He has been active in the 00s and since, touring both as a single artist and as a member of the rotating supergroup 'Ringo Starr & His All Starr Band'. Before fronting the band titled in his name, Squire was the frontman of the power pop group Piper. Said band had some underground fame in the 70s before Squire left for bigger things.
Squier started off his solo career with May 1980's 'The Tale of the Tape'. Although a commercial breakthrough eluded him, the release spent three months on Billboard's album chart and gained a large fan response. Working with songwriter impresario Desmond Child and Kiss co-guitarist Bruce Kulick, his album also brought him praising critical reviews, noting his talent for meeting catchy pop hooks with aggressive guitars and vocals.
His 1981 follow-up, 'Don't Say No', shot his career into the stratosphere. It hit the Top Five on the Billboard album chart and remained on the chart for over two years (a total of 111 weeks). Getting RIAA certified as triple-platinum, singles such as "Lonely Is The Night" and "The Stroke" became staples of arena rock radio. His music from this album has popped up in variety of places such as in the comedy film 'Blades of Glory' and in the popular Guitar Hero video game series.
Squier's third album, 'Emotions in Motion', also picked up both critical praise, with Allmusic calling it a "slice of AOR heaven", and commercial acclaim. The album itself peaked at #5 on the Billboard 200 chart while singles such as "Everybody Wants You" and "Learn How To Live" achieved top 40 rock stardom. Squier also achieved notability both for his album cover, devised by famous artist Andy Warhol, and for his popular music videos, played often on MTV.
Massively successful touring with artists such as Queen had Squier labeled as one of the best hard rock artists of the decade. Still, 'what goes up, must come down', as the saying goes, and his next album would spell his downfall. 1984's 'Signs of Life' came out with initial good press, viewed as perhaps lacking the rock crunch of his previous affairs but still involving some catchy tunes. Single "Rock Me Tonite", released in June 1984 as the lead single, became his highest charting U.S. song, peaking at number 15 on the Billboard Hot 100 and hitting the Top 10 on the Cash Box singles chart. It also returned him to #1 on the Top Rock Tracks chart in August of 1984.
Nevertheless, the music video for the song was the beginning of the end for this part of Squier's career. Popularly regarded as one of the worst ever music videos ever made, if not the worst, it shows Squier putting on a pink tank top and making effeminate dance moves around a bed with pastel-colored satin sheets while badly miming to the song, rolling around on the floor in several parts. Many viewers who saw it thought that it depicted the singer on drugs or pretending to be flamboyantly gay. It was directed by Kenny Ortega, who was the third director to be considered for the job.
After an acrimonious break from his label and also making other changes, Squier re-grouped and released 'Enough Is Enough' on September 27, 1986. Signed to Capitol Records, he achieved some success, with the album having peaked at #61 on the Billboard album chart, but failed to meet expectations. Some critics charged that the stress that he had been put under took its toll on his songwriting. Future releases over the next few years failed to change things as his popularity slid downwards, and he ultimately quit the music industry for several years in the 90s.
As stated before, he has been active in the 00s and since, touring both as a single artist and as a member of the rotating supergroup 'Ringo Starr & His All Starr Band'. More recently, a few live albums have come out featuring his music. He also has had several low-key tours.
She's A Runner
Billy Squier Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Girl she made me a hand-me-down
Never know when she'll come around or what I'll see
No resistance, it's hardly fair
Call my name, honey, I'll be there
I'll give in to you anywhere, so foolishly
I could never ever lie to you
I just wanna be beside you
Sweet emotion'll pass you by
Girl she left me alone to cry
I still remember how she could make love to me
You see the traces, they always show
Some may come and some may go
But one of us will never know what you see
Never wanted to rely on you
Never wanted you to try
I just wanna be beside you
She's a runner, anyone can see
She's a runner, she run all over me
She's a runner, you can't walk away
She's a runner, she can make you stay
I need to listen to my advice
The aggravation ain't worth the price
I can tell ya she won't think twice
She gonna knock down, put ya down, oh yeah
She's a runner, anyone can see
She's a runner, she tore it out a me
She's a runner, watch her walk away
She's a runner, you can't make her stay
The lyrics of Billy Squier's song "She's A Runner" describe a complicated, tumultuous relationship between the singer and his lover. The first two lines suggest that the singer has given up on himself and his soul – they've been lost and found like a second-hand object. He doesn't know when his lover will show up next, and when she does, he gives in to her without resistance because he is foolishly in love. However, he acknowledges that he could never lie to her or try to deceive her. He just wants to be beside her because her sweet emotions pass him by.
The second verse of the song suggests that the singer is aware that his relationship with his lover is unpredictable and that it is never easy to predict what will happen next. He didn't want to rely on her, nor did he want her to rely on him. He just wanted to be there with her. The chorus repeats the title of the song and emphasizes the singer's realization that his lover is a "runner" – someone who moves on quickly and abruptly. The final verse of the song reinforces this idea, as the singer points out that his lover has left him alone to cry and that he remembers how she used to make love to him.
Line by Line Meaning
Take my soul to the lost-and-found
She has taken everything from me and made me feel abandoned and lost.
Girl she made me a hand-me-down
I feel like I am just a used and discarded object to her.
Never know when she'll come around or what I'll see
Her unpredictable nature keeps me on my toes, and I never know what she will do next.
No resistance, it's hardly fair
I am unable to resist her and it seems unfair that she has so much power over me.
Call my name, honey, I'll be there
Despite everything, I am still willing to come to her aid if she needs me.
I'll give in to you anywhere, so foolishly
I am easily manipulated by her and always give in to her demands, even if it is foolish to do so.
I could never ever lie to you
I am completely honest with her, even if it means revealing my vulnerability.
I could never even try
I am unable to fake my emotions and be insincere with her.
I just wanna be beside you
I am so drawn to her that all I want is to be near her, no matter how difficult it may be.
Sweet emotion'll pass you by
Even though the love we shared was sweet, it was fleeting and did not last.
Girl she left me alone to cry
Her departure has left me feeling sad and abandoned.
I still remember how she could make love to me
Her seduction and passion are still etched in my memory.
You see the traces, they always show
Her impact on my life is still evident, and there are traces of her presence everywhere.
Some may come and some may go
People may enter and leave my life, but she has left a lasting impression on me.
But one of us will never know what you see
Only she knows the true extent of her power and the impact she has had on my life.
Never wanted to rely on you
I never intended to become so dependent on her, but her seduction was too powerful to resist.
Never wanted you to try
I did not want her to manipulate me, but I was helpless against her.
She's a runner, anyone can see
She is constantly on the move and never stays in one place for long.
She's a runner, she run all over me
She has taken advantage of my vulnerability and has left me feeling used and abused.
She's a runner, you can't walk away
Once she has lured you in, it is almost impossible to break free from her hold.
She's a runner, she can make you stay
She has a magnetic pull that keeps you attached to her, even if you know it is not in your best interest.
I need to listen to my advice
I know that I should listen to my own instincts instead of being swayed by her manipulations.
The aggravation ain't worth the price
The pain and frustration that comes with being with her are not worth the emotional toll it takes on me.
I can tell ya she won't think twice
She is only concerned with her own needs and will not hesitate to use and discard anyone who gets in her way.
She gonna knock down, put ya down, oh yeah
She will use her seductive power to bring you to your knees, only to then cast you aside.
She's a runner, watch her walk away
Like a fleeting mirage, she will disappear as quickly as she arrived, leaving you longing for more.
She's a runner, you can't make her stay
No matter how much you may want her to stay, she is always on the move and will never be tied down.
Lyrics © Spirit Music Group
Written by: BILLY SQUIER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind