The Road You Leave Behind Explained

The Road You Leave Behind
Cover:David Lee Murphy - The Road You Leave Behind.png
Type:single
Artist:David Lee Murphy
Album:Gettin' Out the Good Stuff
B-Side:Gettin' Out the Good Stuff
Released:July 22, 1996
Genre:Country
Length:3:53
Label:MCA
Producer:Tony Brown
Prev Title:Every Time I Get Around You
Prev Year:1996
Next Title:She's Really Something To See
Next Year:1996

"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

Murphy described the song as "a real good kind of 'do the right thing' song," saying that its subject matter made it different from the content of his first album.[1]

Critical reception

Larry 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."[2]

Music video

The music video was directed by Michael Salomon and made its debut on Country Music Television on August 8, 1996.

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.

Year-end charts

Notes and References

  1. Price. Deborah Evans. 13 April 1996. David Lee Murphy's Top-Shelf Set. Billboard.
  2. Billboard, July 27, 1996
  3. Web site: Best of 1996: Country Songs . . . 1996. July 20, 2013.