Life Is a Highway
Encyclopedia
"Life Is a Highway" is a song written by Tom Cochrane
, from his 1991 album Mad Mad World
. The song was Cochrane's most famous song, as it was a number one hit in his native Canada
. The song also peaked at number six on the Billboard charts in the United States
in 1992. The song has been famously covered by Rascal Flatts
for the Cars
soundtrack, as well as by Chris LeDoux
and Jerry Jeff Walker
.
famine relief organization. That experience shaped his next album Mad Mad World which contained "Life Is a Highway".
The song was Cochrane's only Top 40 hit in the United States.
, Superstar
starring Molly Shannon
and The Ladies Man
starring Tim Meadows.
The video was shot in Alberta's Badlands, near the city of Drumheller. Many of the shots are in familiar locations along the Dinosaur Trail, including Tom playing guitar amid the 'Hoodoos' and the couple running around the car while it rides the Bleriot Ferry
across the Red Deer River
.
The car which features in the music video is a 1965 Chevrolet Impala Super Sport.
In 1994 the song was used for promotional purposes for the NBC TV series VIPER as a background track.
In the episode, "Employee Transfer
" which aired in the fifth season of The Office, three of the characters sing the song while driving a character from Scranton
to Nashua
.
, American country
band Rascal Flatts
covered this song for the Disney/Pixar
animated film Cars
. The movie was released on June 9, 2006. The song sold a large quantity of digital downloads, leading to a top ten peak on the Billboard Hot 100
. In addition, the cover was placed as a bonus track
on later versions of the album Me and My Gang
, and also was included on their Greatest Hits Volume 1
. This version also won the "Favorite Song from a Movie" award at the 33rd People's Choice Awards
. The instrumental of the Rascal Flatts' cover version was prominently featured in the Top Gear American special aired February 11, 2007. The song is included on the soundtrack for Lego Rock Band
.
driving three vintage vehicles. The cars are allusive to three characters from the movie: Lightning McQueen, Doc Hudson and Mater. As the projector rolls, scenes from the Disney/Pixar
movie Cars
are shown as the band plays through the number. It was directed by Shaun Silva.
". The unsolicited country airplay brought "Life Is a Highway" to number 18 on the country chart.
released a cover of "Life Is a Highway" on the album One Road Man. Changes include the timing of vocal entrances on the chorus, and location names between the first and second chorus. This version reached number 64 on the country music charts.
Tom Cochrane
Tom Cochrane, OC Canadian musician and humanitarian, best known for his hit songs "Life Is a Highway", "Lunatic Fringe", "Human Race" and "I Wish You Well". Cochrane fronted the Canadian rock band Red Rider and has won seven Juno Awards...
, from his 1991 album Mad Mad World
Mad Mad World
- Personnel :* Tom Cochrane - vocals, acoustic and electric guitars, piano, harmonica, percussion, bass, keyboards, slide guitar* John Webster - percussion, piano, organ* Spider Sinnaeve - bass* Mickey Curry - drums...
. The song was Cochrane's most famous song, as it was a number one hit in his native Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. The song also peaked at number six on the Billboard charts in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 1992. The song has been famously covered by Rascal Flatts
Rascal Flatts
Rascal Flatts is an American country music band that originated in Columbus, Ohio, United States of America. Since its inception, Rascal Flatts has been composed of three members: Gary LeVox , Jay DeMarcus and Joe Don Rooney...
for the Cars
Cars (film)
Cars is a 2006 American animated family film produced by Pixar and directed by John Lasseter and co-directed by Joe Ranft. It is the seventh Disney·Pixar feature film, and Pixar's final, independently-produced motion picture before its purchase by Disney...
soundtrack, as well as by Chris LeDoux
Chris LeDoux
Chris Ledoux was an American country music singer-songwriter, bronze sculptor and rodeo champion.During his career LeDoux recorded 36 albums which have sold more than six million units in the United States as of January 2007...
and Jerry Jeff Walker
Jerry Jeff Walker
Jerry Jeff Walker is an American country music singer and songwriter. He is probably most famous for writing the song "Mr. Bojangles.-Biography:...
.
Song information
In the 1990s Cochrane took his family to West Africa where he helped to raise awareness and money for the World VisionWorld Vision
World Vision, founded in the USA in 1950, is an evangelical relief and development organization whose stated goal is "to follow our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ in working with the poor and oppressed to promote human transformation, seek justice and bear witness to the good news of the Kingdom of...
famine relief organization. That experience shaped his next album Mad Mad World which contained "Life Is a Highway".
The song was Cochrane's only Top 40 hit in the United States.
Peak positions
| Chart (1991) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
6 |
| U.S. Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks Mainstream Rock Tracks Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks is a ranking in Billboard magazine of the most-played songs on mainstream rock radio stations, a category that includes stations that play primarily rock music. Modern rock tracks are counted in the Alternative Songs chart.This chart began with the March 21, 1981, issue... |
6 |
| Canadian Singles Chart | 1 |
| Australian ARIA Chart | 2 |
| New Zealand Singles Chart | 2 |
| Sweden Singles Chart | 23 |
| Dutch Singles Chart | 35 |
End of year charts
| End of year chart (1992) | Position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 18 |
Music video
The original video for "Life Is a Highway" was produced by Albert Botha who went on to line produce two films for Saturday Night LiveSaturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
, Superstar
Superstar (film)
Superstar is a 1999 comedy film and Saturday Night Live spin-off about a quirky, socially inept girl named Mary Katherine Gallagher. The character was created by SNL star Molly Shannon and appeared as a recurring character on SNL in numerous skits. The story follows Mary Katherine trying to find...
starring Molly Shannon
Molly Shannon
Molly Helen Shannon is an American comic actress best known for her work as a cast member on Saturday Night Live from 1995–2001 and for starring in the films Superstar and Year of the Dog. More recently, she starred in NBC's Kath & Kim from 2008–2009 and on the TBS animated series Neighbors from...
and The Ladies Man
The Ladies Man (2000 film)
The Ladies Man is a 2000 American comedy film that stars actor, comedian and former Saturday Night Live cast member Tim Meadows. It was directed by Reginald Hudlin. The movie focuses on the exploits of radio host and sex therapy expert Leon Phelps....
starring Tim Meadows.
The video was shot in Alberta's Badlands, near the city of Drumheller. Many of the shots are in familiar locations along the Dinosaur Trail, including Tom playing guitar amid the 'Hoodoos' and the couple running around the car while it rides the Bleriot Ferry
Bleriot Ferry
The Bleriot Ferry is a ferry in Alberta, Canada. It links the two sections of the North Dinosaur Trail as it crosses the Red Deer River from Kneehill County on the west, to Starland County on the east...
across the Red Deer River
Red Deer River
The Red Deer River is a river in Alberta, Canada. It is a major tributary of the South Saskatchewan River.Red Deer River has a total length of and a drainage area of...
.
The car which features in the music video is a 1965 Chevrolet Impala Super Sport.
Pop culture
The song was used in 1998 TV advertisements by Cleveland, Ohio-based bank National City Corp.National City Corp.
National City Corporation was a regional bank holding company based in Cleveland, Ohio, USA, founded in 1845; it was once one of the ten largest banks in America in terms of deposits, mortgages and home equity lines of credit. Subsidiary National City Mortgage is credited for doing the first...
In 1994 the song was used for promotional purposes for the NBC TV series VIPER as a background track.
In the episode, "Employee Transfer
Employee Transfer
"Employee Transfer" is the sixth episode of the fifth season of the television series The Office, and the show's seventy-eighth episode overall...
" which aired in the fifth season of The Office, three of the characters sing the song while driving a character from Scranton
Scranton, Pennsylvania
Scranton is a city in the northeastern part of Pennsylvania, United States. It is the county seat of Lackawanna County and the largest principal city in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre metropolitan area. Scranton had a population of 76,089 in 2010, according to the U.S...
to Nashua
Nashua, New Hampshire
-Climate:-Demographics:As of the census of 2010, there were 86,494 people, 35,044 households, and 21,876 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,719.9 people per square mile . There were 37,168 housing units at an average density of 1,202.8 per square mile...
.
Rascal Flatts version
In 20062006 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 2006.-January:*January 10 – Eric Burdon releases his album Soul of a Man and begins touring with a new band....
, American country
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...
band Rascal Flatts
Rascal Flatts
Rascal Flatts is an American country music band that originated in Columbus, Ohio, United States of America. Since its inception, Rascal Flatts has been composed of three members: Gary LeVox , Jay DeMarcus and Joe Don Rooney...
covered this song for the Disney/Pixar
Pixar
Pixar Animation Studios, pronounced , is an American computer animation film studio based in Emeryville, California. The studio has earned 26 Academy Awards, seven Golden Globes, and three Grammy Awards, among many other awards and acknowledgments. Its films have made over $6.3 billion worldwide...
animated film Cars
Cars (film)
Cars is a 2006 American animated family film produced by Pixar and directed by John Lasseter and co-directed by Joe Ranft. It is the seventh Disney·Pixar feature film, and Pixar's final, independently-produced motion picture before its purchase by Disney...
. The movie was released on June 9, 2006. The song sold a large quantity of digital downloads, leading to a top ten peak on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
. In addition, the cover was placed as a bonus track
Bonus track
In terms of recorded music, a bonus track is a piece of music which has been included on specific releases or reissues of an album. This is most often done as a promotional device, either as an incentive to customers to purchase albums they might otherwise not, or to repurchase albums they already...
on later versions of the album Me and My Gang
Me and My Gang
Me and My Gang is the fourth studio album from the American country music group Rascal Flatts. It was released on April 4, 2006. The album sold more than 721,747 units and went double platinum in the first month of release...
, and also was included on their Greatest Hits Volume 1
Greatest Hits Volume 1 (Rascal Flatts album)
Greatest Hits Volume 1 is the title of the first greatest hits album released by the American country music group Rascal Flatts. It was released on October 28, 2008 on Lyric Street Records...
. This version also won the "Favorite Song from a Movie" award at the 33rd People's Choice Awards
33rd People's Choice Awards
The 33rd People's Choice Awards, honoring the best in popular culture for 2006, were held on January 9, 2007 at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California...
. The instrumental of the Rascal Flatts' cover version was prominently featured in the Top Gear American special aired February 11, 2007. The song is included on the soundtrack for Lego Rock Band
Lego Rock Band
Lego Rock Band is a music video game and part of the Rock Band series developed by Harmonix Music Systems, but also incorporates elements from other Lego video games as developed by Traveller's Tales. The game is published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and MTV Games...
.
Music video
The music video portrays the three band members pulling into a drive-in theaterDrive-in theater
A drive-in theater is a form of cinema structure consisting of a large outdoor screen, a projection booth, a concession stand and a large parking area for automobiles. Within this enclosed area, customers can view movies from the privacy and comfort of their cars.The screen can be as simple as a...
driving three vintage vehicles. The cars are allusive to three characters from the movie: Lightning McQueen, Doc Hudson and Mater. As the projector rolls, scenes from the Disney/Pixar
Pixar
Pixar Animation Studios, pronounced , is an American computer animation film studio based in Emeryville, California. The studio has earned 26 Academy Awards, seven Golden Globes, and three Grammy Awards, among many other awards and acknowledgments. Its films have made over $6.3 billion worldwide...
movie Cars
Cars (film)
Cars is a 2006 American animated family film produced by Pixar and directed by John Lasseter and co-directed by Joe Ranft. It is the seventh Disney·Pixar feature film, and Pixar's final, independently-produced motion picture before its purchase by Disney...
are shown as the band plays through the number. It was directed by Shaun Silva.
Charts
The Rascal Flatts version subsequently became a hit on the US Hot 100 chart, where it peaked at number 7. Even though it was not officially released to country radio, many country stations played the song as an album cut, overlapping with their then-current country single "My WishMy Wish
"My Wish" is a song written by Jeffrey Steele and Steve Robson, and recorded by American country music group Rascal Flatts. It was released in August 2006 as the third single from their album, Me and My Gang. It reached number one on the U.S. country charts in December 2006 and also peaked at #28...
". The unsolicited country airplay brought "Life Is a Highway" to number 18 on the country chart.
| Chart (2006) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US 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... Pop 100 Pop 100 The Pop 100 was a songs chart that debuted in February 2005 and was released weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States until its discontinuation in 2009... |
9 |
Other covers
In 1998, Chris LeDouxChris LeDoux
Chris Ledoux was an American country music singer-songwriter, bronze sculptor and rodeo champion.During his career LeDoux recorded 36 albums which have sold more than six million units in the United States as of January 2007...
released a cover of "Life Is a Highway" on the album One Road Man. Changes include the timing of vocal entrances on the chorus, and location names between the first and second chorus. This version reached number 64 on the country music charts.