# The Way That I Am

Professional ratings :
| Review scores ||
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic | |
| Robert Christgau | |
| Rolling Stone | (favorable) |
The Way That I Am is the second studio album by American country music singer Martina McBride, released on September 14, 1993, through RCA Nashville. It was certified Platinum on May 15, 1995, by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). This was her breakthrough album, producing her first Top 5 hit in "My Baby Loves Me", which was previously released as a single by Canadian singer Patricia Conroy from her 1992 album Bad Day for Trains. McBride's version was a number 2 hit on the Hot Country Songs. Also released as singles from this album were "Life #9" at number 6, "Independence Day" at number 12, "Heart Trouble" at number 21, and "Where I Used to Have a Heart" at number 49.

## Content

Although never released as a single, "Strangers" was reprised on McBride's Greatest Hits album in 2001. In the liner notes of that album, she stated that she included the song because it was a fan favorite, and she felt that it would have been a better follow-up to "Independence Day" than "Heart Trouble" and "Where I Used to Have a Heart" were.
The Compact Cassette version of this album omits the final track, "Ashes".

## Personnel

Compiled from liner notes.

### Musicians

* Grace Mihi Bahng – cello (3)
* Brett Beavers – backing vocals (6 & 10)
* Joe Chemay – bass guitar
* Ashley Cleveland – backing vocals (4)
* Deryl Dodd – backing vocals (6 & 10)
* Dan Dugmore – electric guitar (2)
* Larry Franklin – fiddle (1, 8 & 10)
* Paul Franklin – pedal steel guitar (4 & 8)
* Johnny Garcia – electric guitar (1)
* Vicki Hampton – backing vocals (4)
* Dann Huff – electric guitar (2, 6 & 7)
* Bill Hullett – acoustic guitar (1, 3-5 & 8-10)
* Mary Ann Kennedy – backing vocals (2, 4 & 7)
* Martina McBride – lead vocals, backing vocals (2, 4, & 7-9), tambourine (6)
* Anthony S. Martin – backing vocals (8), keyboards (9)
* Brent Mason – electric guitar (1, 3-5 & 8-10)
* Steve Nathan – keyboards (except 9)
* Mary Kathryn Van Osdale – violin (3)
* Herb Pedersen – backing vocals (5)
* Pam Rose – backing vocals (2, 4 & 7)
* John Wesley Ryles – backing vocals (1, 8 & 9)
* Biff Watson – acoustic guitar (1 & 5-7)
* Charlie Whitten – pedal steel guitar (6, 7, 9 & 10)
* Kris Wilkinson – viola (3)
* Dennis Wilson – backing vocals (1, 8 & 9)
* Lonnie Wilson – drums
* Paul Worley – electric guitar (1, 2, 6 & 7), acoustic guitar

### Production

* Don Cobb – digital editor
* Carlos Grier – digital editor
* Martina McBride – producer
* Anthony S. Martin – assistant producer
* Mike Poole – recording engineer
* Denny Purcell – mastering engineer
* Clarke Schleicher – recording engineer
* Ed Seay – production, recording engineer
* Paul Worley – producer

## Charts
### Singles

| Year | Single | Peak positions | Peak positions | Certifications |
| Year | Single | US Country | CAN Country | Certifications |
| 1993 | "My Baby Loves Me" | 2 | 1 | |
| 1994 | "Life #9" | 6 | 8 | |
| 1994 | "Independence Day" | 12 | 14 | * RIAA: Platinum |
| 1994 | "Heart Trouble" | 21 | 32 | |
| 1995 | "Where I Used to Have a Heart" | 49 | — | |

## Certifications

| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
| Canada (Music Canada) | Platinum | 100,000$^^$ |
| United States (RIAA) | Platinum | 1,000,000$^^$ |
| $^^$ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |||