Against the Wind (Bob Seger song)
"Against the Wind" | ||||
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Single by Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band | ||||
from the album Against the Wind | ||||
B-side | "No Man's Land" | |||
Released | April 1980 | |||
Studio | Bayshore (Miami) | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 5:34 (album version) 3:45 (single version) | |||
Label | Capitol | |||
Songwriter(s) | Bob Seger | |||
Producer(s) | Bill Szymczyk | |||
Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band singles chronology | ||||
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"Against the Wind" is a song written and recorded by the American singer-songwriter
"Against the Wind" explores the space between care and indifference from friends and loved ones. It centers on maturation and memories, like many other Seger songs, and carries a tender, mellow tone. Seger pulled from his
Background
"Against the Wind" developed over a two-year period when Seger was recording its parent album.
For Against the Wind, he worked with Eagles producer Bill Szymczyk. The recording process was handled at higher-quality studios than before, with an emphasis on polish and getting "things right."[6] The song includes backing vocals from Eagles singer-songwriter Glenn Frey. Seger and Frey had met in the mid-1960s when they were both working the Detroit club scene, and had remained close since; a year prior, Seger co-wrote and made a guest appearance on the Eagles' "Heartache Tonight".[7]
Themes
Like much of its parent album,
A writer at Billboard described "Against the Wind" as "a mid-tempo folky tale of young love featuring pretty piano backing";[13] Seger references a "Janey" in the opening lyrics of the song; this refers to Janey Dinsdale, with whom he had a long-term relationship from 1972 until 1983. In Rolling Stone, Seger elaborated on the song's meaning:
Janey says to me all the time, 'You allow more people to walk on you than anybody I've ever known.' And I always say it's human nature that people are gonna love you sometimes and they're gonna use you sometimes. Knowing the difference between when people are using you and when people truly care about you, that's what "Against the Wind" is all about. The people in that song have weathered the storm, and it's made them much better that they've been able to do it and maintain whatever relationship. To get through is a real victory.[12]
In the tune, Seger second-guesses his career choice, particularly aspects of touring, which he describes as "moving eight miles a minute for months at a time."[14] He mulls that he may have "lost [his] way," focusing too much attention on "breaking all of the rules that would bend."[15] It famously includes the line "Wish I didn't know now what I didn't know then", which Seger later admitted bothered him for a while in a grammatical sense.[16] The song "ends with a renewed determination to keep going";[17] as the song begins its outro, Seger concedes he is "older now, but still running against the wind."[18]
Its tone has been described as reflective and bittersweet.
Commercial performance
"Against the Wind" was issued as the second single from its titular album in April 1980. Seger had no interest as to which songs were released as singles, and he simply left it up to Capitol to decide; "Wind" was chosen by the label's promotional director, Steve Meyer.[23]
"Against the Wind" debuted at number 54 on the Hot 100 in the week ending May 3, 1980; it was the highest-debuting single of the week.[24] It moved into the top 30 the following week,[25] and moved into the top ten at the end of the month.[26] It reached its peak at number five on the Hot 100 on June 14.[27] It held at the position for three weeks.[28][29] After that, it began its descent from the top, and last appeared on the chart on August 23;[30] it remained on the chart as a whole for seventeen weeks, with eleven of those spent in the top 40.[31] During this time, the single also climbed the magazine's Hot Adult Contemporary chart, where it peaked at number seven.[32]
Internationally, the song was successful as well. In Canada, it reached number six on the all-genre singles chart compiled by RPM.[33] It reached the lowest position on Belgium's top 30 chart in January 1981,[34] and peaked at 92 on Australian Kent Music Report.[35]
Critical reception
Rolling Stone critic
A Rolling Stone reader's poll ranked "Against the Wind" as the third-best Seger tune.[39] Classic Rock History critic Janey Roberts rated it as Seger's 4th best song, calling it "one of the most beautiful songs he had written in his career".[40]
Legacy
"Against the Wind" has remained one of Seger's most popular songs; upon his arrival to streaming services in 2017, it ranked his second-most streamed song, behind "Night Moves".[41] "Against the Wind" was famously used in a scene of the 1994 film Forrest Gump, where the main character runs across the U.S.; it was included on its accompanying soundtrack album.[42]
"Against the Wind" has been celebrated by generations of contemporary country artists.
Personnel
Credits are adapted from the liner notes of Seger's 1994 Greatest Hits compilation.[47]
- Bob Seger – lead vocals, acoustic guitar, background vocals
The Silver Bullet Band
- Drew Abbott – electric guitar
- Chris Campbell – bass
- David Teegarden – drums
Additional musicians
- Glenn Frey – background vocals
- Paul Harris – piano, organ
Chart performance
Weekly charts
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Year-end charts
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Certifications
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
United States (RIAA)[51] | Platinum | 1,000,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
References
- ISBN 978-1-4985-7318-4.
- ^ "Sound Familiar? 10 Famous Cameos That May Surprise You - 60s and 70s Pop - Oldies Music". May 26, 2015. Archived from the original on May 26, 2015.
- ^ a b c Hilburn, Robert (January 7, 1987). "POP MUSIC REVIEW : SEGER OFFERS NEW REASONS TO BELIEVE". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 21, 2021.
- ^ a b c d Pond, Steve (February 3, 1983). "Bob Seger: Nice Guy in the Nasty Lane". Rolling Stone. Retrieved September 21, 2021.
- ^ Hunt, Dennis (January 16, 1983). "Seger: Hard Work and Low Profile". Los Angeles Times.
- ^ a b "Radio Interview: In the Studio with Redbeard for Against the Wind" (Interview).
- ^ McCollum, Brian (January 19, 2016). "Bob Seger on friend Glenn Frey: 'He was my cheerleader'". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved September 21, 2021.
- ^ Pareles, Jon (January 5, 1983). "THE POP LIFE". The New York Times. Retrieved September 21, 2021.
- ^ Hilburn, Robert (April 13, 1986). "BOB SEGER RETURNS IN THE EYE OF THE STORM". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 21, 2021.
- ^ Pareles, Jon (January 27, 2007). "A Rocker Who's Come to Terms With Time". The New York Times. Retrieved September 21, 2021.
- ^ Willman, Chris (April 13, 1986). "MOSS GATHERS UNDER 'ROCK'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 21, 2021.
- ^ a b White, Timothy (May 1, 1980). "The Fire This Time". Rolling Stone. Retrieved November 20, 2019.
- ^ "Top Single Picks" (PDF). Billboard Magazine. May 3, 1980. p. 55. Retrieved 2020-07-08.
- ^ McCollum, Brian (September 18, 2018). "Bob Seger announces final tour dates; he's retiring from the road after 56 years". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved September 21, 2021.
- ^ Harris, Art (September 6, 1983). "Running Against an Ill Wind". The Washington Post. Retrieved September 21, 2021.
- ^ Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band Greatest Hits, CD sleeve.
- ^ Himes, Geoffrey (April 2, 1980). "Bob Seger's Working Class Rock 'n' Roll". The Washington Post. Retrieved September 21, 2021.
- ^ Levy, Plet (January 25, 2019). "At final Milwaukee concert, Bob Seger offers a spirited goodbye fit for his legacy". USA Today. Retrieved September 21, 2021.
- ^ Harrington, Richard (October 2, 1980). "Bob Seger". The Washington Post. Retrieved September 21, 2021.
- ^ Pareles, Jon (February 23, 1996). "ROCK REVIEW;With Age And Time, Bitterness". The New York Times. Retrieved September 21, 2021.
- ISBN 087586208X.
- ^ Martoccio, Angie (February 21, 2020). "Bob Seger Drops 40th-Anniversary 'Against the Wind' Video". Rolling Stone. Retrieved September 21, 2021.
- ^ White, Timothy (April 1, 1983). "The Roads Not Taken". Musician.
- ^ Grein, Paul (May 3, 1980). "Bob Seger Goes No. 1 First Time" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 92, no. 18. Billboard Publications, Inc. p. 12; 62.
- ^ "Billboard Hot 100" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 92, no. 19. Billboard Publications, Inc. May 10, 1980. p. 80.
- ^ "Billboard Hot 100" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 92, no. 22. Billboard Publications, Inc. May 31, 1980. p. 64.
- ^ "Billboard Hot 100" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 92, no. 24. Billboard Publications, Inc. June 14, 1980. p. 72.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2002). Top Pop Songs: 1961-2001. Record Research. p. 218.
- ^ "Billboard Hot 100" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 92, no. 26. Billboard Publications, Inc. June 28, 1980. p. 72.
- ^ "Billboard Hot 100" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 92, no. 34. Billboard Publications, Inc. August 23, 1980. p. 53.
- ISBN 9780823085545.
- ^ a b "Bob Seger – Chart History". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved September 21, 2021.
- ^ a b "Top RPM Singles: Issue 0199a." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved September 21, 2021.
- ^ a b "Bob Seger – Against the Wind" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved ACD.
- ^ ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- ISBN 0394721195.
- ISBN 978-0394721071.
- ^ a b "CashBox Singles Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. May 3, 1980. p. 20. Retrieved 2022-01-01.
- ^ Greene, Andy (April 17, 2013). "Readers' Poll: The 10 Best Bob Seger Songs". Rolling Stone. Retrieved September 21, 2021.
- ^ Roberts, Janey. "Top 20 Bob Seger songs". Classic Rock History. Retrieved 2023-01-22.
- ^ McCollum, Brian (June 26, 2017). "Bob Seger's classic hits flourish in his first week of streaming". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved September 21, 2021.
- ^ Hochman, Steve (July 3, 1994). "For 'Gump,' Every Oldie Was Just Too Goodie". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 21, 2021.
- ^ Hudak, Joseph (January 9, 2020). "Brooks & Dunn's Ronnie Dunn: 10 Songs That Shaped Me". Rolling Stone. Retrieved September 21, 2021.
- ^ Wood, Mikael (February 27, 2015). "Bob Seger turns a page with a Nashville sound and liberal lyrics". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 21, 2021.
- ^ Light, Alan (September 5, 2006). "A comeback for Bob Seger, direct from Nashville". The New York Times. Retrieved September 21, 2021.
- ^ "Garth Brooks to Cover Randy Travis, Skynyrd on New Box Set". Rolling Stone. October 24, 2016. Retrieved September 21, 2021.
- ^ Greatest Hits (CD). Bob Seger. Capitol Records. 1994. CDP 7243 8 30334 2 3.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ "Bob Seger Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved September 21, 2021.
- ^ "Top 100 Singles (1980)". RPM. Archived from the original on 2016-04-25. Retrieved 2017-07-21.
- ^ "1980 Talent in Action – Year End Charts : Pop Singles". Billboard. Vol. 92, no. 51. December 20, 1980. p. TIA-10. Retrieved 5 April 2020.
- ^ "American single certifications – Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band – Against the Wind". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved January 15, 2022.