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Canadian legend Cochrane shares backstory of hit song before Vernon show

Cochrane91裸聊视频檚 song Life Is a Highway, from his 1991 album, had a unique path to the top of the charts
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Tom Cochrane (left) holds a hand-carved chain from the well-known Saskatchewan blind carver Ted Ohlsen while meeting Sherman Dahl (right) of the Emily Dahl Foundation in Vernon. (Submitted photo)

More than 30 years after the runaway success of his song Life Is a Highway, Tom Cochrane is still full of energy.

The 70-year-old legendary Canadian musician will be playing in Vernon Monday, Nov. 13, at the Performing Arts Centre.

But he made an earlier appearance in town, caught by local businessman Sherman Dahl.

Thanks to a tee time set up by long-time friends Dev Randhawa and Jamie Bannerman, the Emily Dahl Foundation91裸聊视频檚 Dahl was surprised to be playing golf with Cochrane on the last day of the season at Predator Ridge Oct. 21.

The course was completely empty. When Dahl pulled into the valet area a Predator employee told him, 91裸聊视频淵ou are the only group playing today.91裸聊视频

Then Randhawa introduced him to Cochrane and off they went.

After golf they went for wings and beer, and it was Bannerman who asked Cochrane to explain the story of his hit, Life Is a Highway.

First envisioned as Love Is a Highway, Cochrane told them his original version was nixed while he was still in the rock band Red Rider.

It was his friend John Webster, an instrumentalist on Cochrane91裸聊视频檚 second studio album, Mad Mad World, who encouraged him to revisit a demo recording with mumbled vocals and improvised lyrics that still lacked that infectious singalong chorus. The song was bare bones at best and Cochrane didn91裸聊视频檛 know what to do with it.

He told them the story about returning from a 91裸聊视频渟hocking and traumatic91裸聊视频 visit to West Africa where he found the answer.

Struck by his experience overseas with the World Vision famine relief organization, Cochrane was trying to process his thoughts after witnessing levels of poverty and pain unlike anything he had seen before.

91裸聊视频淚 didn91裸聊视频檛 realize how much that would affect me,91裸聊视频 he told the group.

Cochrane needed a happy song he could 91裸聊视频渉ang the experience on91裸聊视频 and one morning, inspiration struck for a new take on Life Is a Highway.

Cochrane said, 91裸聊视频淚t became a positive talk to myself 91裸聊视频 saying you can91裸聊视频檛 really control all of this stuff, you just do the best you can.91裸聊视频

Writing some ideas out, he rushed into his backyard recording studio to lay it all down.

Within days of its release, Life Is a Highway was all over Canadian airwaves.

Stateside, it didn91裸聊视频檛 take long to catch fire, climbing to No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100.

91裸聊视频淚t just seemed to keep going,91裸聊视频 Cochrane recalled.

Dahl says the kindness and compassion of Cochrane was 91裸聊视频渁mazing, and I most certainly look forward to spending more time with him in the future.91裸聊视频

Dahl presents the following verse from Life Is a Highway that he thinks is a powerful teaching:

There91裸聊视频檚 a world outside every darkened door

Where blues won91裸聊视频檛 haunt you anymore

Where the brave are free and lovers soar

Come ride with me to the distant shore

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Brendan Shykora

About the Author: Brendan Shykora

I started at the Morning Star as a carrier at the age of 8. In 2019 graduated from the Master of Journalism program at Carleton University.
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