9 Popular Songs You Didn't Know Were Based On Real News Stories

7. Fastball - "The Way"

Best remembered as "the other song by the band that wrote Closing Time" (even though "Closing Time" was written by Semisonic), Fastball's "The Way" firmly cemented the group as a one-hit wonder in the public's mind (even though they had two other songs, "Out of My Mind" and "Fire Escape" reach the Billboard 100). Honestly, it's a surprise anyone correctly remembers anything about this song. What is known for sure about "The Way" is that it was written about an elderly couple from Texas who drove off to the Pioneer Days Festival that was happening in a city less than 20 miles away from their home.

Despite the wife suffering from Alzheimer's and the husband recently undergoing brain surgery, they left without telling their children where they were going. According to an article lead singer, and Texas native, Tony Scalzo read in a newspaper, the couple were found dead in their car more then 350 miles from home. Scalzo became fascinated with the mystery and began to romanticize the story in his head, imagining that they took off just "to have fun, like they did when they first met."

Their children woke up And they couldn't find them They left before the sun came up that day They just drove off and left it all behind 'em But where were they going without ever Knowing the way?