Shania Twain is widely known for her upbeat hits and powerful return to music, but few fans are aware of the deeply emotional ballad she kept hidden for decades. Co-written during her divorce from Mutt Lange and her struggle with Lyme-related vocal loss, the song—under the working title “Leaving Is the Only Way Out”—remained unreleased until recently. Its melancholic melody and raw lyrics reveal a side of Shania she rarely shares.
Although she co-wrote blockbuster tracks on The Woman in Me, this particular ballad stands apart. In 1995, Shania bravely wrote it alone, channeling the pain of divorce and rediscovery. According to MusicWeek, the song emerged from the same period when she penned Life’s About to Get Good but carried a vastly more somber tone . The haunting chorus reflects a heart once too broken to sing: “Leaving is the only way out when love becomes your prison.” It wasn’t a hit single; it was a confession.
Shania described that time as being “shattered,” grappling not just with betrayal but with the possibility of never singing again. Her documentary Not Just a Girl and her memoir recount how Lyme disease robbed her voice, forcing her offline for years . She retreated, hurt and silent, searching for new meaning. Yet writing this song became her lifeline, the admission she needed to face herself.
Though recorded in the same sessions for Now, the song was withheld for its bleakness. In a 2002 interview CMT noted that Up! largely avoided ballads, but included dark cuts like It Only Hurts When I’m Breathing to ground the celebratory tone . That track, when released, gave listeners a glimpse of Shania’s vulnerability—but “Leaving…” dives deeper. It grapples with self-preservation, not just heartache.
True fans got a taste when Shania performed the song live for the first time during her 2017 comeback tour. The reaction was immediate—tears, hushed awe, and universal empathy. Critics praised her courage: here was a superstar admitting failure before redemption, using music to heal and connect.
Now streaming quietly on deluxe editions and her website, “Leaving Is the Only Way Out” stands as a testament to Shania’s resilience. It wasn’t written for fame—it was written for survival. In choosing to finally share it, she reminds us that true artistry isn’t about perfection; it’s about the truth that lies beneath.