“Highway 16” is a haunting track from Bryan Adams’ album How’s It Goin’, showcasing his storytelling flair and gritty rock sensibility. The song paints a vivid portrait of the remote Canadian highway that has become a symbol of loss and resilience. With Adams’ signature raspy vocals, the track immerses listeners in a landscape of cold forests and lingering memories.
The lyrics follow a lone traveler navigating the bleak stretch between Prince George and the unknown, confronting abandoned billboards, forgotten graves, and the lingering grief of missing children. It reflects on the harsh realities of life on the road, where hope is thin and the past haunts every mile.
Seven hundred kilometres of forest and of stone
Linking Prince George to the great unknown
Temperature drops to zero where the dark woods meet the sky
Crows on the power lines watching the world go by
Girls hitched rides, just tryin’ to get to school
While the vampires looked for victims that they thought they could fool
The flashing red and blue lights are the only things that glow
There’s secrets in the logging trails buried in the snow
There ain’t nothing good about Highway 16
It’s a black strip running through a broken dream
Objects in the mirror are closer than they seem
No, there ain’t nothing good out on Highway 16
There’s an old wooden billboard, rotting in the rain
And a faded sign of Jesus, but it can’t wash away the pain
The paint is peeling off His face, ’cause it’s been there for years
You won’t find salvation on the highway of tears
There ain’t nothing good about Highway 16
It’s a black strip running through a broken dream
Objects in the mirror are closer than they seem
No, there ain’t nothing good out on Highway 16
Totem poles honor the missing
Loved ones left reminiscing
A heavy foot on the gas can’t outrun the grief
Of the names of the kids lost to a thief
There ain’t nothing good about Highway 16
It’s a black strip running through a broken dream
Objects in the mirror are closer than they seem
There ain’t nothing good out on Highway 16
Yeah, there ain’t nothing good out on Highway 16
There ain’t nothing good out on highway, Highway 16
Since its release, “Highway 16” has resonated with fans who appreciate Adams’ ability to blend raw rock energy with poignant storytelling. Listeners often cite the track as a powerful tribute to the forgotten stories that line Canada’s remote highways, cementing its place as a standout piece on How’s It Goin’.
Enjoying Maplestime? Support independent Canadian journalism — no paywall, no corporate owners.
