You Run Away
Barenaked Ladies Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You could turn and stay
But you run away from me.
I tried to be your brother
You cried and ran for cover
I made a mess, who doesn't
I did my best but it wasn't enough
You run away
You turn and stay
But you run away from me.
You run away
You could turn and stay
But you run away from me.
I'll give you something you can cry about
One thing you should try it out
Hold a mirror shoulder high
When you're older look you in the eye
When you're older look you in the eye
I tried but you tried harder
I lied but you lied smarter
You made me guess who was it
I did my best but it wasn't enough
You run away
You could turn and stay
But you run away from me
You run away (I tried to be your brother)
You could turn and stay (You cried and ran for cover)
But you run away from me (I made a mess, who doesn't, I did my best but it wasn't enough)
It's not something you cry about (Cry!)
It's not something you lie about
You run away (I tried to be your brother)
You could turn and stay (You cried and ran for cover)
But you run away from me (I made a mess, who doesn't, I did my best but it wasn't enough)
The song "You Run Away" by Barenaked Ladies tells the story of a failed relationship. The singer is apologizing for his mistakes and trying to convince the other person to stay, but they keep running away. The lyrics suggest that the singer tried to be a supportive figure for the other person, like a brother, but they didn't respond well to his attempts. The line "I made a mess, who doesn't" implies that the mistakes he made are common and not unforgivable. However, the other person still chose to run away despite his efforts.
The verse "I'll give you something you can cry about" and the subsequent lines suggest that the singer is blaming the other person for not owning up to their own mistakes. He challenges them to hold a mirror up to themselves and to take responsibility for their actions. The line "When you're older look you in the eye" implies that the other person may regret their actions later on in life.
Overall, the song is about failed communication and misunderstanding in a relationship. Despite the singer's efforts to be there for the other person, his mistakes and the other person's unwillingness to work through their problems led to the relationship's downfall.
Line by Line Meaning
You run away
You choose to leave instead of staying and working on our relationship.
You could turn and stay
You have the option to stay and fix our issues.
But you run away from me.
Instead of staying to work it out, you choose to leave and avoid confrontation.
I tried to be your brother
I tried to be supportive and caring.
You cried and ran for cover
You were emotional and avoided dealing with the situation.
I made a mess, who doesn't
I made mistakes like anyone else.
I did my best but it wasn't enough
I gave it my all, but it wasn't sufficient to fix our problems.
I'll give you something you can cry about
I will give you a reason to feel upset or emotional.
One thing you should try it out
There is something you should try to see how it affects you.
Hold a mirror shoulder high
Look at yourself honestly.
When you're older look you in the eye
Be truthful with yourself when you are older.
I tried but you tried harder
I attempted to fix our issues, but you put in more effort.
I lied but you lied smarter
I wasn't always truthful, but you were better at covering it up.
You made me guess who was it
You kept secrets and made me guess what was going on.
It's not something you cry about
It's not worth getting emotional over.
It's not something you lie about
It's not worth lying or deceiving others about.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ED ROBERTSON, JIM CREEGGAN, KEVIN HEARN, KEVIN NEIL HEARN, TYLER STEWART
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Carmen G Ogeidnas
LOL I just came here from watching The Bachelorette, they contestants were supposed to be shooting scenes for this video but clearly they didn't use any of the footage LMAO I knew it
Punisher
What do you mean?
Natalie Wood
SAME LOL
Chey Marie Buergey
That's where I came from too. I wanted to see if it actually happened.
Shovel Boy
With you my guy
Fashion Guru 32
LOL RIGHT they’re such bad actors so I was skeptical
April Martell
How did I sleep on this song for so long? I've always loved BNL but never really appreciated this one until now. Ed's voice makes this so emotional, and there's something about the silences between verses where he adds nothing so it's like you're on edge between each verse. This song is incredible and I'm so glad I randomly came across it!
Bill Janis
It’s because it’s VERY personal from Ed to Steve. You’ll notice the band barely looks at Ed. It’s personal to Steve. Only Tyler glances at Ed.
Jay D
This should have way more views, this is a great song.
Becki M
I love watching them sing. The songs, the phrases, the individual words mean something to them. They aren't just trying for a hit song but to convey a message, to touch someone with their words, to allow their music to be the soundtrack of the lives of the fans and listeners.