Currently, the group comprises singer and harmonica player John Popper, guitarist Chan Kinchla, drummer Brendan Hill, bassist Tad Kinchla and keyboardist Ben Wilson. Tad Kinchla and Ben Wilson joined the band following the death of original bassist Bobby Sheehan in 1999.
While Blues Traveler is best known among fans for their improvisational live shows, the general public is most familiar with the group from their Top 40 singles "Run-Around" and "Hook". They gained mainstream popularity after their fourth studio album four, released in 1994. Sheehan's death and Popper's struggle with obesity put a damper on the group's success, and A&M dropped the band in 2002.
Run‐Around
Blues Traveler Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I woke with something in my head
I couldn't escape the memory
Of a phone call and of what you said
Like a game show contestant with a parting gift
I could not believe my eyes
When I saw through the thoughts of a trusted friend
And I'll lie too and say I don't mind
And as we seek so shall we find
And when you're feeling open I'll still be here
But not without a certain degree of fear
Well, what will be with you and me
I still can see things hopefully
But you
Why you wanna give me a run-around?
Is it a sure-fire way to speed things up?
When all it does is slow me down
Shake me and my confidence
About a great many things
But I've been there I can see it cower
Like a nervous magician waiting in the wings
Of a bad play where the heroes are right
And nobody thinks or expects too much
And Hollywood's calling for the movie rights
Singing "Hey babe, let's keep in touch", hey baby, let's keep in touch
But I want more than a touch I want you to reach me
And show me all the things no one else can see
So what you feel becomes mine as well
And soon if we're lucky we'd be unable to tell
What's yours and mine, the fishing's fine
And it doesn't have to rhyme, so don't you feed me a line
But you
Why you wanna give me a run-around?
Is it a sure-fire way to speed things up?
When all it does is slow me down
Tra la la la la bombardier, this is the pilot speaking
I've got some news for you
It seems my ship still stands no matter what you drop
And there ain't a whole lot that you can do
Oh sure the banner may be torn and the wind's gotten colder
Perhaps I've grown a little cynical
But I know no matter what the waitress brings
I shall drink it and always be full, yeah I will drink it and always be full
Oh I like coffee and I like tea
I'd like to be able to enter a final plea
I still got this dream that you just can't shake
I love you to the point you can no longer take
Well all right okay, so be that way
I hope and pray that there's something left to say
But you
Why you wanna give me a run-around?
Is it a sure-fire way to speed things up
When all it does is slow me down?
Oh you
Why you wanna give me a run-around?
Is it a sure-fire way to speed things up
When all it does is slow me down?
The lyrics to Blues Traveler's song Run-Around tell the story of a person who is struggling with their feelings of confusion and frustration in a relationship. The singer wakes up in the middle of the night with thoughts of a phone call and the words that were said to them. They compare the situation to a game show, where they are given a parting gift that they cannot believe.
The singer is being misled by a trusted friend and begins to question their relationship with this person. They are open to being lied to and say that they don't mind, but they have a certain degree of fear about what the future may hold. The singer is questioning the intentions of their partner and wonders why they would want to give them a run-around, and if it is just a way to speed things up.
The singer hopes that they can navigate the tumultuous relationship they have with their partner and that they can find a way to work things out. They want their partner to open up to them, to show them things that no one else can see, and to be honest with them. They do not want to be fed any more lies or be given empty promises.
Overall, the lyrics of Run-Around express the internal struggle of a person who is confused and frustrated with the state of their relationship. The singer is searching for clarity and honesty from their partner, but they are also willing to face the truth no matter how painful it may be.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, once upon a midnight eerie
In the middle of the night, something caused me unease
I woke with something in my head
I became conscious of a thought in my mind
I couldn't escape the memory
The thought was persistent and wouldn't leave me
Of a phone call and of what you said
It was related to a conversation we had over the phone and your words stuck with me
Like a game show contestant with a parting gift
I felt like I won something, but it was just a consolation prize
I could not believe my eyes
What I saw was difficult to accept
When I saw through the thoughts of a trusted friend
Your thoughts and intentions were exposed to me, someone I trusted
Who needs to humor me and tell me lies, yeah humor me and tell me lies
You continued to deceive me and pretended to be sympathetic
And I'll lie too and say I don't mind
I'll pretend to be okay with it and lie to myself
And as we seek so shall we find
We'll find what we're looking for eventually
And when you're feeling open I'll still be here
I'll be there for you when you're ready to be honest
But not without a certain degree of fear
I'm scared of being hurt again
Well, what will be with you and me
What is our relationship going to become?
I still can see things hopefully
I'm still optimistic about our future
Why you wanna give me a run-around?
Why are you playing games with me?
Is it a sure-fire way to speed things up?
Are you trying to rush things along?
When all it does is slow me down
In reality, it's causing a delay in our relationship
Shake me and my confidence
You've caused me to doubt myself
About a great many things
I'm uncertain about a lot of aspects in our relationship
But I've been there I can see it cower
I've been in this situation before and I know how it ends
Like a nervous magician waiting in the wings
I feel like I'm waiting for something to happen that may never come
Of a bad play where the heroes are right
Our relationship seems like a poorly written story where the artists always win
And nobody thinks or expects too much
No one has high expectations for our relationship
And Hollywood's calling for the movie rights
Our relationship seems like it would make a good movie
Singing "Hey babe, let's keep in touch", hey baby, let's keep in touch
We should stay in contact even though our relationship may not work out
I want more than a touch I want you to reach me
I want our relationship to be deeper and more meaningful
And show me all the things no one else can see
I want you to reveal things to me that you haven't told anyone else
So what you feel becomes mine as well
I want to share your emotions and experiences
And soon if we're lucky we'd be unable to tell
Our feelings and experiences would be intertwined to the point of indistinguishability
What's yours and mine, the fishing's fine
The boundaries between us would be erased and we'd be fine with it
And it doesn't have to rhyme, so don't you feed me a line
Our relationship doesn't have to follow a certain pattern or be superficial, so don't try to deceive me
Tra la la la la bombardier, this is the pilot speaking
This is a nonsensical phrase or maybe a signal for a change in tone
I've got some news for you
I have something important to tell you
It seems my ship still stands no matter what you drop
No matter what obstacle you throw in my way, I'll still be here
And there ain't a whole lot that you can do
You don't have much control over our relationship or how I feel
Oh sure the banner may be torn and the wind's gotten colder
Our relationship may have suffered some damage and things are less friendly now
Perhaps I've grown a little cynical
I've become skeptical and less optimistic about our relationship
But I know no matter what the waitress brings
No matter what happens, I'll still be content
I shall drink it and always be full, yeah I will drink it and always be full
I'll accept whatever is given to me and be satisfied
Oh I like coffee and I like tea
I like simple things
I'd like to be able to enter a final plea
I wish I could make one final appeal for our relationship
I still got this dream that you just can't shake
I still have hope for our relationship that won't go away
I love you to the point you can no longer take
I love you so much that it's overwhelming
Well all right okay, so be that way
Okay, fine, if that's how you're going to be
I hope and pray that there's something left to say
I still hope there's something that can salvage our relationship
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Peermusic Publishing, THE BICYCLE MUSIC COMPANY
Written by: JOHN C. POPPER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@whatever
Crazy to think this song came out over 20 years ago
@thomasponzio8345
yup 1995 top 10 pop hit
@WilMcCandlish
Yep, girl refused entry to the bar because she was born in 1974. She would have been 20 when this was released. She is 43 now...
@suzy9502
hi
@randigordey5398
something like that
@rebjiii
makes me feel old......great song and an excellent video
@chaotic_mood5635
I remember when my dad used to play this for me, just the main strumming pattern, and sing the abc's song to me in time with the melody. When he showed me the actual song, I was blown away and loved it as a kid, and now I'm 19, trying to learn this on the guitar for him to surprise him soon. I love you dad ❤
@patriciathomas1903
John Popper was a student of mine at Princeton High School, and his music was already cooking then! I'm glad his band has been so successful! Patricia Thomas
@wyattstevens8574
Awesome!
@kurtissjacobs5618
Did you teach him anything about music? I assume yes, because a high schooler can't know it all, so...do you hear any of what he learned in your class in his music? That would be awesome.