I'm a Rider (Finally Home)

Album: Finally Home (2013)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This is the first track from the band’s 2013 debut album, Finally Home. The song was written by the three members of Blue Sky Riders: Kenny Loggins, Georgia Middleman, and her husband, Gary Burr (who was inducted to the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2005).
  • Peter Asher co-produced the album with the band. He was one half of the 1960s British duo, Peter and Gordon. His production work totals over 100 albums that include James Taylor, Linda Ronstadt, and Neil Diamond. During the recording of this song, he played percussion and received credit in the liner notes.
  • In Georgia Middleman's Songfacts interview, we asked her about the use of the word "Rider" in the song's title, and how it might be perceived "Writer" as well. "It totally could. We just started writing it." she replied. She added: "I think the 'rider' came out of the fact that our band is called Blue Sky Riders, and we were talking about the journey, how important the journey is more than the destination. It's kind of like riding the sky, that big, blue sky. It's like the world is an oyster, we can do whatever we want with our choices in life. We were using the analogy of riding. R I D I N G, it's a metaphor for traveling along this journey."
  • The band debated the song's title between "I'm a Rider" and "Finally Home" before officially deciding it would be "I'm A Rider (Finally Home)." Georgia Middleman told us: "When the three of us come together in one space, as soon as we start singing together, it's just like any troubles we had, traveling or hardships at airports or whatever, it all goes away because the music is so much fun. So 'finally home' is you make peace with wherever you are in your life. And, the riding, 'I'm A Rider,' was an anthology for traveling the world."
  • The snappy background vocals by Georgia Middleman and Kenny Loggins weave around Gary Burr's lead vocal within each verse. Loggins provides a brief touch of lead only in the song's bridge. The band arrives together with a soaring three part harmony in the chorus.

    The trio has been known to kick off the live version of this uptempo song with a blistering harmony that brings the listener back to the finest days of Country Rock. You can hear similar harmonies on songs like "Seven Bridges Road" from The Eagles and "Keep On Tryin'" by Poco.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Chris Rea

Chris ReaSongwriter Interviews

It took him seven years to recover from his American hit "Fool (If You Think It's Over)," but Chris Rea became one of the top singer-songwriters in his native UK.

Kristian Bush of Sugarland

Kristian Bush of SugarlandSongwriter Interviews

Kristian talks songwriting technique, like how the chorus should redefine the story, and how to write a song backwards.

U2 Lyrics

U2 LyricsMusic Quiz

How well do you know the lyrics of U2?

Joe Ely

Joe ElySongwriter Interviews

The renown Texas songwriter has been at it for 40 years, with tales to tell about The Flatlanders and The Clash - that's Joe's Tex-Mex on "Should I Stay or Should I Go?"

Tim McIlrath of Rise Against

Tim McIlrath of Rise AgainstSongwriter Interviews

Rise Against frontman Tim McIlrath explains the meanings behind some of their biggest songs and names the sci-fi books that have influenced him.

Max Cavalera of Soulfly (ex-Sepultura)

Max Cavalera of Soulfly (ex-Sepultura)Songwriter Interviews

The Brazilian rocker sees pictures in his riffs. When he came up with one of his gnarliest songs, there was a riot going on.