What does The Way mean?

Fastball: The Way Meaning

Album cover for The Way album cover

Song Released: 1998


The Way Lyrics

They made up their minds
And they started packing
They left before the sun came up that day
An exit to eternal summer slacking
But where were they going
Without ever knowing the way?
They drank up the wine
And they got to talking
They now...

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  1. 1TOP RATED

    #1 top rated interpretation:
    anonymous
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     Apr 2nd 2006 !⃝

    Like the one above, that is true.

    I was watching this thing on VH1 one time, where they were going behind all these songs in which were always rumored to be about something, (Such as "Mr. Jones," by Counting Crowes.)

    The lead singer was fascinated with this story, so he dedicated a song to the families.

    On the show, the elderly couple was apparently going to a family reunion because they had their bags packed, but they never showed up. When the police found them, they were in their car dead. The police believed the elderly man died first. They were saying that the woman had been cuddled up to the man before she died, because she thought he was still alive.

    A pretty sad song when you think about it. :(

  2. 2TOP RATED

    #2 top rated interpretation:
    anonymous
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     Jun 20th 2007 !⃝

    When Band member Toney read a new article about the couple Lela and Raymond Howard who were driving to a family reunion in Texas but never showed up he imagined it as romanticized leaving everything behind and driving off with no worries. He then wrote this song about the article but, then more articles about this showed up and explained that the couple was elderly the women had Alzheimer's disease and he was recovering from brain surgery. The final article found that the elderly couple had driven off a cliff and they were dead.

  3. 3TOP RATED

    #3 top rated interpretation:
    troublemaker2090
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     Dec 11th 2007 !⃝

    "The Way" revolves around an older married couple who decide to give it all away by packing up and going driving and drinking. Along the way, their car breaks down, so they continue on foot. As the song goes on, it becomes apparent that these two achieve happiness by losing touch with the world.

    Fastball bassist Tony Scalzo came up with the idea for the song after reading journalistic articles which described the disappearance of an older married couple who left home in June of 1997 to attend a family reunion but never arrived. About the song, Scalzo said that "It's a romanticized take on what happened" - he "pictured them taking off to have fun, like they did when they first met."

  4. anonymous
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     Mar 13th 2023 !⃝

    A couple goes to pioneer day festival. but forget where the going and end up dead in a ravine and song talks about them having fun for the last time in their live then going to heaven where the streets are "paved with gold"

  5. anonymous
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     Mar 6th 2020 !⃝

    I originally thought it was about irresponsible parents who were dialusioned with adult life after getting married and having children and taking on responsibilities. Then ,just decided to walk away from it all and romanticizing what their life would be like when free. Streets paved with gold , never be hungry, never be old and gray ! And their children, who still needed them " waking up" to find them gone , resentful and angry, thinking WTF ! Anyway, looks like I was wrong !

  6. anonymous
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     Dec 26th 2013 !⃝

    Our new theme song. Meaning for us 60+, packing up the 40ft coach & heading out to enjoy the US.
    I think the yuppies are making too much out of a leavin it all behind song? Don't make life so complicated! Amen!

  7. anonymous
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     Apr 7th 2012 !⃝

    Definitely suicide.

  8. anonymous
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     Apr 3rd 2012 !⃝

    jewish slaves leaving egypt listen to the words. It's about wandering the desert "it's always summer they'll never get cold" might be about heaven but it sounds like the Jewish slaves leaving Egypt and wandering the desert

  9. anonymous
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     May 10th 2011 !⃝

    Renee is wrong. They are dead.

  10. anonymous
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     Apr 23rd 2010 !⃝

    The part about the roads being paved in gold......well that is what many people from other countries think about America. So, my guess would be that the lyrics are about people from another country, emigrating to America. They have thought about it for a long time, but finally decide to do it one day because they realize they are not getting younger, and they have developed an attitude of what is there to lose anyway?

  11. anonymous
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     Jan 12th 2010 !⃝

    i don't see this song as sad at all. they have raised there kids and now in the throws of their 50ies they hit the road to find the freedom they once had as a young couple. good for them.

  12. anonymous
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     Oct 29th 2009 !⃝

    I think it sounds kinda like they are talking about god and heaven and not knowing the way and all the roads are paved in gold and you never ever get old and gray or sick? Not sure but the first time I heard it that's what I thought.

  13. Modlovecat
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     Jul 14th 2005 !⃝

    There was a news report before this song was made about an elderly couple that left there house to go to a family party. They never showed up and nobody found them. A couple (years I believe) later they found the car run over a cliff and the vicitms were inside. It was a huge news report all over the Southeastern US. It's been reported that the couple had intense memory problems.


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