Jackson startd out as a gospel singer in The Raspberry Singers. He was in the Dell-Vikings from 1957 to 1959.
After recording as Charles Jackson for the Clock label in 1959 he signed with Wand Records in 1961. He was immediately successful with his first single I Don't Want To Cry which reached No. 5 R&B, No. 36 Pop in the USA. He was with Wand through most of the sixties, scoring several R&B and Pop hits. In 1969 he moved to Motown but didn't do so well there. He continued to record throughout the seventies for labels like ABC, All Platinum and EMI America, scoring his last R&B hit in 1980.
Although never hugely successful his soulful voice resulted in 23 R&B top 100 singles in the USA and the same number of US Pop 100 hits over the course of 20 years.
Several of Jackson's songs later became hits for other artists including Ronnie Milsap, whose 1982 cover version of "Any Day Now" reached No. 1 on the Country and Adult Contemporary charts. Michael McDonald covered "I Keep Forgettin'" with much success. "I Keep Forgettin'" was also covered by David Bowie on his album "Tonight".
On 4 October 2015, Chuck Jackson was inducted into the Rhythm and Blues Music Hall of Fame.
You Keep Running Away
Chuck Jackson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You come back to me
But still you won't stay
Darlin' you keep running away
Tear my heart apart every step of the way
You're here today and gone tomorrow
Leave this heart of mine in sorrow
Then you come around every now and then Long enough to hurt me then you're gone again
Darlin' you keep running away
Well I begged you not to leave but you never stay
Now you, you keep running away
Leaving me here to face another lonely day
To you all of this is just a game
Well each time you leave I feel the pain
But I've got so much love for you
I keep wanting you no matter what you do
All I want to do is take care of you
Everything I have in my life I will share with you
This soul of mine has been processed by you
Darling my heart has been obsessed with you
Just look at me I'm not the man I used to be
I used to be proud I used to be strong
But all of that's changed girl
Since you come along
Your loving sweetness
Is my weakness
Boy I need you dear I just can't keep you near
Each time you go the hurt comes calling
My days become nights, darling
My nights become so much longer
You're in my life, you're in my heart
But I can't get you
Get you into my arms
Darling you keep running away
Chuck Jackson's "You Keep Running Away" lyrics are about a woman who continually leaves the singer, but always returns, causing him heartache every time. The singer describes how he begs her not to leave, but she still does, leaving him to face lonely days. He loves her very much and wants to take care of her and share his life with her, but he cannot stand the pain of her constantly leaving him. The woman appears to treat their relationship as a game, causing the singer to become obsessed with her and lose his sense of self.
The singer is completely in love with the woman, but despite her constant leaving, he always welcomes her back. He is tormented by her comings and goings, and each time she leaves, his heart is torn apart. The lyrics describe the singer's pain and longing for the woman who continually keeps running away from him.
The song's use of repetition in its chorus creates a haunting effect, emphasizing the woman's constant leaving and the singer's intense pain. The lyrics use imagery to illustrate how the woman's presence completely consumes the singer's life, leaving him unable to focus on anything but his love for her. The song's melody is catchy, and Jackson's voice captures the emotion and intensity of the lyrics.
Line by Line Meaning
You keep running away
You keep leaving me and coming back, but then run away again.
You come back to me
You return to my life, but not for long.
But still you won't stay
You never stay with me for long, even though I want you to.
Darlin' you keep running away
My love, you keep leaving me over and over again.
Tear my heart apart every step of the way
Your actions hurt me deeply every time you leave.
You're here today and gone tomorrow
You appear in my life for a brief moment and then disappear again.
Leave this heart of mine in sorrow
Your leaving breaks my heart and makes me very sad.
Then you come around every now and then
You occasionally come back into my life.
Long enough to hurt me then you're gone again
You stay just long enough to cause me pain, and then you run away again.
Well I begged you not to leave but you never stay
I pleaded with you to stay, but you always leave eventually.
Leaving me here to face another lonely day
You leave me feeling lonely and sad after you've gone.
To you all of this is just a game
You see our relationship as a game, and feel no real commitment.
Well each time you leave I feel the pain
Every time you walk away, I am left in pain.
But I've got so much love for you
Despite everything, I still have an immense amount of love for you.
I keep wanting you no matter what you do
No matter how much you hurt me, I still desire you.
All I want to do is take care of you
My only desire is to love and protect you.
Everything I have in my life I will share with you
I am willing to give you everything I have, everything that is mine.
This soul of mine has been processed by you
Your hold on me has had a profound impact on my soul.
Darling my heart has been obsessed with you
My love for you has consumed me, I can't help how I feel.
Just look at me I'm not the man I used to be
Your constant leaving has changed me, and not in a good way.
I used to be proud I used to be strong
I used to have a sense of pride and be a strong person, but now I am not.
But all of that's changed girl
I have changed so much because of you.
Since you come along
Ever since you entered my life.
Your loving sweetness
Your caring and loving ways.
Is my weakness
I am weak to your affection and love.
Boy I need you dear I just can't keep you near
I need you in my life, but I can't make you stay with me.
Each time you go the hurt comes calling
I am always hurt when you leave.
My days become nights, darling
Without you, time seems to stretch on forever.
My nights become so much longer
The night feels endless without you here.
You're in my life, you're in my heart
You are always with me, even if you're not physically present.
But I can't get you
I can't keep you with me.
Get you into my arms
Hold you and never let you go.
Darling you keep running away
My love, you never stay with me for long.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JR., BRIAN HOLLAND, EDWARD HOLLAND, EDWARD, JR. HOLLAND, LAMONT DOZIER, LAMONT HERBERT DOZIER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@frankiehunter.
Love both versions. Chuck's and the Four Tops's.
@AndrewSmith-sn2ci
What a superb version of this great track, feels so much better slightly slower
@marknorthwest93
I have always dug The Four Tops version of this, but Chuck's cover of this great Holland/Dozier/Holland classic really rocks! The backing musicians get a chance stretch out on this and that is what makes all the difference. Many thanks for posting this!
@bufb
Love Tops version but Chuck does this very well
@astanfartin1647
im every1 here