[1] Seger told the New York Times that the song "was inspired partly by the end of a relationship that had lasted for 11 years.

But beyond that, it expresses my feeling that the best years of your life are in your late teens when you have no special commitments and no career.

"[3] Billboard called it a "slow-paced, rough-edged ballad [that] mourns the certainties of youth.

"[4] Classic Rock History critic Janey Roberts rated it as Seger's 10th best song.

[6] The Silver Bullet Band Additional musicians This song's greatest exposure was in Chevrolet truck television advertisements from 1991 until 2004,[9] for their massively successful "Like a Rock" campaign.