"Ride Like the Wind" is the debut single by American singer-songwriter Christopher Cross. It was released in February 1980 as the lead single from his Grammy-winning 1979 self-titled debut album. It reached number two on the US charts for four consecutive weeks, behind "Call Me" by Blondie. On the album's inner sleeve, Christopher Cross dedicated this song to Lowell George, formerly of the band Little Feat, who had died in 1979. It features backing vocals by Michael McDonald and a guitar solo by Cross.[1]
The lyrics of the song tell the story of a condemned criminal on the run to Mexico. Told from a first-person point of view, it describes how an outlaw and convicted multiple murderer, on the run from a death-by-hanging sentence, has to "ride like the wind" to reach "the border of Mexico," where, presumably, the posse in pursuit of him will not be able to reach him.
Cross described "Ride Like The Wind" as "sort of a romanticized Western where the bad guy gets away."[citation needed] The setting can be surmised to have been from the time before the United States and Mexico signed their mutual criminal-extradition treaty.
Cross was high on LSD when he wrote the lyrics. "We were living in Houston at the time, and on the way down to Austin to record the songs, it was just a beautiful Texas day. I took acid. So I wrote the words on the way down from Houston to Austin."[2]
In 1999, the satirical newspaper The Onion published a story with the headline, "Christopher Cross Finally Reaches Mexican Border";[3] the headline was a reference to the song, and the three-sentence story made several specific allusions to the lyrics. Cross appreciated the honor.[2]
In 1991, Italian dance music group East Side Beat remixed "Ride Like the Wind" in a style typical of early 1990s dance music. There are five remixes in total. Two versions are found on the 7-inch single and an additional three are on the CD single. The Factory edit was included on FFRR Records' Only for the Headstrong compilation album released in 1992.[10]
Belgian DJ Laurent Wéry released a cover version of the song, which features vocals from Joss Mendosah. The song was produced by Laurent Wery. It was released in Belgium as a digital download on March 30, 2013. The song peaked at number 26 in Belgium.
A music video to accompany the release of "Ride Like the Wind" was first released on YouTube on April 8, 2013, at a total length of two minutes and fifty-four seconds.[28]
