The River and the Highway

Last updated
"The River and the Highway"
Pamtillis208258.jpg
Single by Pam Tillis
from the album All of This Love
B-side "All of This Love"
ReleasedJanuary 27, 1996
Studio Sound Emporium (Nashville, Tennessee)
Genre Country
Length4:21 (album version)
3:50 (greatest hits edit)
Label Arista
Songwriter(s) Gerry House, Don Schlitz
Producer(s) Pam Tillis, Mike Poole
Pam Tillis singles chronology
"Deep Down"
(1996)
"The River and the Highway"
(1996)
"It's Lonely Out There"
(1996)

"The River and the Highway" is a song written by Gerry House and Don Schlitz, and recorded by American country music artist Pam Tillis. It was released in January 1996 as the second single from the album All of This Love . The song reached number 8 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart. [1]

Contents

Content

The song is a ballad using a river and a highway as metaphors for a man and woman who are incompatible but whose lives intertwine. The woman is symbolized as the river in that she "follows the path of least resistance" and "twists and turns with no regard to distance", while the man is "headed for a single destination".

Critical reception

Deborah Evans Price of Billboard praised the lyrics as "powerful poetic allegory at its very best". She also said that the song had a "pretty melody" and is "[q]uite possibly the best record in an already distinguished career." [2]

Chart performance

Chart (1996)Peak
position
Canada Country Tracks ( RPM ) [3] 14
US Hot Country Songs ( Billboard ) [4] 8

Year-end charts

Chart (1996)Position
US Country Songs ( Billboard ) [5] 71

Related Research Articles

"You Can't Lose Me" is a song written by Trey Bruce and Thom McHugh, and recorded by American country music artist Faith Hill. It was released on July 1, 1996 as the fourth single from her second album, It Matters to Me (1995). It peaked at number six on the US Billboard Hot Country Songs chart in 1996, and was a number one hit on the RPM Top Country Tracks charts in Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mi Vida Loca (My Crazy Life)</span> 1994 single by Pam Tillis

"Mi Vida Loca " is a song co-written and recorded by American country music artist Pam Tillis. It was released in November 1994 as the third single from the album, Sweetheart's Dance. She co-wrote the song with Jess Leary, and co-produced it with Steve Fishell. The song is Tillis' only number-one single on the Billboard country charts and earned her a second nomination for the Grammy Award for Best Female Country Vocal Performance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">It's a Little Too Late (Mark Chesnutt song)</span> 1996 single by Mark Chesnutt

"It's a Little Too Late" is a song co-written and recorded by American country music singer Mark Chesnutt. It was released in September 1996 as the lead single from his Greatest Hits compilation album. The song reached number-one on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart and peaked at number 5 on the Canadian RPM Country Tracks chart. The song was written by Chesnutt, Roger Springer and Slugger Morrissette.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">She Drew a Broken Heart</span> 1996 single by Patty Loveless

"She Drew a Broken Heart" is a song written by Jon McElroy and Ned McElroy, and recorded by American country music artist Patty Loveless. It was released in December 1996 as the fourth single from her eight album, The Trouble with the Truth (1996). The song charted for 20 weeks on the US Billboard Hot Country Singles and Tracks chart, reaching number four during the week of March 15, 1997.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pam Tillis discography</span>

The discography of American country music singer–songwriter, Pam Tillis, contains 14 studio albums, six compilation albums, one video album, 45 singles, 25 music videos and has appeared on 11 albums. Tillis's career was launched on the Warner Bros. label, where she released several unsuccessful singles and her debut studio album: Above and Beyond the Doll of Cutey (1983). Through Arista Nashville, her second studio album was released in January 1991 titled Put Yourself in My Place. The disc was her first commercial success, reaching number ten on America's Billboard Top Country Albums chart, number 69 on the Billboard 200 and number 12 on Canada's RPM country chart. The disc also certified gold in both countries and spawned five charting singles. Of these releases, "Don't Tell Me What to Do", "One of Those Things" and "Maybe It Was Memphis" reached the top ten of the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. In September 1992, her third studio album was released called Homeward Looking Angel. The disc certified both gold and platinum in North America, while also spawning the Billboard and RPM top ten singles "Shake the Sugar Tree" and "Let That Pony Run".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Am That Man</span> 1996 single by Brooks & Dunn

"I Am That Man" is a song written by Terry McBride and Monty Powell, and recorded by American country music duo Brooks & Dunn. It was released in June 1996 as the second single released from their album Borderline. The song peaked at number 2 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart.

"No News" is a song recorded by American country music band Lonestar. It was released in January 1996 as the second single from their debut album, Lonestar. "No News" reached the top of the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart in April 1996, giving the group its first number-one single. It was written by Phil Barnhart, Sam Hogin, and Mark D. Sanders.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Don't Let Our Love Start Slippin' Away</span> 1992 single by Vince Gill

"Don't Let Our Love Start Slippin' Away" is a song co-written and recorded by American country music singer Vince Gill that reached the top of the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart. It was released in October 1992 as the second single from his album I Still Believe in You. It reached number-one on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks and on the Canadian RPM Country Tracks chart. The song was written by Gill and Pete Wasner.

"More Than You'll Ever Know" is a song written and recorded by American country music artist Travis Tritt. It was released in July 1996 as the lead-off single from his album The Restless Kind. It peaked at number 3 in the United States, and number 7 in Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Think About You (song)</span> 1996 single by Collin Raye

"I Think About You" is a song written by Don Schlitz and Steve Seskin, and recorded by American country music singer Collin Raye. It was released in February 1996 as the third single and title track from his album of the same name. It peaked at number 3 in the United States and number 2 in Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Meant to Be (Sammy Kershaw song)</span> 1996 single by Sammy Kershaw

"Meant to Be" is a song written by Chris Waters and Rick Bowles, and recorded by American country music artist Sammy Kershaw. It was released in March 1996 as the first single from his album Politics, Religion and Her. It peaked at number 5 on the United States Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart and at number 4 on the Canadian RPM Country Tracks chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">On a Good Night (song)</span> 1996 single by Wade Hayes

"On a Good Night" is a song written by Larry Boone, Don Cook and Paul Nelson, and recorded by American country music artist Wade Hayes. It was released in May 1996 as the lead-off single and title from Hayes' album On a Good Night. The song reached number 2 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart and number 4 on the Canadian RPM country singles chart. It is his second highest-peaking single.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vidalia (song)</span> 1996 single by Sammy Kershaw

"Vidalia" is a song written by Tim Nichols and Mark D. Sanders, and recorded by American country music artist Sammy Kershaw. It was released in July 1996 as the second single from the album Politics, Religion and Her. The song reached number 10 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Wouldn't Be a Man</span>

"I Wouldn't Be a Man" is a song written by Mike Reid and Rory Bourke. Originally recorded by Don Williams, it has also been covered by Billy Dean and Josh Turner. Williams's version of the song was a Top Ten country hit in late 1987–early 1988, while versions by Dean and Turner also charted.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">One of Those Things</span>

"One of Those Things" is a song written by American country music artists Pam Tillis and Paul Overstreet and recorded by Tillis on Warner Bros. Records. The song was released as a single in June 1985, but did not chart. After signing with Arista Nashville in 1989, Tillis re-recorded the song and released it as the second single from her 1990 studio album Put Yourself in My Place in April 1991. This version reached number six on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Deep Down (song)</span> 1995 single by Pam Tillis

"Deep Down" is a song written by Walt Aldridge and John Jarrard, and recorded by American country music artist Pam Tillis. It was released in October 1995 as the first single from the album All of This Love. The song reached #6 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Said a Prayer</span> 1998 single by Pam Tillis

"I Said a Prayer" is a song written by Leslie Satcher, and recorded by American country music artist Pam Tillis. It was released in May 1998 as the first single from the album Every Time. The song reached #12 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart.

"Givin' Water to a Drowning Man" is a song co-written and recorded by American country music singer Lee Roy Parnell. It was released in May 1996 as the fourth single from his album We All Get Lucky Sometimes. The song spent 20 weeks on the Hot Country Songs charts, peaking at number twelve in 1996. It was written Parnell and Gary Nicholson.

"Maybe He'll Notice Her Now" is a song written by Tim Johnson and recorded by American country music artist Mindy McCready featuring Richie McDonald. It was released in October 1996 as the third single from McCready's double-platinum selling album Ten Thousand Angels. The song reached number 18 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart.

"It's Lonely Out There" is a song co-written and recorded by American country music artist Pam Tillis. It was released in May 1996 as the third single from her album All of This Love. The song reached number 14 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart in September 1996. Tillis wrote the song with her then-husband, Bob DiPiero.

References

  1. Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country Hits: 1944-2006, Second edition. Record Research. p. 348.
  2. Price, Deborah Evans (27 January 1996). "Reviews: "The River and the Highway"". Billboard : 106.
  3. "Top RPM Country Tracks: Issue 2954." RPM . Library and Archives Canada. April 29, 1996. Retrieved July 20, 2013.
  4. "Pam Tillis Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.
  5. "Best of 1996: Country Songs". Billboard . Prometheus Global Media. 1996. Retrieved July 20, 2013.