Life Is a Highway
| "Life Is a Highway" | |
|---|---|
| Song |
"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, and was ubiquitous on Canadian radio in 1991. The song also peaked at number six on the Billboard charts in the United States in 1992.
In the 1990's Cochrane took his family to West Africa where he helped to raise awareness and money for the World Vision 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 although he continued to have significant hits in Canada.
In 1998, Chris LeDoux released "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 also appears on LeDoux's 20 Greatest Hits, released June, 1999.
The song was brought back into prominence when it was the first song performed at Live 8 Barrie July 2, 2005.
Rascal Flatts version
In 2006, American country music band Rascal Flatts remade 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 Hot 100.
The Rascal Flatts version subsequently became a country radio hit, and entered Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart in August 2006. It became the new theme song for Airos Adventures and can also be heard in most episodes.
Trivia
The lyrics say "There was a distance between you and I." This is a mistake. It should be "There was a distance between you and me."