You'll Always Find Your Way Back Home
Encyclopedia
"You'll Always Find Your Way Back Home" is a country pop
song written for the 2009 film Hannah Montana: The Movie
. The song is performed by American singer and actress Hannah Montana
, a character Miley Cyrus
portrays in the film. A karaoke
version of the song is available in the soundtrack's karaoke series. The song is musically country pop
and pop rock
. Lyrically, the track is about staying grounded and going back to one's roots.
The song received critical success for its use in the film. "You'll Always Find Your Way Back Home" was met with average-to-low commercial outcomes for Cyrus in several countries, compared to those of her previous efforts as Montana. It reached its highest international peak in the Canadian Hot 100
, at number seventy-six. The song received a music video to coincide with the home release of Hannah Montana: The Movie.
became involved with Hannah Montana: The Movie when filmmakers emailed her specifically to request the use of her music in the film. Swift agreed to make a cameo appearance
in the film to sing "Crazier" as well as to co-write a song with Boys Like Girls
lead singer Martin Johnson. In an interview with MTV
, Johnson described working with Swift:
"You'll Always Find Your Way Back Home" is used as the closing number of Hannah Montana: The Movie. In the film, Cyrus performs as popstar Hannah Montana onstage at an outdoor fundraiser to save her hometown's treasured park from developers. More than 2,000 extras
were used to film the scene.
music. It is set in common time
with a fast rock tempo
of 160 beats per minute. The song is written in the key of E♭ major. Cyrus' vocals span one octave
, from B♭3 to B4. The song has the following chord progression
, E♭5—D5—E♭5. Like the film, the lyrics discuss importance of one's roots. Warren Truitt of About.com
believed it conveyed "the sentiment that even pop stars find safe haven in their home town".
for Best Original Song
at the 82nd Academy Awards
.
at number eighty-seven on the week ending April 11, 2009. "You'll Always Find Your Way Back Home" fell one spot to number eighty-eight in the following week, but on the week ending May 2, 2009 it reached its peak on the Hot 100 at number eighty-one due to digital downloads that placed it at number fifty-two on Hot Digital Songs
. In the Canadian Hot 100
, "You'll Always Find Your Way Back Home" debuted at eighty-eight on the week ending April 11, 2009 and reached its peak at number seventy-six on the week ending May 2, 2009.
and features Cyrus singing in a vacant recording studio
.
An excerpt from Hannah Montana: The Movie
premiered as the song's music video in August 2009 on Disney Channel
to promote the home release of the film. The video begins with Cyrus and her backup dancers atop a stage in a crowded outdoor concert. Cyrus is dressed as Hannah Montana and is wearing a business suit
. As Cyrus begins singing, she and the dancers engage in intricate choreography. The video then transitions to a clip from Hannah Montana: The Movie in which Cyrus' character is getting down from a private airplane. The video continues to alternate between Cyrus performing and more film clips; scenes include Stewart taking off her Hannah Montana wig and interacting with Travis Body, her love interest in the film, portrayed by actor Lucas Till
. Midway through the video, Cyrus and her dancers exit the stage through a back door and instantly enter sporting western clothing
with Cyrus in a teal shirt, a pink poodle skirt
, and cowboy boots.
Country pop
Country pop, with roots in both the countrypolitan sound and in soft rock, is a subgenre of country music that first emerged in the 1970s. Although the term first referred to country music songs and artists that crossed over to Top 40 radio, country pop acts are now more likely to cross over to...
song written for the 2009 film Hannah Montana: The Movie
Hannah Montana: The Movie
Hannah Montana: The Movie is a 2009 Walt Disney Pictures musical comedy film based on the Disney Channel show Hannah Montana which was released on April 10, 2009, by Walt Disney Pictures, it was the second Disney Channel series to have a movie for Walt Disney Pictures. The film was directed by...
. The song is performed by American singer and actress Hannah Montana
Hannah Montana
Hannah Montana is an American television series, which debuted on March 24, 2006 on the Disney Channel. The series focuses on a girl who lives a double life as an average teenage school girl named Miley Stewart by day and a famous pop singer named Hannah Montana by night, concealing her real...
, a character Miley Cyrus
Miley Cyrus
Miley Ray Cyrus is an American actress and pop singer-songwriter. She achieved wide fame for her role as Miley Stewart/Hannah Montana on the Disney Channel sitcom Hannah Montana....
portrays in the film. A karaoke
Karaoke
is a form of interactive entertainment or video game in which amateur singers sing along with recorded music using a microphone and public address system. The music is typically a well-known pop song minus the lead vocal. Lyrics are usually displayed on a video screen, along with a moving symbol,...
version of the song is available in the soundtrack's karaoke series. The song is musically country pop
Country pop
Country pop, with roots in both the countrypolitan sound and in soft rock, is a subgenre of country music that first emerged in the 1970s. Although the term first referred to country music songs and artists that crossed over to Top 40 radio, country pop acts are now more likely to cross over to...
and pop rock
Pop rock
Pop rock is a music genre which mixes a catchy pop style and light lyrics in its guitar-based rock songs. There are varying definitions of the term, ranging from a slower and mellower form of rock music to a subgenre of pop music...
. Lyrically, the track is about staying grounded and going back to one's roots.
The song received critical success for its use in the film. "You'll Always Find Your Way Back Home" was met with average-to-low commercial outcomes for Cyrus in several countries, compared to those of her previous efforts as Montana. It reached its highest international peak in the Canadian Hot 100
Canadian Hot 100
The Canadian Hot 100 is a music singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks songs in Canada. The chart debuted in the Billboard issue dated June 16, 2007 and was made available for the first time via their online services on June 7, 2007...
, at number seventy-six. The song received a music video to coincide with the home release of Hannah Montana: The Movie.
Development
Singer-songwriter Taylor SwiftTaylor Swift
Taylor Alison Swift is an American country pop singer-songwriter, musician and actress.In 2006, she released her debut single "Tim McGraw", then her self-titled debut album, which was subsequently certified multi-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America...
became involved with Hannah Montana: The Movie when filmmakers emailed her specifically to request the use of her music in the film. Swift agreed to make a cameo appearance
Cameo appearance
A cameo role or cameo appearance is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the performing arts, such as plays, films, video games and television...
in the film to sing "Crazier" as well as to co-write a song with Boys Like Girls
Boys Like Girls
Boys Like Girls is an American rock band from Massachusetts. Formed in 2005, the group gained mainstream recognition when it released its self-titled debut album. Boys Like Girls was the co-headliner with Good Charlotte for the Soundtrack of Your Summer Tour 2008 that toured across the United...
lead singer Martin Johnson. In an interview with MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
, Johnson described working with Swift:
"You'll Always Find Your Way Back Home" is used as the closing number of Hannah Montana: The Movie. In the film, Cyrus performs as popstar Hannah Montana onstage at an outdoor fundraiser to save her hometown's treasured park from developers. More than 2,000 extras
Extra (actor)
A background actor or extra is a performer in a film, television show, stage, musical, opera or ballet production, who appears in a nonspeaking, nonsinging or nondancing capacity, usually in the background...
were used to film the scene.
Composition
"You'll Always Find Your Way Back Home", according to Allmusic, embodies the album's theme of merging country and popPop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
music. It is set in common time
Common Time
"Common Time" is a science fiction short story written by James Blish. It first appeared in the August 1953 issue of Science Fiction Quarterly and has been reprinted several times: in the 1959 short-story collection Galactic Cluster; in The Testament of Andros ; in The Penguin Science Fiction...
with a fast rock tempo
Tempo
In musical terminology, tempo is the speed or pace of a given piece. Tempo is a crucial element of any musical composition, as it can affect the mood and difficulty of a piece.-Measuring tempo:...
of 160 beats per minute. The song is written in the key of E♭ major. Cyrus' vocals span one octave
Octave
In music, an octave is the interval between one musical pitch and another with half or double its frequency. The octave relationship is a natural phenomenon that has been referred to as the "basic miracle of music", the use of which is "common in most musical systems"...
, from B♭3 to B4. The song has the following chord progression
Chord progression
A chord progression is a series of musical chords, or chord changes that "aims for a definite goal" of establishing a tonality founded on a key, root or tonic chord. In other words, the succession of root relationships...
, E♭5—D5—E♭5. Like the film, the lyrics discuss importance of one's roots. Warren Truitt of About.com
About.com
About.com is an online source for original information and advice. It is written in English, and is aimed primarily at North Americans. It is owned by The New York Times Company....
believed it conveyed "the sentiment that even pop stars find safe haven in their home town".
Critical reception
The song received positive reviews from critics. Simon Weaving of Screenwize.com said the film's conflicts are "mostly expressed in the simple, sugared lyrics of a series of pop hits that seamlessly find their way into the story– including 'The Best of Both Worlds' and 'You’ll Always Find a Way Back Home'." James Plath of Dvdtown.com described the song as being "integrated pretty well into the narrative". Peter Canavese of Grouncho Reviews said "the story makes way for [...] 'You'll Always Find Your Way Back Home'", which would attract "the film's target audience of pre-teen girls". Warren of Truitt of About.com listed the song as the third best song by Hannah Montana. The song was included on the short listShort list
A short list or shortlist is a list of candidates for a job, prize, award, political position, etc., that has been reduced from a longer list of candidates . The length of short lists varies according to the context.-U.S...
for Best Original Song
Academy Award for Best Original Song
The Academy Award for Best Original Song is one of the awards given annually to people working in the motion picture industry by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences . It is presented to the songwriters who have composed the best original song written specifically for a film...
at the 82nd Academy Awards
82nd Academy Awards
The 82nd Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences , honored the best films of 2009 and took place March 7, 2010, at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles beginning at 5:30 p.m. PST / 8:30 p.m. EST. The ceremony was scheduled well after...
.
Chart performance
The song made its debut on the Billboard Hot 100Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
at number eighty-seven on the week ending April 11, 2009. "You'll Always Find Your Way Back Home" fell one spot to number eighty-eight in the following week, but on the week ending May 2, 2009 it reached its peak on the Hot 100 at number eighty-one due to digital downloads that placed it at number fifty-two on Hot Digital Songs
Hot Digital Songs
The Hot Digital Songs chart ranks the best-selling digital singles in the United States, according to Billboard.Beginning in February 2005, digital sales have been incorporated into many of Billboards music single charts. It was decided to do so mainly because of the dramatic rise in popularity of...
. In the Canadian Hot 100
Canadian Hot 100
The Canadian Hot 100 is a music singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks songs in Canada. The chart debuted in the Billboard issue dated June 16, 2007 and was made available for the first time via their online services on June 7, 2007...
, "You'll Always Find Your Way Back Home" debuted at eighty-eight on the week ending April 11, 2009 and reached its peak at number seventy-six on the week ending May 2, 2009.
Music video
A promotional music video for "You'll Always Find Your Way Back Home" was filmed in correlation to the Hannah Montana: The Movie soundtrack. The video, part of a series of promotional videos titled The Miley Sessions, was released in March 2009 on Disney.comDisney.com
Disney.com is a website, owned by The Walt Disney Company and its subsidiaries, promotes the Disney theme parks and offers entertainment content intended for children....
and features Cyrus singing in a vacant recording studio
Recording studio
A recording studio is a facility for sound recording and mixing. Ideally both the recording and monitoring spaces are specially designed by an acoustician to achieve optimum acoustic properties...
.
An excerpt from Hannah Montana: The Movie
Hannah Montana: The Movie
Hannah Montana: The Movie is a 2009 Walt Disney Pictures musical comedy film based on the Disney Channel show Hannah Montana which was released on April 10, 2009, by Walt Disney Pictures, it was the second Disney Channel series to have a movie for Walt Disney Pictures. The film was directed by...
premiered as the song's music video in August 2009 on Disney Channel
Disney Channel
Disney Channel is an American basic cable and satellite television network, owned by the Disney-ABC Television Group division of The Walt Disney Company. It is under the direction of Disney-ABC Television Group President Anne Sweeney. The channel's headquarters is located on West Alameda Ave. in...
to promote the home release of the film. The video begins with Cyrus and her backup dancers atop a stage in a crowded outdoor concert. Cyrus is dressed as Hannah Montana and is wearing a business suit
Suit (clothing)
In clothing, a suit is a set of garments made from the same cloth, consisting of at least a jacket and trousers. Lounge suits are the most common style of Western suit, originating in the United Kingdom as country wear...
. As Cyrus begins singing, she and the dancers engage in intricate choreography. The video then transitions to a clip from Hannah Montana: The Movie in which Cyrus' character is getting down from a private airplane. The video continues to alternate between Cyrus performing and more film clips; scenes include Stewart taking off her Hannah Montana wig and interacting with Travis Body, her love interest in the film, portrayed by actor Lucas Till
Lucas Till
Lucas Daniel Till is an American actor. He began acting in the early 2000s, and has since appeared in a number of films and television parts, including his roles on House, Hannah Montana: The Movie and X-Men: First Class...
. Midway through the video, Cyrus and her dancers exit the stage through a back door and instantly enter sporting western clothing
Western wear
Western wear is a category of men's and women's clothing which derives its unique style from the clothes worn in the 19th-century American West. It ranges from accurate historical reproductions of pioneer, mountain man, Civil War, cowboy and vaquero clothing to the stylized garments popularized by...
with Cyrus in a teal shirt, a pink poodle skirt
Poodle skirt
A poodle skirt is a wide swing felt skirt of a solid bold color displaying a design appliquéd or transferred to the fabric. The design was often a coiffed French poodle. Later substitutes for the poodle patch included flamingos, flowers, and hot rod cars...
, and cowboy boots.
Charts
| Chart (2009) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canadian Hot 100 Canadian Hot 100 The Canadian Hot 100 is a music singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks songs in Canada. The chart debuted in the Billboard issue dated June 16, 2007 and was made available for the first time via their online services on June 7, 2007... |
76 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
81 |