Runaway
Damn Yankees Lyrics


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(Everyone needs a place to run away, run away)

Summer night, moonlit sky
Tearing pages from a magazine, she cries
I don't want to be the lonely one tonight
She said, I came to this place, full of dreams
Young and innocent and only 16
Now I wonder if it's too late to turn back

So she runs, and she hides
And she dries the tears from her eyes
And the night goes on and on and on

(She's in the twilight zone)
Twilight zone, yeah, you gotta run, run, run away
(It's such a long way home)
When it hurts so bad you gotta run, run, run away

Perfect day, feels like spring
Can see forever but you can't see anything
Now I wonder why they call it paradise

It's a crime, it's a shame
And they won't remember your name
And your life goes on and on and on

(It's like the twilight zone)
Twilight zone, yeah, you gotta run, run, run away
(But she won't go home)
So she's gotta run, run, run away

She came from a small town
So tired of getting pushed around
In the dark of the night, no one around
She'll run from this shabby town, yeah, yeah, yeah

It's a laugh, it's a game
Don't you let it drive you insane
'Cause your life goes on and on and on

(It's like the twilight zone)
Twilight zone, yeah, you gotta run, run, run away
(But she won't go home)
When it hurts so bad you gotta run, run, run away, yeah, yeah, yeah

(She's in the twilight zone)
Twilight zone, yeah, you gotta run, run, run away
All you got is to run away
(It's why she runs home)
You gotta run, run, run away
Run, run, run away

(Twilight zone)
Twilight zone, don't you know you gotta run, run, run away
Don't you know you gotta run
(But she won't go home, when it hurts so bad)
You gotta run, run, run away




(She's in the twilight zone)
Twilight zone, don't you know you gotta run, run, run away

Overall Meaning

In the song "Runaway", Damn Yankees sing about a young girl who feels lost and alone in her current situation. The summer night's moonlit sky sees her tearing pages from a magazine, crying and expressing her feelings about being the only one alone that night. She admits to coming to this place full of dreams and feeling young and innocent at 16. However, she wonders if now it's too late to turn back. The girl then runs and hides while drying her tears and the night goes on and on. The song makes an allusion to the 'twilight zone' which represents the unknown and the uncertain, the girl is caught up in a situation that is beyond her control. As she runs, it is evident that the town she comes from is pushing her around and making her feel as if she does not belong. In the end, she has to run away from the shabby town, as life goes on, and she is tied up in this endless pursuit of escape.


Line by Line Meaning

Summer night, moonlit sky
The song begins with a description of a beautiful, summer night under a moonlit sky.


Tearing pages from a magazine, she cries
A young girl is seen in distress, tearing pages from a magazine and crying.


I don't want to be the lonely one tonight
The girl expresses her desire to not be alone on this particular night.


She said, I came to this place, full of dreams
The girl reflects on her younger self, who was full of dreams when she first arrived at this place.


Young and innocent and only 16
The girl remembers her young and innocent self who was only 16 years old when she first came to this place.


Now I wonder if it's too late to turn back
Despite her dreams, the girl is now questioning if it is too late to turn back from whatever situation she has found herself in.


So she runs, and she hides
The girl, feeling trapped, decides to run and hide from her problems.


And she dries the tears from her eyes
She tries to compose herself by wiping away her tears.


And the night goes on and on and on
The night seems endless, a symbol of the artist's feeling of being stuck in her situation.


(She's in the twilight zone)
The girl is in an emotional state of being neither here nor there, feeling as if she's in a twilight zone.


Twilight zone, yeah, you gotta run, run, run away
The 'twilight zone' is a state of mind that is difficult to escape from, and the girl realizes that running away is her only option.


(It's such a long way home)
The girl feels like escaping from her current situation would take a long time, and that she has a long way to go before she can go back 'home'.


When it hurts so bad you gotta run, run, run away
The singer feels like she can't take the pain anymore, so she has to run away from it all.


Perfect day, feels like spring
The song describes another perfect day, this time feeling like spring.


Can see forever but you can't see anything
Something about the perfect day makes it impossible for the girl to see anything clearly.


Now I wonder why they call it paradise
The girl begins to question the reality of the perfect day, questioning why it's often referred to as 'paradise'.


It's a crime, it's a shame
The way the girl feels about her current situation is portrayed as criminal and shameful.


And they won't remember your name
The girl feels like she will be forgotten and that no one will remember her in the future.


And your life goes on and on and on
Despite her pain and struggles, life continues to move forward for the singer.


(But she won't go home)
Despite her desire to run away from her problems, the girl is unable to find the strength to return home.


She came from a small town
The girl is from a small town, which makes her current situation even more overwhelming.


So tired of getting pushed around
The girl has had enough of being bullied and pushed around.


In the dark of the night, no one around
The singer is alone and feels like she is fighting her battles by herself.


She'll run from this shabby town, yeah, yeah, yeah
The girl decides that she needs to run away from her small town, despite her uncertainty about where her journey will take her.


It's a laugh, it's a game
The way the girl feels about her life and problems is compared to a joke or game, emphasizing her sense of hopelessness.


Don't you let it drive you insane
Despite her many struggles, the girl warns against letting the situation drive her insane.


All you got is to run away
For the singer, running away is the only viable option she has left.


(But she won't go home, when it hurts so bad)
Even though the girl is in pain and wants to escape, she cannot bring herself to go back home.


Twilight zone, don't you know you gotta run, run, run away
The 'twilight zone' is once again mentioned as a state that makes it necessary for the artist to run away from her problems.




Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing, Universal Music Publishing Group, CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Royalty Network, Peermusic Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Jack Blades, Ted Nugent, Tommy Shaw

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

Todd McDowell

one of the best "supergroups" ever! sad though because the Great 80's were over!!!

shane johnson

Yes they were

Mike Thaxton

Except they formed in the 90's and as for supergroups i would have to put Asia and the Firm up there too and i cant believe im saying this but they did have a few great songs in the 80's so Crosby , Stills , Nash and Young ! For me Asia's debut album was a top 10 album's of the 80's ! I was 14 when that album came out and it was so great it was stunningly great !

Scott K

The song got a little bit of air play but not enough I think it's an awesome song

Lady Strange77

I was just entering middle school during this time...definitely remember 'High Enough' but can't remember hearing this & my musical memory is pretty darn good (even if the rest of it is going right along w/ my eyesight & dark hair 😂). I hope it's just memory because this should have been a huge hit...those harmonies, beat, lyrics... crazy good. Love this pic of them too, thanks for posting!

brightbite

The vocals on this song are killer! Angelic harmonies!

erich

Jack Blades and Tommy Shaw got their own band together a few years after Damn Yankees

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