Thousands 乌鸦传媒� no, scratch that 乌鸦传媒� millions of people during the past 25 years have tapped their fingers, hummed, and smiled along to the joyful, ebullient rhythms and melodies of Tom Cochrane乌鸦传媒檚 monster hit Life Is A Highway.

Many would be surprised by the dark place it came from.

A lifelong traveller and longtime advocate for global charities, Cochrane had just returned from a soul-searing trip to war-torn, poverty-stricken Mozambique. What he had observed and experienced weighed heavy.

乌鸦传媒淵ou see people dying in front of you, it乌鸦传媒檚 going to affect you; it乌鸦传媒檚 self-evident,乌鸦传媒� he said. 乌鸦传媒淚 was a bit humbled in some ways, outraged in some ways乌鸦传媒�and depressed.乌鸦传媒�

Much earlier, Cochrane had written and discarded a song called Love Is A Highway. Preparing for what was to become his album Mad, Mad World, he plucked it out of the dumpster and reworked it into Life Is A Highway 乌鸦传媒� its seize-the-day, milk-life-for-every-moment-of-joy-it-gives message working as fuel for his optimism and a salve for his spirit.

Life Is A Highway launched the former Red Rider lead singer from a solid journeyman artist to a star, and powered Mad, Mad World to the rare diamond album certification, signifying one million albums sold in Canada, a peak crested by only 11 Canadian artists ever.

For its 25th anniversary, Cochrane is revisiting Mad, Mad World with a special edition re-release that features remastered songs, extensive new liner notes, live recordings and the original Love Is A Highway demo.

The album will also be showcased almost in its entirety during a cross-Canada tour that launches Feb. 24 in B.C. and includes a show Friday March 3 in Kelowna at Prospera Place.

Cochrane spoke to Black Press from Toronto earlier this month, just ahead of rehearsals for the tour.

He said that when he wrote and recorded Mad, Mad World 乌鸦传媒� released in September of 1991 乌鸦传媒� in Memphis and Ontario he did not realize the ultimate impact of what he was creating.

乌鸦传媒淣o, but I did feel at the time that there was an exceptional energy,乌鸦传媒� he said. As a writer, he was able to nurture some of his sharper observations about life and the world while nestled in the 乌鸦传媒淧ax Canadiana乌鸦传媒� of home. And revisiting the album in preparation for this re-release he feels good about how the songs stand up.

乌鸦传媒淭he lyrics are very appropriate for these times,乌鸦传媒� he said.

As a songwriter, Cochrane is, to borrow one of his Mad, Mad World song titles, big on emotional truth. The chords and melodies and words need to come together into something that expresses what he feels about what he sees. And the people who share that truth will hear it and respond 乌鸦传媒� Life Is A Highway being a prime example.

乌鸦传媒淭he whole idea of being a puppy mill Nashville writer doesn乌鸦传媒檛 appeal to me,乌鸦传媒� he said. 乌鸦传媒淲ithout the script there乌鸦传媒檚 no soul.乌鸦传媒�

乌鸦传媒淚t乌鸦传媒檚 important as a writer that you experience that stuff and take the time to reflect on that stuff. I乌鸦传媒檓 a therapist for myself first and foremost, but also for other people.乌鸦传媒�

Sometimes it takes a lot of work for the song to end up the way he wants it, but more often bits and phrases and ideas will percolate for a while before something triggers and allows it to coalesce.

For example, he carried of a hockey player who died young around with him for a long time after hearing it on the road. When he was finally able to roll up the sleeves and get down to writing it, it came out in 15 minutes.

This spring and summer will be full of concerts and festivals with a band that includes old Red Rider buddies Ken Greer and Jeff Jones, and frequent collaborators Bill Bell and Davide Direnzo, but Cochrane is already thinking ahead to the fall.

乌鸦传媒淲hat I really want to do is to get back into the studio,乌鸦传媒� he said. 乌鸦传媒淔or a couple years before (his 2015 album Take It Home) I thought I might never do a record again.乌鸦传媒�

With a career spanning 40 years and honours that include eight Juno awards, the Canadian Music Hall of Fame, and the Order of Canada, Cochrane乌鸦传媒檚 lofty status on the Canadian soundscape is difficult to dispute. He states passionately that he is proud to wear the maple leaf on his sleeve, and has since the early days when he balked at heavy-handed management efforts to downplay Red Rider乌鸦传媒檚 Canuck roots in a bid to 乌鸦传媒渕ake it乌鸦传媒� in the tough British and American markets.

Canadiana glitters like diamonds from songs like Big League, Northern Frontier and Ragged Ass Road.

乌鸦传媒淭his is where I乌鸦传媒檓 from and I乌鸦传媒檓 proud of it,乌鸦传媒� he said.

But pausing to think about the fact he could be speaking for and to Canada every time he steps on stage is not a consideration.

乌鸦传媒淚乌鸦传媒檇 never be able to pick up that guitar again if I thought that way,乌鸦传媒� he said with a laugh.

Instead, he said his music still comes down experiencing life, sharing its stories and the unbridled joy he first felt at 15 playing music in the garage with his buddies.

乌鸦传媒淚 try to tap into that and put one foot ahead of another.乌鸦传媒�

Tom Cochrane plays Trail, Cranbrook, Nanaimo, Victoria, Kelowna, Kamloops, Prince George and Abbotsford later this month and early next as part of his Canadian tour. Visit for more information on the show nearest you.

乌鸦传媒� John McKinley / Black Press