Musical Montage: Rhett Atkins “Drivin’ My Life Away”
Celebrating its 25th anniversary today, Black Dog is a deeper-cut Patrick Swayze classic that is an Everything Action favorite and featured a country soundtrack led by Rhett Atkins’ cover of “Drivin’ My Life Away”. In Black Dog, Swayze plays Jack Crews, a trucker and ex-con who is manipulated into taking a haul of illegal arms and is pursued by goons under the orders of ruthless trucking yard owner Red (Meatloaf). Randy Travis co-starred and added to the movie’s country feel, providing the song “My Greatest Fear”, which he co-wrote with another Black Dog co-star, Brian Vincent. “Drivin’ My Life Away” was the main single off the soundtrack album, a cover of Eddie Rabbitt’s hit song from 1980. Black Dog director Kevin Hooks personally flew to Nashville to explain the movie’s concept and plot to Atkins, who decided to make it, “a pretty rockin’ track, real edgy” according to what he thought the movie was going to be. Atkins’ version hit #56 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, so not the hit that the original song was, but the entire Black Dog soundtrack did make it to #30 on the Top Country Album chart in 1998. Atkins filmed a truck-themed music video that featured clips from the movie and you can check it out below.
