Against the Wind & Betty Lou's Gettin' Out Tonight Bob Seger and Artist Jim Warren

Jim Warren (born November 24, 1949, in Long Beach, California) is an American artist best known for book cover illustrations and surrealistic fantasy art. He has worked in surrealistic fantasy since about 1969. He has collaborated on paintings with marine life artist Wyland, and artist Michael Godard. Warren currently lives in Clearwater, Florida.

A self-taught artist, Warren uses traditional oil paint and brushes on stretched canvas.

Warren was born in Long Beach to Don and Betty Warren, and began painting as a child. His choice of an artistic career path was made in high school.

The Art of Jim Warren: An American Original (Art Lover Products, 1997). ISBN 978-0-9658775-0-3.
Painted Worlds (Paper Tiger Books, 2002)
The Art of Jim Warren, 2015

"Against the Wind" is a song written and recorded by the American singer-songwriter Bob Seger for his eleventh studio album of the same name. It was released as the second single from the album in April 1980 through Capitol Records. Seger recorded the ballad during a two-year process that begat his eleventh album; it was recorded with producer Bill Szymczyk at Criteria Studios in north Miami, Florida. Sonically, "Against the Wind" is a mid-tempo soft rock tune with piano backing. It was recorded with Seger's Silver Bullet Band, and features backing vocals from Eagles co-frontman Glenn Frey.

"Against the Wind" explores the space between care and indifference from friends and loved ones. It centers on maturation and memories, like many other Seger songs, and carries a tender, mellow tone. Seger pulled from his high school years as a cross-country runner to form the song's title–a metaphor for growing old. "Against the Wind" became one of Seger's most successful singles, reaching number five on the Billboard Hot 100. It also charted in Canada, Australia, and Belgium. It received high marks from music critics, with many praising Seger's songwriting. The song has been celebrated by generations of contemporary country artists, with covers ranging from Garth Brooks to Brooks & Dunn.

Seger references a "Janey" in the opening lyrics of the song; this refers to Janey Dinsdale, with whom he had a long-term relationship from 1972 until 1983. In Rolling Stone, Seger elaborated on the song's meaning:

Janey says to me all the time, 'You allow more people to walk on you than anybody I've ever known.' And I always say it's human nature that people are gonna love you sometimes and they're gonna use you sometimes. Knowing the difference between when people are using you and when people truly care about you, that's what "Against the Wind" is all about. The people in that song have weathered the storm, and it's made them much better that they've been able to do it and maintain whatever relationship. To get through is a real victory.

In the tune, Seger second-guesses his career choice, particularly aspects of touring, which he describes as "moving eight miles a minute for months at a time." He mulls that he may have "lost [his] way," focusing too much attention on "breaking all of the rules that would bend." It famously includes the line "Wish I didn't know now what I didn't know then", which Seger later admitted bothered him for a while in a grammatical sense. The song "ends with a renewed determination to keep going"; as the song begins its outro, Seger concedes he is "older now, but still running against the wind."

Its tone has been described as reflective and bittersweet. New York Times columnist Jon Pareles once characterized "Against the Wind" as a song about "crumbling hopes and the recognition of limits," while music critic Maury Dean considered its topic "all the burdens we'll ever have to face." Robert Hilburn, writing for the Los Angeles Times, described the song a "heartfelt expressions of the search for innocence and integrity in a world where both qualities seem in short supply." Though no music video was made for "Against the Wind" at the time of its release, a lyric video commemorating its fortieth anniversary saw release on YouTube in 2020. The clip showcases its songwriting atop "classic Seger imagery — animated horses, motorcycles, and vast American highways.
Bob Seger – lead vocals, acoustic guitar, background vocals
The Silver Bullet Band

Drew Abbott – electric guitar
Chris Campbell – bass
David Teegarden – drums
Additional musicians

Glenn Frey – background vocals
Paul Harris – piano, organ