Down the Road (song)
Encyclopedia
"Down the Road" is the title of a song written and recorded by American country music
artist Mac McAnally
. McAnally has charted with the song on two separate occasions. The first of these two versions was released as the second single from his 1990 album Simple Life, and was a minor chart single for him that year. Eighteen years later, McAnally re-recorded the song as a duet with Kenny Chesney
on Chesney's 2008 album Lucky Old Sun
. This rendition is also McAnally's highest charting country hit, having reached Number One in February 2009.
In the second verse, the narrator is now an adult, and his daughter has a love interest who lives down the road. He then explains that he has the same expectations that the parents in the first verse had, but he will still let her go down the road.
According to Country Weekly
magazine, McAnally was inspired to write the song one Christmas morning after thinking about what his two daughters' lives would be like in the future (he has since had a third).
. It debuted at #72 on the Billboard
country charts for the week of July 7, 1990, fell to #75 a week later, and then reached its peak of #70 on the chart week of July 21. McAnally also re-recorded this song for his 1994 album Knots, which was subsequently sent to radio as a promotional single.
, directed by John Lloyd Miller. It features McAnally performing the song on a porch while playing electric guitar
.
covered the song on his album Lucky Old Sun
. Chesney's version features guest vocals from McAnally, who sings the second verse and chorus. Unlike McAnally's original which is accompanied by electric guitar
, Chesney's rendition is more acoustic in nature, featuring only accompaniment from two steel-string acoustic guitar
s and congas. According to McAnally, the song "was not supposed to be a duet", but he agreed to record it as a duet on Chesney's album. Chesney and McAnally were nominated for the Grammy Award
for Best Country Collaboration with Vocals
on December 2, 2009.
covered the song on their 1998 album Bang Bang Bang, as did Restless Heart
on their 2004 album Still Restless
and Marty Raybon
on his 2006 album When the Sand Runs Out. Dennis Agajanian
also covered this song on his album Come On Home.
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
artist Mac McAnally
Mac McAnally
Lyman Corbitt "Mac" McAnally, Jr. is an American country music singer-songwriter, session musician and record producer. In his career, he has recorded ten studio albums and eight singles. Two of his singles were hits on the Billboard Hot 100, and six more on the Hot Country Songs charts...
. McAnally has charted with the song on two separate occasions. The first of these two versions was released as the second single from his 1990 album Simple Life, and was a minor chart single for him that year. Eighteen years later, McAnally re-recorded the song as a duet with Kenny Chesney
Kenny Chesney
Kenneth "Kenny" Arnold Chesney is an American country music singer and songwriter. Chesney has recorded 15 albums, 14 of which have been certified gold or higher by the RIAA. He has also produced more than 30 Top Ten singles on the U.S...
on Chesney's 2008 album Lucky Old Sun
Lucky Old Sun
Lucky Old Sun is the thirteenth studio album released by country music artist Kenny Chesney. It was released on October 14, 2008 as the first release for Blue Chair Records, Chesney's personal division of the BNA Records label...
. This rendition is also McAnally's highest charting country hit, having reached Number One in February 2009.
Content
"Down the Road" is a mid-tempo ballad. In it, the male narrator describes his childhood love interest — a girl who lives down the road from him. Eventually, the narrator proposes to marry her, only to find out the expectations her parents have of him.In the second verse, the narrator is now an adult, and his daughter has a love interest who lives down the road. He then explains that he has the same expectations that the parents in the first verse had, but he will still let her go down the road.
According to Country Weekly
Country Weekly
Country Weekly is an American tabloid style weekly magazine established in 1994. The magazine focuses on country music stars and events, and regularly features exclusive interviews with recording artists and country music news...
magazine, McAnally was inspired to write the song one Christmas morning after thinking about what his two daughters' lives would be like in the future (he has since had a third).
Mac McAnally version
Mac McAnally's original version is the second single from his 1990 album Simple Life, his only album for Warner Bros. RecordsWarner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records Inc. is an American record label. It was the foundation label of the present-day Warner Music Group, and now operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of that corporation. It maintains a close relationship with its former parent, Warner Bros. Pictures, although the two companies...
. It debuted at #72 on the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
country charts for the week of July 7, 1990, fell to #75 a week later, and then reached its peak of #70 on the chart week of July 21. McAnally also re-recorded this song for his 1994 album Knots, which was subsequently sent to radio as a promotional single.
Music video
McAnally's rendition also features a music videoMusic video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
, directed by John Lloyd Miller. It features McAnally performing the song on a porch while playing electric guitar
Electric guitar
An electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
.
Chart positions
| Chart (1990) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks | 70 |
| Canadian RPM Top Country Tracks | 73 |
Kenny Chesney version
In 2008, Kenny ChesneyKenny Chesney
Kenneth "Kenny" Arnold Chesney is an American country music singer and songwriter. Chesney has recorded 15 albums, 14 of which have been certified gold or higher by the RIAA. He has also produced more than 30 Top Ten singles on the U.S...
covered the song on his album Lucky Old Sun
Lucky Old Sun
Lucky Old Sun is the thirteenth studio album released by country music artist Kenny Chesney. It was released on October 14, 2008 as the first release for Blue Chair Records, Chesney's personal division of the BNA Records label...
. Chesney's version features guest vocals from McAnally, who sings the second verse and chorus. Unlike McAnally's original which is accompanied by electric guitar
Electric guitar
An electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
, Chesney's rendition is more acoustic in nature, featuring only accompaniment from two steel-string acoustic guitar
Steel-string acoustic guitar
A steel-string acoustic guitar is a modern form of guitar descended from the classical guitar, but strung with steel strings for a brighter, louder sound...
s and congas. According to McAnally, the song "was not supposed to be a duet", but he agreed to record it as a duet on Chesney's album. Chesney and McAnally were nominated for the Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
for Best Country Collaboration with Vocals
Grammy Award for Best Country Collaboration with Vocals
The Grammy Award for Best Country Collaboration with Vocals was an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to quality country music collaborations for artists who do not normally perform together...
on December 2, 2009.
Critical reception
Chesney's rendition received a thumbs-up rating from The 9513. Critic Jim Malec said that the song "provid[ed] him a comfortable pocket from which he can weave a tale" and added, "'Down The Road' brings together the best of Chesney with the best of McAnally, a songwriter whose greatest strength is his ability to breath life into characters that seem unquestionably real, and which help us discuss life’s essential and often bittersweet truths." He also said that it was Chesney's "best vocal performance in years". Jacob Crogie of 411 Mania gave the Chesney version a four-out-of-five rating, saying "This re-recording is a classic example of good country! It's got some solid musicality and is acoustic based to suit the subject matter. McAnally's writing provides solid, believable, sympathetic characters which allows the listener to connect to the song emotionally."Chart positions
The Kenny Chesney version of the song made its chart debut at #59 on the country charts dated for November 1, 2008. It fell from the charts the next week, then re-entered at #38 for the week of November 15. It is McAnally's second Top 40 country chart entry, eighteen years after his previous one, the #14 "Back Where I Come From" in 1990. The duet version reached Number One on the country chart dated for February 28, 2009, giving Chesney his sixteenth Number One and McAnally his first.| Chart (2008-2009) | Peak position |
|---|
Other versions
The Nitty Gritty Dirt BandNitty Gritty Dirt Band
The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band is an American country-folk-rock band that has existed in various forms since its founding in Long Beach, California in 1966. The group's membership has had at least a dozen changes over the years, including a period from 1976 to 1981 when the band performed and recorded...
covered the song on their 1998 album Bang Bang Bang, as did Restless Heart
Restless Heart
Restless Heart is an American country music band established in 1984. The band's original members were John Dittrich , Paul Gregg , Dave Innis , Greg Jennings , and Verlon Thompson...
on their 2004 album Still Restless
Still Restless
Still Restless is the ninth album released by the American country music band Restless Heart. Released in 2004, it was considered the band's reunion album, as it was their first release since 1998's Greatest Hits, as well as the first album since 1990's Fast Movin' Train to feature all five...
and Marty Raybon
Marty Raybon
Marty Raybon Marty Raybon Marty Raybon (born December 8, 1959 is an Award Winning American country music artist. He is known primarily for his role as the lead singer of the band Shenandoah, a role which he held from 1985 to 1996. He recorded his first solo album, Marty Raybon, in 1995 on Sparrow...
on his 2006 album When the Sand Runs Out. Dennis Agajanian
Dennis Agajanian
Dennis Agajanian is a Christian musician. Agajanian has played at countless churches across the world, plus he has been featured at the Harvest Crusades and Billy Graham's crusades. He is of Armenian origin. Dennis is a five time Musician of the year, and a three time Entertainer of the year CCMA...
also covered this song on his album Come On Home.