Christopher Cross · 1979 · Behind the Songs
If “Sailing” is Christopher Cross at rest, “Ride Like the Wind” is Christopher Cross in motion.
If “Sailing” is Christopher Cross at rest, “Ride Like the Wind” is Christopher Cross in motion. It is fast, urgent, and restless, a song about a man on the run who cannot stop moving, even though he knows he cannot outrun everything forever.
First released on the album Christopher Cross in 1979 and as a single in 1980, the song was written by Cross and produced by Michael Omartian. It became his breakthrough hit, introducing his voice to a wide audience before “Sailing” made him a star. The arrangement drives forward from the first notes, with a propulsive rhythm and a soaring chorus that feels like wind in your face.
A key part of the record’s magic is the backing vocal by Michael McDonald, whose distinctive voice adds grit and urgency to the chorus. Cross’s lead vocal is clean and determined, but McDonald’s harmony gives the song its edge, as if two voices are urging the rider on at once. It is a perfect example of how a small production choice can change a whole record.
Decades later, the song still feels alive. It is a road song, a chase song, and a reminder that Cross was never only a ballad singer. He could write a song that moved, and he could sing it like he meant every mile.