic version, and the production sounds like a watered-down version of the original." [15]
Chart (1998) | Peak position |
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Canada Country Tracks ( RPM ) [18] | 61 |
US Hot Country Songs ( Billboard ) [19] | 56 |
Edward Thomas Rabbitt was an American country music singer and songwriter. His career began as a songwriter in the late 1960s, springboarding to a recording career after composing hits such as "Kentucky Rain" for Elvis Presley in 1970 and "Pure Love" for Ronnie Milsap in 1974. Later in the 1970s, Rabbitt helped to develop the crossover-influenced sound of country music prevalent in the 1980s with such hits as "Suspicions", "I Love a Rainy Night", and "Every Which Way but Loose". His duets "Both to Each Other " with Juice Newton and "You and I" with Crystal Gayle later appeared on the soap operas Days of Our Lives and All My Children.
Thomas Rhett Akins Sr. is an American country music singer and songwriter. Signed to Decca Records between 1994 and 1997, he released two albums for that label, followed by 1998's What Livin's All About on MCA Nashville. Friday Night in Dixie was released in 2002 on Audium Entertainment. Overall, his albums have accounted for fourteen singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs, including the number one "Don't Get Me Started" from 1996.
"Sweet Dreams" or "Sweet Dreams (of You)" is a country ballad, which was written by Don Gibson. Gibson originally recorded the song in 1955; his version hit the top ten of Billboard's country chart, but was eclipsed by the success of a competing recording by Faron Young. In 1960, after Gibson had established himself as a country music superstar, he released a new take as a single. This version also charted in the top ten on the country chart and also crossed over to the Billboard Hot 100, where it peaked at No.93. The song has become a country standard, with other notable versions by Patsy Cline and Emmylou Harris.
"You and I" is a duet recorded by American country music artists Eddie Rabbitt and Crystal Gayle. It was written by Frank J. Myers, produced by David Malloy, and released in October 1982 as the first single from Rabbitt's eighth studio album Radio Romance (1982). "You and I" became a major country pop crossover hit for both artists.
"My Maria" is a song co-written by B. W. Stevenson and Daniel Moore. Lindy Blaskey, a music publisher at ABC/Dunhill Records, thought Moore had a possible hit with his verse and chorus, but couldn't get him to finish the song, so Blaskey took what Moore had so far and asked Stevenson to finish writing it with an additional verse. David Kershenbaum, Stevenson's producer at RCA, agreed with Blaskey that it sounded like a hit and produced and released "My Maria" as a single in July 1973. The song became a Top 10 hit, peaking at No. 9 on the US pop chart. It remained in the Top 40 for twelve weeks. In addition, "My Maria" spent one week at No. 1 on the US adult contemporary chart. The guitar portion of the track was played by Larry Carlton. A cover version by Brooks & Dunn reached No. 1 on the US country music chart and won the 1997 Grammy for Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal.
"I Love a Rainy Night" is a song co-written and recorded by American country music artist Eddie Rabbitt. It was released in November 1980 as the second single from his album Horizon. It reached number one on the Hot Country Singles, Billboard Hot 100, and Adult Contemporary Singles charts in early 1981. It was written by Rabbitt, Even Stevens, and David Malloy.
"Talking in Your Sleep" is a song written by Roger Cook and Bobby Wood. The first recorded version of the song is by the band Marmalade, produced by Cook's longtime collaborator Roger Greenaway; Marmalade's version was also released as single in 1978 but failed to chart.
"Suspicions" is a country music song. It was originally recorded and released as a single in 1979 by Eddie Rabbitt from his album Loveline; his version was a number one hit on the Billboard country music chart and a top 20 hit on the Billboard Hot 100. The song saw renewed popularity in 2007–08, when Tim McGraw recorded and released a cover version on his album Let It Go.
The following is a discography of American country music singer-songwriter Eddie Rabbitt.
"On Second Thought" is a song written and recorded by American country music artist Eddie Rabbitt. It was released in November 1989 as the first single from the album Jersey Boy. The song topped both the United States and Canadian country charts for two weeks in 1990. It was the final No. 1 song for Rabbitt, who died from lung cancer in 1998.
"Gone Too Far" is a song co-written and recorded by American country music artist Eddie Rabbitt. It was released in February 1980 as the third single from the album Loveline. The song was Rabbitt's sixth number one on the country chart. The single stayed at number one for a single week and spent a total of ten weeks on the country chart. It was written by Rabbitt, Even Stevens and David Malloy.
"Step by Step" is a crossover song co-written and recorded by American country music artist Eddie Rabbitt. It was released in July 1981 as the first single and title track from the album Step by Step. The song was Rabbitt's ninth number one single on the country chart. The single stayed at number one for one week and spent a total of 11 weeks on the country chart. It was written by Rabbitt, Even Stevens and David Malloy.
"Someone Could Lose a Heart Tonight" is a song co-written and recorded by American country music artist Eddie Rabbitt. The song was written by Rabbitt, Even Stevens and David Malloy.
"You Can't Run from Love" is a song co-written and recorded by American country music artist Eddie Rabbitt. It was released in March 1983 as the second single from the album Radio Romance. "You Can't Run from Love" was the follow-up to Rabbitt's duet with Crystal Gayle, "You and I". The song was Rabbitt's twelfth number one single on the country chart. The single went to number one for one week and spent a total of thirteen weeks on the country chart. "You Can't Run From Love" peaked at number fifty-five on the Hot 100 and number two on the Hot Adult Contemporary chart. It was written by Rabbitt, Even Stevens and David Malloy.
"I Don't Know Where to Start" is a song written by Thom Schuyler, and recorded by American country music artist Eddie Rabbitt. It was released in April 1982 as the third single from the album Step by Step. The song reached number 2 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart and number 35 on the Billboard Hot 100, his last solo top-40 pop hit.
"We Must Be Doin' Somethin' Right" is a song co-written and recorded by American country music artist Eddie Rabbitt. It was released in October 1988 as the third single from the album I Wanna Dance with You. The song reached number 7 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart. It was written by Rabbitt and Reed Nielsen.
"Runnin' with the Wind" is a song co-written and recorded by American country music artist Eddie Rabbitt. It was released in April 1990 as the second single from the album Jersey Boy. The song reached number 8 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart. It was written by Rabbitt and Reed Nielsen.
American country music artist Crystal Gayle has released 15 music videos and 68 singles, including six as a collaborative artist, four as a featured artist, and six promos. Gayle's debut single was 1970's "I've Cried " via Decca Records, which reached number 23 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart. Encouraged by her sister to develop her own musical style, Gayle signed with United Artists Records where she began recording country pop material. That year "Wrong Road Again" reached number 6 on the country chart, launching several major hits including "I'll Do It All Over Again" and her first #1 hit, "I'll Get Over You". She released "Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue" in 1977 which became her signature song and brought her crossover pop success. It topped the country chart, reached number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100, and became an international hit. Its success elevated her career and was followed by three more number-one country singles: "Ready for the Times to Get Better", "Why Have You Left the One You Left Me For", and the top-twenty pop hit "Talking in Your Sleep".
"You Put the Beat in My Heart" is a song written by Don Pfrimmer and Rick Giles, and recorded by American country music artist Eddie Rabbitt. It was released in September 1983 as the first single from his Greatest Hits Vol. II compilation album. The song reached number 10 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart.
"Forgive and Forget" is a song recorded by American country music artist Eddie Rabbitt and released in 1975 as the second single from his self-titled debut album. The song was written by Rabbitt and Even Stevens, and produced by David Malloy. It was Rabbitt's second country hit, reaching number 12 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart.
Works cited