Middle of the Road (song)
| "Middle of the Road" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| File:Middle of the Road UK single cover.jpeg UK cover | ||||
| Single by The Pretenders | ||||
| from the album Learning to Crawl | ||||
| B-side | "2000 Miles (US), Watching the Clothes (UK)" | |||
| Released | November 1983 (US), February 1984 (UK) | |||
| Genre | Rock, new wave | |||
| Length | 4:14 | |||
| Label | Sire | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Chrissie Hynde | |||
| Producer(s) | Chris Thomas | |||
| The Pretenders singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Alternative cover | ||||
 US cover | ||||
"Middle of the Road" is a single that appears on The Pretenders' album Learning to Crawl.
The song peaked at #19 on the US pop singles chart[1] and #2 on the US mainstream rock chart in January 1984, where it stayed for four weeks.[2]
Singer-songwriter Chrissie Hynde has stated that "Middle of the Road" refers to Tao Te Ching, which she interprets as "the middle way."[3] According to Charles M. Young of Musician, the song is about "getting out there and mixing it up with the world."[4] The song lyrics include observations about the difference between wealth and poverty that Hynde had observed. The lyrics also refer to autobiographical details (i.e., the lyric “I got a kid, I'm thirty-three” although Hynde turned 32 shortly before the single was released). Hynde plays the harmonica solo near the end of the song.[5]
"Middle of the Road" uses a 4/4 time signature.[5] Hynde has acknowledged that "Middle of the Road" uses the same chords as the Rolling Stones' song "Empty Heart" and that it doesn't have much melody.[4] She says that it uses basic chords and that it is like "a regular R&B song," going on to say that "it's like taking a basic format, like the blues, and just giving it new lyrics."[4] She describes Robbie McIntosh's guitar solo as "nifty."[4] Audio Magazine compared the song's structure to that of Dobie Gray's "The 'In' Crowd."[6]
Allmusic critic Liana Jonas calls "Middle of the Road" a "classic example of pure, unadulterated rock music."[5] She ascribes this to the fact that the lyrics focus on people's innate desire to "get up and go" and the "driven" music backs up the sentiment.[5] Fellow Allmusic critic Mark Deming calls it a "furious rocker."[7]
In 1989, the song was donated to a double album for Greenpeace along with other songs that had environmental or other earth-sensitive subjects titled Greenpeace: Rainbow Warriors.
Charts
| Chart (1984) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (Kent Music Report)[8] | 52 |
| United Kingdom (Official Charts Company) | 91 |
References
- ^ "Pretenders awards". Allmusic. Retrieved 2014-05-05.
- ^ Whitburn, J. (2008). Joel Whitburn Presents Rock Tracks 1981-2008. Hal Leonard. p. 199. ISBN 9780898201741.
- ^ Guitar World (May 1, 2012). Guitar World Presents Dear Guitar Hero: The World's Most Celebrated Guitarists Answer Their Fans' Most Burning Questions. Backbeat Books. ISBN 9781476813592.
- ^ a b c d Young, C.M. (1994). "The Pretenders Change Diapers and Wrestle Death to a Draw". In Scherman, T. (ed.). The Rock Musician: 15 Years of the interviews - The best of Musician Magazine. St. Martin's Griffin. pp. 144-145. ISBN 9780312304614.
- ^ a b c d Jonas, L. "Middle of the Road". Allmusic. Retrieved 2014-05-05.
- ^ "Audio". CBS Publications. 1984. Retrieved 2014-05-06.
- ^ Deming, M. "Learning to Crawl". Allmusic. Retrieved 2014-05-06.
- ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 238. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
