Video hit Dixie Chicks

Dixie Chicks - The Long Way Around

This song goes off on several different tangents about the band's philosophies and history. The "Pink RV with stars on the ceiling" is the RV that the band first toured in. The song also makes reference to the fallout that occurred after lead singer Natalie Maines made a comment about President Bush at a concert in London.

In a publicity release, Emily Robison said of this song: "That's a journey song, about the different stages in our lives. A recap of where we've been, where we're going - and it was nice to remind ourselves of all that." Natalie Maines added: "We've always written songs that are about other people. It's so much harder to put yourself out there and be honest with your emotions and your beliefs, but the songs are so much better and mean so much more when you can let yourself be vulnerable."

The Dixie Chicks had some high powered help with this song: The track was produced by Rick Rubin, and Linda Perry and Dan Wilson helped them write it. Perry was in the group 4 Non Blondes before writing hits for Pink and Christina Aguilera, and Wilson is a member of the group Semisonic. He also co-wrote "Not Ready To Make Nice."

Dixie Chicks member Martie Maguire revealed on their Storytellers DVD that this was actually a much longer song at the beginning and there originally several pages of lyrics for it. They edited the tune down in a similar way to how Loretta Lynn cut out several verses from her original draft for her 1969 autobiographical song, "Coal Miners' Daughter."

Maguire recalled how some counsel from producer Rick Rubin helped the trio pen this tune. "We were diving into our beginnings as a band - riding around in a RV, That song takes you on a journey from our inception," she recalled. "There was a lot to say. It was a long journey. We like to write songs about a specific person or a specific something that happened to us. I think a lot of writers like to do that. Rick Rubin always told us to 'Write about you or people will know it's not personal, and they won't feel an attachment to it.' I always felt he was really wise with that piece of advice."

The lyrics:

My friends from high school

Married their high school boyfriends

Moved into houses in the same ZIP codes

Where their parents live

But I, I could never follow

No, I, I could never follow

I hit the highway in a pink RV with stars on the ceiling

Lived like a gypsy

Six strong hands on the steering wheel

I've been a long time gone now

Maybe someday, someday I'm gonna settle down

But I've always found my way somehow

By taking the long way

Taking the long way around

Taking the long way

Taking the long way around

I met the queen of whatever

Drank with the Irish, and smoked with the hippies

Moved with the shakers

Wouldn't kiss all the asses that they told me to

No, I, I could never follow

No, I, I could never follow

It's been two long years now

Since the top of the world came crashing down

And I'm getting' it back on the road now

But I'm taking the long way

Taking the long way around

I'm taking the long way

Taking the long way around

The long...

The long way around

Well, I fought with a stranger, and I met myself

I opened my mouth, and I heard myself

It can get pretty lonely when you show yourself

Guess I could have made it easier on myself

But I, I could never follow

No, I, I could never follow

Well, I never seem to do it like anybody else

Maybe someday, someday I'm gonna settle down

If you ever want to find me, I can still be found

Taking the long way

Taking the long way around

Taking the long way

Taking the long way around