"The Road You Leave Behind" | ||||
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Single by David Lee Murphy | ||||
from the album Gettin' Out the Good Stuff | ||||
B-side | "Gettin' Out the Good Stuff" | |||
Released | July 22, 1996 | |||
Genre | Country | |||
Length | 3:53 | |||
Label | MCA | |||
Songwriter(s) | David Lee Murphy | |||
Producer(s) | Tony Brown | |||
David Lee Murphy singles chronology | ||||
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"The Road You Leave Behind" is a song written and recorded by American country music artist David Lee Murphy. It was released in July 1996 as the second single from his album Gettin' Out the Good Stuff . The song peaked at number 5 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart and number 12 on the Canadian RPM Country Tracks chart.
"The Road You Leave Behind" by David Lee Murphy is a song about a man reflecting on his life. In the first verse, he recalls an incident that occurred when he was a child. The family was on vacation. They had driven a long way and were ready to stop for the night. They had a flat tire and needed to change it quickly. They didn't have the necessary equipment or expertise, so they called a tire service. The car didn't have state plates, so it was important to get the tire changed quickly so they could get back on the road. Otherwise, they might have been stopped by the police. The nearest town was over 100 miles away. The distance was too far to walk, and there was no other way to get there. The father told his son that he would drive away, and his face was not smiling as he said it.
The second verse describes the protagonist driving a truck on a highway at night. Suddenly, he felt an urge to stop the truck. He pulled over to the side of the road and got out to walk around. When he got out of the truck, he realized that the hood was pulled up because he was out of gas. He thought he had filled the tank, but apparently not. The protagonist is driving a car that is low on fuel. He is driving through a remote area and is unsure how much farther he can go. He is concerned that he will run out of fuel before he reaches his destination. The engine is dying and the man is running out of gas. He is trying to get to a gas station before the engine dies. The driver is looking at the gas gauge. He is trying to determine how much fuel is in the tank. The fuel gauge in the tank is not accurate. Therefore, the driver must take other factors into consideration when determining the amount of fuel in the tank. These factors include the age of the fuel, the fuel tank's condition, and the driving conditions. An old man working the night shift sees the protagonist and tells him he should not be there. The protagonist is confused and asks the old man why he shouldn't be there. The protagonist is surprised to encounter someone in this place. He wonders why this person is there and why he shouldn't be. The old man's words could be interpreted in two ways. He could be referring to the boy's lack of shoes, which would suggest that he is poor and vulnerable. Alternatively, he could be referring to the dangerous situation the boy is in, which would suggest that he is in imminent danger.
In the song's bridge, the old man tells the protagonist that he doesn't owe him anything. The old man asks the protagonist what he wants from him. The protagonist replies that he doesn't want anything from the old man. The old man says this because he knows that the protagonist is a kind and generous person, and will help him if he needs it. The old man is grateful for the protagonist's help, and wants to return the favor. The old man tells the protagonist that he may need help the next time they meet. The protagonist is surprised, but agrees to help if needed.
Larry Flick, of Billboard magazine reviewed the song favorably calling it "one of those philosophical life-lesson kinds of songs, but Murphy's vocal honesty keeps it from sounding preachy or schmaltzy." [1]
The music video for "The Road You Leave Behind" was directed by Michael Salomon. It premiered on CMT on July 24, 1996, during "The CMT Delivery Room." The video for "The Road You Leave Behind" by David Lee Murphy features him sitting in the back of a truck in black and white. The video also shows flashbacks of Murphy when he was a child, standing in the middle of the road playing guitar, and helping an old man.
"The Road You Leave Behind" debuted at number 62 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks for the week of August 3, 1996.
Chart (1996) | Peak position |
---|---|
Canada Country Tracks ( RPM ) [2] | 12 |
US Hot Country Songs ( Billboard ) [3] | 5 |
Chart (1996) | Position |
---|---|
US Country Songs ( Billboard ) [4] | 55 |
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