Brian Patrick Carroll (born May 13, 1969), known professionally as Buckethe… Read Full Bio ↴Brian Patrick Carroll (born May 13, 1969), known professionally as Buckethead, is an American guitarist and multi-instrumentalist who has worked within many genres of music. He has released 435 studio albums, four special releases, and one EP. He has also performed on more than 50 other albums by other artists. His music spans many diverse areas such as progressive metal, funk, blues, bluegrass, ambient, and avant-garde music.

Buckethead is famous for wearing a KFC bucket on his head, emblazoned with an orange bumper sticker reading FUNERAL in capital black block letters, and an expressionless plain white mask, which, according to Buckethead, was inspired by his seeing Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers. At one point, he changed to a plain white bucket that no longer bore the KFC logo, but subsequently reverted to his trademark KFC bucket. He also incorporates nunchaku and robot dancing into his stage performances.

As an instrumentalist, Buckethead has received critical acclaim for his electric guitar playing, and is considered one of today's most innovative guitarists. He has been voted number 8 on a list in GuitarOne magazine of the "Top 10 Fastest Guitar Shredders of All Time" as well as being included in Guitar World's lists of the "25 all-time weirdest guitarists" and the "50 fastest guitarists of all time". He performs primarily as a solo artist, though he has collaborated extensively with a wide variety of high-profile artists such as Bill Laswell, Bootsy Collins, Bernie Worrell, Iggy Pop, Les Claypool, Serj Tankian, Bill Moseley, Mike Patton, Viggo Mortensen, That 1 Guy, Bassnectar, and was a member of Guns N' Roses from 2000 to 2004. Buckethead has also written and performed music for major motion pictures, including: Saw II, Ghosts of Mars, Beverly Hills Ninja, Mortal Kombat, Mortal Kombat: Annihilation, Last Action Hero, and contributed lead guitar to the track "Firebird" featured on the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie soundtrack.

Running From The Light
Buckethead Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

If the angel should awake
Live the life I want to fight
Truly spoken, still I'm broken
Live to see, the promise shine

Running, running, running…

In the shadow, of an angel

With the promise, of the life
In the darkness of the doorway
In the burning of the night
Anywhere

I've reached
I've reached a turning point
God knows where I live
The love is all I have

I've reached
I've reached a turning point
God knows where I live
The thought is only of you

Running, running, running...

If the angel should awaken
Live the life I want to fight
Truly spoken, still I'm broken
Live to see, the promise shine
I can never let this go)

I've reached
I've reached a turning point
God knows where I live
The love is all I have

I've reached
I've reached a turning point
God knows where I live
The thought is only of you

I've reached
I've reached a turning point
God knows where I live
The love is all I have

I've reached
I've reached a turning point
God knows where I live
The thought is only of you

If the angel should awaken
Live the life I want to fight
Truly spoken, still I'm broken
Live to see, the promise shine

The promise shine
The promise shine

Overall Meaning

Buckethead's "Running from the Light" appears to be a reflective song about the personal journey of the singer. The opening stanza appears to be a request of sorts, for the angel to awaken and allow the singer to live the life they want to. The next line, "Live the life I want to fight" suggests that the singer is fighting for something they believe in, something that is important to them. However, they are still broken, suggesting that they have been through some difficult times that have taken a toll on them. Despite this, they continue to live in the hope of seeing the promise shine, which suggests that they are looking forward to a better future.

The rest of the song seems to suggest that the singer has reached a turning point in their life. They may have gone through a period of darkness, represented by the shadow of an angel or the burning of the night. However, they have reached a point where love is all they have left. This could refer to the love of others or the love they have for themselves. The thought is only of you suggests that the singer may have a specific person in mind, possibly a romantic partner, who they are willing to fight for.

Overall, "Running from the Light" is a powerful song about hope, personal growth, and the ability to love in the face of adversity. It is a song that encourages listeners to keep fighting and to keep moving forward, even when the path ahead seems dark.

Line by Line Meaning

If the angel should awake
In anticipation of the possibility of positive change

Live the life I want to fight
Pursue the dreams worth fighting for

Truly spoken, still I'm broken
Acknowledging reality amidst inner turmoil

Live to see, the promise shine
Enduring hardship for the reward of seeing improvement

Running, running, running...
Emphasizing the chase and the urgency

In the shadow, of an angel
In the presence of something greater

With the promise, of the life
Anticipation of improvement or happiness

In the darkness of the doorway
In suspense or at a precipice

In the burning of the night
Enduring hardship or discomfort

Anywhere
Without limitations or boundaries

I've reached
Reflecting on personal progress