Ronnie Dunn – Against the Wind

Introduction

This may contain: black and white photograph of a man with tattoos on his arm wearing a baseball hat

Bob Seger’s “Against the Wind”, released February 25, 1980 as the title track of his album Against the Wind, quickly became a signature of his late‑career artistry . Co‑produced by Seger with Punch Andrews and renowned Eagles producer Bill Szymczyk, the song features a bittersweet duet of rock storytelling and personal reflection, strengthened by harmony vocals from Glenn Frey .

Inspired by Seger’s own high school cross‑country days, the phrase “running against the wind” serves as a metaphor for perseverance through life’s challenges—every relationship, every heartbreak, every lesson learned along the way . In interviews from 1980, Seger described the song as being about “trying to move ahead, keeping your sanity and integrity at the same time,” and recognizing when people truly care versus when they’re merely using you.

Commercially, the album Against the Wind became Seger’s only number‑one LP, holding the top Billboard spot for six weeks and later earning 5× platinum status in the U.S. . The song itself reached the Top 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 (#5), while also winning Seger and the Silver Bullet Band a Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal .

The cultural impact of the track extended well beyond its original release. It was prominently featured in the 1994 film Forrest Gump, during the sequence of Forrest’s cross-country running journey, cementing its legacy in popular memory . Further, the song’s influence rippled through multiple genres: country duo Brooks & Dunn covered it in 1999—Ronnie Dunn later said it was one of the songs that shaped his lyrical ambition—and artists like Garth Brooks, Jason Aldean, The Highwaymen, and The Hold Steady have all covered or praised it .

Ultimately, “Against the Wind” stands as a reflective anthem of aging with grace, resilience in the face of obstacles, and the bittersweet nostalgia of looking back while still pushing forward.

Video

Lyrics

It seems like yesterday
But it was long ago
Janey was lovely she was the queen of my nights
There in the darkness with the radio playing low
And the secrets that we shared
The mountains that we moved
Caught like a wildfire out of control
‘Til there was nothing left to burn and nothing left to prove
And I remember what she said to me
How she swore that it never would end
I remember how she held me oh so tight
Wish I didn’t know now what I didn’t know then
Against the wind
We were runnin’ against the wind
We were young and strong, we were runnin’
Against the wind
The years rolled slowly past
And I found myself alone
Surrounded by strangers I thought were my friends
I found myself further and further from my home
And I guess I lost my way
There were oh so many roads
I was living to run and running to live
Never worryied about paying or even how much I owed
Moving eight miles a minute for months at a time
Breaking all of the rules that would bend
I began to find myself searching
Searching for shelter again and again
Against the wind
A little something against the wind
I found myself seeking shelter sgainst the wind
Well those drifter’s days are past me now
I’ve got so much more to think about
Deadlines and commitments
What to leave in, what to leave out
Against the wind
I’m still runnin’ against the wind
I’m older now but still runnin’ against the wind
Well I’m older now and still runnin’
Against the wind
Against the wind
Against the wind
Still runnin’
I’m still runnin’ against the wind
I’m still runnin’
I’m still runnin’ against the wind
Still runnin’
Runnin’ against the wind
Runnin’ against the wind
See the young man run
Watch the young man run
Watch the young man runnin’
He’ll be runnin’ against the wind
Let the cowboys ride
Let the cowboys ride
They’ll be ridin’ against the wind
Against the wind …