"That's the Way" is a song by American country music artist Jo Dee Messina. The song was written by Annie Roboff and Holly Lamar, with Byron Gallimore and Tim McGraw producing the song. Messina officially debuted the single at the 35th ACM Awards in 2000, following which Curb Records released it on May 15, 2000, as the lead single to her third studio album Burn (2000). It was a chart-topping success, topping the US Hot Country Songs chart and marking her highest peak ever on the Billboard Hot 100, hitting number 25.

Background

Messina spoke of the song on country.com, of which she said the song was especially written for her. She said of the lyrics, "They [Annie Roboff and Holly Lamar] said they had read about all the things I had gone through in life, where everything's going great, then you crash, then you go back up again – just the roller coaster ride that I've had. I hope people can relate to it; everybody's lives are filled with ups and downs." "That's the Way" was one of the last songs recorded for the album.

Critical reception

Deborah Evans Price of Billboard magazine reviewed the song favorably, saying that Messina "injects personality galore" into this song. She goes on to call the production, "sonically ambitious, featuring neat percussive elements, tempo changes, and those heavy, layered vocals that Nashville producers are so fond of, these days."

Music video

The music video was directed by Thom Oliphant and premiered in mid-2000. It features Messina performing the song from various colored rooms, both solo and joined by backup dancers. Messina and others are also shown throughout the video climbing the walls and ceiling of the rooms, appearing to defy gravity.

Track listings

US CD Single UK CD Single UK Promo CD Single

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Release history