Read Full Bio ↴Bronski Beat was a very popular Scottish synth pop trio of the 1980s.
At their height, the band comprised distinctive and diminutive Scottish singer Jimmy Somerville, backed by fellow Scot Steve Bronski and Londoner Larry Steinbacheck, both of whom played keyboards and percussion.
Formed in 1983, their debut hit came the following year - the striking tale of a boy who was cast away by his family and neighbours for being gay. Called Smalltown Boy, it peaked at Number 3 in the UK and was accompanied by a memorable video of Somerville leaving home, forlornly eating an apple on a train, being attacked by a homophobic gang and being returned to his family by the police.
The song quickly established the trio as an outlet for gay issues – all three members were homosexual – and the follow-up single Why? pursued the same energetic and electronic formula musically, while the lyrics focussed more centrally and darkly on anti-gay prejudice. Again, it made the Top 10 in the UK.
At the end of 1984, the trio released an album which was provocatively titled The Age Of Consent. The sleeve inside listed the varying ages of consent for homosexual sex in different nations around the world. At the time, the age of consent for gay men in the UK was 21.
A third single was released from it, again causing controversy. It Ain't Necessarily So, the George and Ira Gershwin classic (from Porgy and Bess) which questions the authenticity of Biblical tales, reached the UK Top 20. Playing the clarinet solos in the song was Richard Coles, with whom Somerville would later team up to form The Communards.
In 1985, the trio joined up with Marc Almond to record a version of the Donna Summer classic I Feel Love. The full version was actually a medley, also incorporating snippets of "Love to Love You Baby" and "Johnny Remember Me." It reached Number 3 in the UK charts, equaling the feats of "Smalltown Boy," and was memorably described by one critic as "the gayest record ever made".
Following the remix album Hundreds & Thousands, Somerville quit the band, stating he wanted a career which was "more political". Presumably this related to internal politics rather than the lyrical direction of the band, as his new project relied almost entirely on unpolitical songs and cover versions – and they were a huge success in doing so. He teamed up with Coles to form The Communards and in 1986 outsold all other singles in the UK with their version of Don't Leave Me This Way.
Bronski Beat recruited John Foster as Somerville's replacement. A very catchy single called Hit That Perfect Beat managed to equal the two previous biggest hits by reaching Number 3 in the UK charts. In 1986, they released their second album, Truthdare Doubledare.
In 1989, Jonathan Hellyer became lead singer, and the band extensively toured the U.S. and had one minor hit with the song Cha Cha Heels, a one-off collaboration sung by American actress and singer Eartha Kitt.
Bronski Beat released their third and final album, Rainbow Nation, in 1995. They split that year.
The songs "Smalltown Boy" and "Why" were sampled by producers Steve Angello and Axwell under the moniker Supermode (originally Supermongo) for their song "Tell Me Why". "Tell Me why" peaked at #13 on the UK singles chart.
In 2018, London Records issued a remastered and expanded 2CD edition of their debut, The Age of Consent. Remastered from the original 1984 analogue tapes, it includes demos, BBC sessions, remixes and unreleased tracks.
Run from Love
Bronski Beat Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Hunts you down it wants you so.
Lost in love a fool can't see
Broken heart are meant to be
You can't run from love
You can't run.
Tears its way into your heart,
Leaves and you fall apart
All i want is to hold
Tears of pain, once tears of joy
Emptiness and a boy destroyed
A heart lies lost and slightly soiled
And still i cry to hold you
You can't run from love
You can't run.
The lyrics of Bronski Beat's song Run from Love deal with the inescapable and all-consuming nature of love. The first few lines describe love as something that is strong, persistent, and possessive. It is depicted as an entity that actively seeks out its target and overwhelms them to the point of breaking.
The chorus, "You can't run from love, you can't run," reinforces the idea that love cannot be avoided or evaded. There is a sense of inevitability to it, as if love is a force of nature that cannot be controlled or resisted. The verses that follow describe the aftermath of being unable to escape from love, with tears, pain, and heartbreak being the inevitable results.
The lines "Tears of pain, once tears of joy, emptiness and a boy destroyed" suggest that the singer was once in a happy and fulfilling relationship, but has since been devastated by its end. This makes it even more difficult to accept the all-consuming nature of love, as it seems to offer only temporary joy before inevitably leading to heartache and despair.
Overall, Run from Love is a powerful and emotive exploration of the psychological and emotional impact of love, presenting it as a force that cannot be escaped and can ultimately lead to devastation.
Line by Line Meaning
Love is strong won't let you go
Love is a powerful feeling that can grab hold of you and refuse to let go.
Hunts you down it wants you so.
Love relentlessly pursues and desires you.
Lost in love a fool can't see
When blinded by love, it is easy to lose sight of reason.
Broken heart are meant to be
Heartbreak is a natural and inevitable part of loving someone.
You can't run from love
You can't run.
Trying to escape the hold that love has on you is ultimately futile.
Tears its way into your heart,
Love can burrow deeply into your soul.
Leaves and you fall apart
When love disappears, it can leave you feeling completely broken.
Pain is all it has to give
Love can come with intense emotional pain.
All i want is to hold
When experiencing heartache, all you may want is physical comfort.
Tears of pain, once tears of joy
What once brought happiness can later bring intense sadness and pain.
Emptiness and a boy destroyed
The absence of love can leave you feeling empty and utterly shattered.
A heart lies lost and slightly soiled
After experiencing heartbreak, it can be difficult to recover and move on.
And still i cry to hold you
Despite the pain, the desire for love and physical affection remains.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Songtrust Ave, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: STEVEN WILLIAM BRONSKI, LAWRENCE CHARLES ANTHONY COLE, JAMES WILLIAM SOMERVILLE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
flash818234
One of the best songs of 80's, so underrated !!! Great music, great Jimmy. Masterpiece !
mickyday2008
Definitely NOT underrated
Nathan Farias
This song sends me hurling back to many fear filled nights driving round listening to this track over and over trying to decide if I should go into my first gay club , and be what I was trying to run from , I drove miles and circles round town weekend after weekend playing this song till one night I went in , and just as the lyrics said it was tears of pain and tears joy ,You can't run No
Nathan Farias
Andr Zol dreaming of u ?
Andr Print
Dreamer!
Neo2906
I loved Jimmy so so much. His music was at my side...every day. and now over 30 years i still have all vinyl from this time. more than 50 pieces.....it`s such a good feeling to pull them out...holding it in my hand and put it my turntable to listen. best time of my life. <3
Pax Vobiscum
I remember when I first of Bronski Beat... I just moved to Athens Greece for the USAF... and the group played there... it was such a NEW SOUND that I became a fan on the spot..
Back in the 1980's, the bands would play for small groups and you could even talk to the members as well, which in a way helped to promote them even further!
John REYNOLDS
Brilliant piece of music , 30 odd years on and still love it
Antonio Criswell
I really like this song by Bronski Beat. It brings back so many carefree memories. Thanks for posting !!!
Francis Fortunato
Master piece. Bronski Beat were just so amazingly gifted.