When the group was first formed in 1971, they were called Shacklock after their guitarist Alan Shacklock. Members included Janita Haan and Dave Hewitt, with Dave Punshon and Dick Powell later joining. The first release was their single "Elusive"; their first album, First Base, went gold in Canada. In 1973, Ed Spevock replaced Powell and Chris Holmes replaced Punshon on the second album. In 1975, Steve Gurl, keyboardist from Glenn Cornick's Wild Turkey replaced Holmes for the third album. The same year, Shacklock exited and Bernie Marsden (Wild Turkey) joined the team for the fourth album. After this, Haan and Hewitt left.
Though no original member remained, the group incorporated Ellie Hope and Ray Knott for the fifth album in 1976. Shortly before Babe Ruth disbanded, they were joined by the 17 year-old Birmingham born Simon Lambeth who made a few appearances on their last tour. Lambeth's hauntingly naïve sound on rhythm guitar, behind the lead of Marsden, promised much but sadly it was too late; Marsden moved on to bigger things and joined Whitesnake. Simon changed careers and sadly was lost to the music scene - Hope did an outstanding job on the LP, later releasing her own solo effort in the booming disco era. Unfortunately, these later efforts are harder to pin down.
A disco cover of Babe Ruth's classic "The Mexican" appeared in the late 70s, performed by the Bombers. This version inspired an electro/freestyle cover produced by John Jellybean Benitez in 1984, for which he managed to recruit Haan on vocals - the cover subsequently becoming noted for its popularity as an underground dance hit.
Between late 2005 and early 2006, Haan, Shacklock, Punshon, and Hewitt recorded new material together in Nashville, with Spevock recording his drums in London. The album was completed September 2006, and after being made available in digital form via the band's official web site, it was released on CD through Revolver Records in the first quarter of 2009.
The Runaways
Babe Ruth Lyrics
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He's carrying everyone's load
And a tear in his eye
Mirrors moon in black sky
His dreams have been builded too high
Now he's finding he's lost every way
Hopes shattering one by one day
'Cause they'll tear you apart
And they'll laugh as you're runnin' away
The time has now gone
Said the boy on the run
To the crowd as they all turned him away
Don't you give me no hard luck I pray
Don't you give me more reasons to hate
'Cause the saints of your yard
Have been acting too hard
Won't you clear out before it's too late
The time has now gone
Said the man with the gun
To the crowd as they all turned away
The time has now gone
Said the man with the gun
To the crowd as they all turned away
The Runaways by Babe Ruth tells the story of two people who feel lost, abandoned and betrayed by those that they once trusted. The song opens with a man on the sidewalk, burdened by the weight of everyone's problems. He is overwhelmed and despondent, with a tear in his eye mirroring the moon in the black sky. The dreams he once had have been built too high and now seem unattainable. He is lost, with hopes shattering one by one every day. The chorus warns against trusting anyone, as they'll only tear you apart and laugh as you run away.
The second verse introduces another character, a boy who has been rejected by the crowd who turned him away. He pleads for no more hard luck and no more reasons to hate, knowing full well that the saints in their yard have been acting too hard. The man with the gun is the last character to speak, stating that time has now run out and urging the crowd to leave before it's too late.
The Runaways speaks to the feeling of alienation and disillusionment that many people experience when they realize that life isn't as simple or fair as they thought. The cautionary message against trusting anyone underscores this theme, as does the reference to the saints of the yard acting too hard. We can only hope that the characters in the song are able to find a way out of their despair.
Line by Line Meaning
Man on a sidewalk, stone cold
There's a man standing outside in the cold on a sidewalk, all alone.
He's carrying everyone's load
He feels responsible for other people's problems and is weighed down by that burden.
And a tear in his eye
He is sad and emotional about something.
Mirrors moon in black sky
The tear in his eye reflects the light of the moon in the dark sky.
His dreams have been builded too high
He has set his goals and aspirations too high and they are now unattainable.
Now he's finding he's lost every way
He is lost and unsure of what direction to take in life.
Hopes shattering one by one day
His hopes and dreams are being destroyed one by one each day.
Don't you trust no one's heart
He advises not to trust anyone's emotions or intentions.
'Cause they'll tear you apart
Others will hurt you and break you down.
And they'll laugh as you're runnin' away
People will find joy in your suffering and pain as you try to escape.
The time has now gone
There is no more time left to fix things.
Said the boy on the run
A young person who is fleeing from something said this.
To the crowd as they all turned him away
The people around him rejected him and wouldn't listen to what he had to say.
Don't you give me no hard luck I pray
The singer is asking for a break and not to be given any more negative situations.
Don't you give me more reasons to hate
The singer doesn't want anything else to cause him more anger or resentment.
'Cause the saints of your yard
The people who are supposed to be good and help others in the community.
Have been acting too hard
They have been cruel and mean instead of kind and compassionate.
Won't you clear out before it's too late
The singer is warning them to leave and avoid the consequences of their actions.
Said the man with the gun
A person who is armed with a gun said this.
To the crowd as they all turned away
The people around him ignored and walked away from him, possibly out of fear.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BOB WILLIAMS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind