Against the Wind (Bob Seger song)
| "Against the Wind" | |
|---|---|
| Song | |
| B-side | "No Man's Land" |
"Against the Wind" is a song by Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band from the 1980 album Against the Wind. "Against the Wind" is the highest ranking single from the album, peaking at #5.[1] Glenn Frey of the Eagles sang background vocals on this song.
According to Timothy White, a writer for Rolling Stone, "'Against the Wind' is about trying to move ahead, keeping your sanity and integrity at the same time."[citation needed]
In 1981, "Against the Wind" also won the Grammy award for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal.
Background and writing
During an interview on WWFX, "100 FM The Pike", Bob Seger said that "Against the Wind" came about from his days as a high-school cross country runner. The line "Let the cowboys ride!" towards the song's end is a reference to the closing lyrics of the song "Santa Fe/Beautiful Obsession" by Van Morrison.
Seger later said that the line "Wish I didn't know now what I didn't know then" bothered him for a while, but that everyone he knew loved it, so he left it in. He also said that it has since appeared in several other hits by other artists, so that proved it was o.k.[2]
Chart performance
| Chart (1980) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Kent Music Report[3] | 92 |
| Belgian VRT Top 30 | 30 |
| Canadian RPM Top 100 | 6 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 5 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks | 8 |
Year-end charts
| Chart (1980) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard Hot 100 | 51 |
Cover versions
In 1999, Brooks & Dunn covered this song on the television soundtrack to King of the Hill. This version peaked at #55 on the Hot Country Songs charts based on unsolicited airplay.
The song was also covered by The Highwaymen on their debut album.
In 1978, two years before the US release, the song was covered (translated to Spanish under the title "Contra el viento") by Argentine rock band Plus in their second album "Melancolica Muchacha".[4]
- Garth Brooks for the 2013 "Classic Rock" album in the "Blame It All on My Roots: Five Decades of Influences" compilation.
In popular culture
- The song was played in the movie Forrest Gump, where Forrest was running across the country.[5]
References
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2002). Top Pop Songs: 1961-2001. Record Research. p. 218.
- ^ Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band Greatest Hits, CD sleeve.
- ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- ^ "Melancólica muchacha". rock.com.ar.
- ^ "Forrest Gump - Run Scene". YouTube. August 29, 2012.