About The Song
Since breaking through at radio in 1987, Shelton had been one of the genre’s most consistent hitmakers, reaching the top ten with fourteen consecutive singles. Following his most recent No. 1, “Keep it Between the Lines,” Columbia released “After the Lights Go Out,” which was Shelton’s first single to miss the top ten since his debut release, “Wild-Eyed Dream.” Shelton rebounded with the title track and fourth single from Backroads.
“Backroads” is an unassuming single, despite its distinction as Shelton’s final chart topping hit. A fun and enthusiastic driving anthem, it doesn’t break any new lyrical ground, but has a loose rockabilly feel that compensates for the barely there songwriting.
It’s an early example of what will become very common as the decade progresses, with tempo and backbeat becoming more important than lyrics and melody. Shelton sings “Backroads” well, but it’s just album filler that happened to become radio filler.
Ricky Van Shelton’s audience stuck around a lot longer than radio did. After a one-off Elvis cover for the Honeymoon in Vegas soundtrack, he previewed Greatest Hits Plus with “Wild Man,” which became his final top five hit. The album still went platinum, and it did so on the heels of another gold album, Don’t Overlook Salvation, a gospel collection that sold well despite no radio airplay at all.
In 1993, he released another studio album, A Bridge I Didn’t Burn. Despite the lead single missing the top forty and the second single barely scraping the top twenty, it also went gold. His final studio set for Columbia, Love and Honor, followed in 1994. It produced no hits and remains his only major label release to not be certified gold or higher. A budget compilation, Super Hits, rounded out his work for the label, and it also became a gold seller.
After a hiatus to focus on his health and wellness, Shelton re-emerged in 1998 with Making Plans, a studio album that was sold exclusively at Wal-Mart. He followed with Fried Green Tomatoes and Blue Christmas in 2000.
In 2006, Shelton announced his retirement from the music industry, choosing to focus on his family and his hobbies of antiquing and restoration of classic cars.
Video
Lyrics
I got the radio blastin’
I got the windows rolled down
And I’m cruisin’ these backroads
On the outskirts of town
And I can feel the wind a-blowin’
Hear the big engines whine
When I’m cruisin’ these backroads
All my troubles are behind
Well, when I woke up this mornin’
Well, I took me a look outside
It was plain to see it was one of those days
Tailor-made for taking a ride
So I went downstairs and cleared my head
With coffee and cigarettes
And when it hit me right there
Then my mind was set
Well, I phoned work and told ’em
They’re going to be a man short today
I got the sunny day blues
There’s only one thing
That’s gonna make them go away
So I went out
And I climbed into my big ol’ Chevrolet
And with a turn of the key and a cloud of dust
I was on my way
I got the radio blastin’
I got the windows rolled down
And I’m cruisin’ these backroads
On the outskirts of town
Well, I can feel the wind a-blowin’
And hear the big engines whine
When I’m cruisin’ these backroads
All my troubles are behind
Well, maybe I did, maybe I didn’t
Go and lose my job today
But you can take my cares
Take my worries
And blow them all away
‘Cause there comes a time in any man’s life
When he’s got to break free
I got four good wheels and an endless road
Stretched out in front of me
I got the radio blastin’
I got the windows rolled down
And I’m cruisin’ these backroads
On the outskirts of town
And I can feel the wind a-blowin’
Hear the big engine whine
When I’m cruisin’ these backroads
All my troubles are behind
I got the radio blastin’
I got the windows rolled down
And I’m cruisin’ these backroads
On the outskirts of town
And I can feel the wind a-blowin’
Hear the big engine whine
When I’m cruisin’ these backroads
All my troubles are behind
