I Am The Highway

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I Am The Highway

written and performed by Audioslave
released in September 2003

Pearls and swine bereft of me
Long and weary my road has been
I was lost in the cities
Alone in the hills
No sorrow or pity for leaving I feel

Chorus
I am not your rolling wheels
I am the highway
I am not your carpet ride
I am the sky

Friends and liars don’t wait for me
I’ll get on all by myself
I put millions of miles
Under my heels
And still too close to you
I feel

Chorus
I am not your rolling wheels
I am the highway
I am not your carpet ride
I am the sky
I am not your blowing wind
I am the lightning
I am not your autumn moon
I am the night
The night

I am not your rolling wheels
I am the highway
I am not your carpet ride
I am the sky
I am not your blowing wind
I am the lightning
I am not your autumn moon
I am the night
The night

________________________

I Am The Highway is a moody and melancholy rock song from the early 2000s. It is also one of my favorite songs. When it was released, it wouldn’t have been surprising to hear it play in the background of a show on The CW while the male protagonist was “over it” and setting off to be alone somewhere. It straddles that line of being poetic and dramatic, without taking things too far, in a way that perfectly matches up with my own sensibilities.

I also think of this song as something of an anthem for aggrieved introverts.

The song has an interesting backstory.

I Am The Highway came about due to the formation of a rock and roll “supergroup,” Audioslave, comprised of Soundgarden’s Chris Cornell and Rage Against the Machine members Tom Morello (lead guitar), Tim Commerford (bass/backing vocals), and Brad Wilk (drums). The blending of these musicians ended up being both something new and a very quintessentially early 2000s sound. (more via wiki)

Formation (2000–2001)

On October 18, 2000, Rage Against the Machine broke up after the vocalist, Zack de la Rocha, announced he was leaving, citing a breakdown in the band’s “decision-making process”. The remaining members—Tim Commerford, Tom Morello and Brad Wilk— announced plans to search for a new vocalist.

Several vocalists jammed with them, including B-Real of Cypress Hill, but the band did not want another rapper or anybody who sounded like de la Rocha. Layne Staley of Alice in Chains was long rumored to have auditioned, but Morello denied this on Twitter in 2015. Music producer and friend Rick Rubin suggested that they play with Chris Cornell of Soundgarden, which had broken up in 1997. Rubin also persuaded Morello, Wilk and Commerford to go into group therapy with performance coach Phil Towle after the breakup. Rubin was confident that, with the right new voice, Rage Against the Machine had the potential to become a better band, as the Yardbirds had evolved into Led Zeppelin. Commerford later credited Rubin for being the catalyst that brought Audioslave together. He called him “the angel at the crossroads” because “if it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t be here today”.

The chemistry with Cornell was immediately apparent. Morello said: “He stepped to the microphone and sang the song and I couldn’t believe it. It didn’t just sound good. It didn’t sound great. It sounded transcendent. And…when there is an irreplaceable chemistry from the first moment, you can’t deny it.” The group wrote 21 songs during 19 days of rehearsal, and began working in the studio in late May 2001 with Rubin as producer, while sorting out the label and management issues.

The poetic lyrics of this song are usually attributed to the band’s singer, Chris Cornell, inarguably one of the best rock vocalists of all time. The song was heavily featured in the various concerts and tributes to his life after he passed away in 2017. But what does it mean to be The Highway?

A highway is neither here nor there. It is also both here and there. It exists parallel to us and in that way it is apart from us. We spend time alongside a highway, but we cannot really join it. The first verse of the song explains. He sings of “pearls and swine,” a reference to an admonition by Jesus (Matt. 7:6) not to give valuable effort to those who cannot appreciate it. It is essentially an argument against wasting time. The lyrics indicate a desire to stop wasting time, to be alone and, the singer is comfortable with that idea.

The second verse continues forward. He is ready to be apart from both friends and liars, looking forward to being alone. The message is that he will be present and apart, unjoinable, and no longer someone or something to experience.

The imagery is excellent, conveying both a sense of melancholy and determination.

Charts

Peak positions

Chart (2004)	Peak position
Canada Rock Top 30 (Radio & Records)	19
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)	36
US Billboard Hot 100	66
US Alternative Airplay (Billboard)	3
US Mainstream Rock (Billboard)	2

Chart (2017)	Peak position
US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs (Billboard)	19
US Rock Digital Song Sales (Billboard)	15

I’ve embedded the song’s music video below.