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The Road You Leave Behind
"The Road You Leave Behind" is a song written and recorded by American country music artist David Lee Murphy. It was released in July 1996 as the second single from his album Gettin' Out the Good Stuff. The song peaked at number 5 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart and number 12 on the Canadian RPM Country Tracks chart. Content"The Road You Leave Behind" begins with a man describing a time when he was a child and his father was getting out of the car in the rain to change a flat tire for the family. The family was on vacation and had driven a long way. They had a flat tire and needed to get it changed quickly. Since the car didn't have state plates, it was important to get the tire changed quickly so they could get back on the road. When they got a flat tire, they had to drive to the nearest town to get it repaired. The nearest town was over 100 miles away. The father drove away, his face not smiling. He told his son, "Son, not until tonight." Many years later, Murphy is driving on a highway at night. Suddenly, he has an urge to stop the car and get out to walk around. The hood of the truck is pulled up because the gas tank is dry. The engine is running on fumes, and the driver is trying to get to a gas station before the engine dies. The driver is checking the gas gauge to determine its accuracy. An old man on the night shift checks on him and tells him he should not be there. The driver is surprised by this encounter and wonders why he should not be there. "This is no place to be," the old man said. "I bet you're not wearing shoes, son." The old man was referring to the boy's lack of shoes, but he could have been referring to the dangerous situation the boy was in. In the song's bridge, the old man tells the younger man that he doesn't owe him anything. The younger man asked for help, and the old man responded by saying that he doesn't owe him anything. The old man tells the younger man that the next time they meet, it might be the old man asking for help. The old man says this because he knows that the younger man is kind and generous, and will help him if he needs it. Critical receptionLarry Flick, of Billboard magazine reviewed the song favorably calling it "one of those philosophical life-lesson kinds of songs, but Murphy's vocal honesty keeps it from sounding preachy or schmaltzy."[1] Music videoThe music video for "The Road You Leave Behind" was directed by Michael Salomon. It premiered on August 8, 1996, on CMT, which named it a "Hot Shot." Chart positions"The Road You Leave Behind" debuted at number 62 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks for the week of August 3, 1996.
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