Born in Montclair, New Jersey, in 1969, Duncan Sheik grew up in South Carolina but spent many of his early years staying with his grandparents in New Jersey. Inspired to play the piano while there, he later switched to electric guitar and performed in bands throughout high school. A fan of musical theater from a young age, he also acted in school plays and attended the occasional Broadway show with his mother. While studying at Brown University, he played in a band with Lisa Loeb but began shopping his own demo tape soon after graduation. After moving to Los Angeles, he appeared with His Boy Elroy on a 1993 album for Epic, and spent several years writing songs before he signed a solo deal with Atlantic.
Atlantic released his debut album, the Rupert Hine-produced Duncan Sheik, in mid-1996, with the single "Barely Breathing" following later in the year. The song reached number 16 on the Hot 100, and after another single, "Reasons for Living," appeared on the soundtrack to the hit TV show ER in late 1996, the debut peaked at number 83 on the Billboard 200. Also produced with Hine, the follow-up, Humming, arrived on Atlantic in 1998 and reached number 163.
Nonesuch issued 2001's self-produced Phantom Moon, a more orchestral collaboration between Sheik and poet/playwright/lyricist Steven Sater, who provided its lyrics. It featured appearances by the London Session Orchestra and guitarist Bill Frisell. Though it failed to reach the Billboard 200, Sheik returned to the chart with his fourth album, 2002's Daylight, which reached number 110. It would be his final release with Atlantic. In 2002, Sheik also composed music for a New York Shakespeare Festival's production of Twelfth Night.
Continuing to split his focus between songwriting and composition, Sheik wrote the film score for the 2004 romantic drama A Home at the End of the World as well as music for the 2005 documentary Through the Fire. He offered up his fifth studio LP, While Limousine, on the ZoĂŤ label in 2006. Its insightful lyrics didn't shy away from sociopolitical territory. In the meantime, he had collaborated with Sater on a rock musical based on the 19th century German play Spring Awakening, a story concerned with teenaged sexuality. With a book and lyrics by Sater and music by Sheik, Spring Awakening opened off-Broadway in May 2006 before moving to Broadway's Eugene O'Neill Theatre in December of that year. The show ran for over two years and took home eight Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Best Book of a Musical, and Best Original Score. The Decca-issued cast album won a Grammy for Sheik and Sater.
Sheik composed the scores for projects including the Mary Stuart Masterson-directed film The Cake Eaters (2007) and the animated TV movie Little Spirit: Christmas in New York (2008) before presenting his next pop album, 2009's Whisper House. Featuring several duets with Holly Brook (Skylar Grey), the RCA Victor release spent a week at the number 181 spot on the Billboard 200. He scored the movie dramas Dare (2009) and Harvest (2010), then returned in 2011 with the covers album Covers 80s, which included backing vocals by Rachael Yamagata and Brook. Covers 80s Remixed appeared in 2012.
Next up for Sheik was a musical adaptation of Bret Easton Ellis' American Psycho featuring a book by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and music, lyrics, and orchestrations all by Sheik. It opened in London in 2013. He released another solo album, a song cycle titled Legerdemain (2015), and premiered the musical thriller Noir (2015) at Vassar College before American Psycho had its Broadway premiere in March 2016. The original London cast recording arrived on Concord Records the same month. Based on Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, another Sheik-Sater musical collaboration, Alice by Heart, opened off-Broadway in early 2019. The original cast recording was released by Ghostlight later in the year. 2019 also saw the off-Broadway opening of the musical The Secret Life of Bees, featuring music by Sheik and lyrics by Tony nominee Susan Birkenhead (Working, Jelly's Last Jam).
His first concert album, Live at the Cafe Carlyle, followed on Sneaky Studios/Missing Piece in late 2020. Compiled from a week of shows in October 2017, its set list spanned "Barely Breathing," songs from Spring Awakening, and previously unreleased covers of Radiohead and Tom Petty. An HBO documentary about the 15th anniversary concert of the hit musical, Spring Awakening: Those You've Known, premiered in May 2022 and was followed in June by Claptrap, Sheik's first solo studio album in seven years. It arrived on the New York-based Antifragile Music label.
Biography by Marcy Donelson
She Runs Away
Duncan Sheik Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But luckily she comes around
It isn't what she talks about
It's just the way she is
[Chorus]
(and she says)
Oh darlin' don't you know
Oh babe why don't you let it go?
Happiness ain't never how you think it should be so
I mystified the simple life
I covered up with consciousness
I saw myself and broke it down
'Til nothing more was left
She saw the symptoms right away
And spoke to me in poetry
"Sometimes the more you wonder why
The worse it seems to get"
[Chorus]
But she runs away
She runs away
And then you know there comes a time
You need her more than anything
You may believe yours are the wounds
That only she can heal
Then everything will turn around
And she becomes so serious
What she chose to offer you
Was all that you could have
[Chorus]
But she runs away
She runs away [Repeat: x3]
The lyrics of Duncan Sheik's song, "She Runs Away," describe a person who is struggling with feelings of confusion and uncertainty in their life. The song's protagonist is a person who has covered up their simplicity with consciousness, making things more complicated than they need to be. They are at a loss as to how to move forward and are mystified by the simple life that they once knew. However, there is someone in their life, possibly a romantic interest or close friend, who sees the symptoms of their struggles right away and offers them comfort and advice. The song suggests that sometimes we need to let go of our worries and simply appreciate how things are, as happiness isn't always what we think it should be.
The chorus of the song emphasizes the theme of the impermanence of difficult times and the importance of letting go. The darkness comes and goes, and we need to learn to accept this reality instead of trying to control or resist it. The repetition of the phrase "she runs away" can be interpreted in various ways. It might suggest that the person offering comfort is avoiding responsibility or simply unable to handle the singer's issues. Alternatively, it might imply that the singer feels like they can't hold onto this source of support or that their problems will ultimately cause this person to leave them behind.
Line by Line Meaning
You may not see the end of it
The future is uncertain and unpredictable.
But luckily she comes around
An unpredictable person comes and goes in your life.
It isn't what she talks about
Her actions speak louder than words.
It's just the way she is
She is who she is and cannot change.
(and she says)
She is speaking directly to the listener.
Oh darlin' don't you know
She is trying to console and comfort the listener.
The darkness comes and the darkness goes
Life has ups and downs.
Oh babe why don't you let it go?
The listener needs to learn to let go of the past.
Happiness ain't never how you think it should be so
Happiness is not always what we expect it to be.
I mystified the simple life
The singer made life complicated.
I covered up with consciousness
The singer tried to hide his true feelings and thoughts.
I saw myself and broke it down
The singer had a moment of self-reflection and analysis.
'Til nothing more was left
The singer reached a point of complete honesty and vulnerability.
She saw the symptoms right away
The unpredictable person noticed the singer's struggles.
And spoke to me in poetry
The unpredictable person spoke in a metaphorical and comforting way.
"Sometimes the more you wonder why
Overthinking can lead to negative outcomes.
The worse it seems to get"
Overanalyzing can make things appear worse than they actually are.
But she runs away
The unpredictable person disappears when things get too difficult.
And then you know there comes a time
There will be a moment when the listener needs the unpredictable person.
You need her more than anything
The listener is desperate for the unpredictable person's assistance.
You may believe yours are the wounds
The listener is convinced that only the unpredictable person can help heal their pain.
That only she can heal
The unpredictable person has a unique ability to offer emotional healing.
Then everything will turn around
Things will improve and become better.
And she becomes so serious
The unpredictable person becomes more focused and attentive.
What she chose to offer you
The unpredictable person selects what they will provide as assistance.
Was all that you could have
The assistance the unpredictable person provides is sufficient and enough.
But she runs away
Despite having helped the listener, the unpredictable person still vanishes.
She runs away [Repeat: x3]
The unpredictable person leaves abruptly and without explanation.
Lyrics Š Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DUNCAN SHEIK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Cat
You may not see the end of it
But luckily she comes around
It isn't what she talks about
It's just the way she is
And she says, "Ooh darlin' don't you know
The darkness comes and the darkness goes?"
And she says, "Ooh babe, why don't you let it go?
Happiness ain't never how you think it should be so"
I mystified the simple life
I covered up with consciousness
I saw myself and broke it down
'Til nothing more was left
She saw the symptoms right away
And spoke to me in poetry
"Sometimes the more you wonder why
The worse it seems to get"
And she says, "Ooh darlin' don't you know
The darkness comes and the darkness goes?"
And she says, "Ooh babe, why don't you let it go?
Happiness ain't never how you think it should be so"
She runs away, she runs away
And then you know there comes a time
You need her more than anything
You may believe yours are the wounds
That only she can heal
Then everything will turn around
She becomes so serious
What she chose to offer you
Was all that you could have
And she says, "Ooh darlin' don't you know
The darkness comes and the darkness goes?"
And she says, "Ooh babe, why don't you let it go?
Happiness ain't never how you think it should be so"
She runs away, she runs away
She runs away, she runs away
John Paul Guevara
This song brought me back to the 90âs. Happier, simpler times.
tommybass40
Sheik's first record was incredible. The second one was great too. After that I lost track of him. I think the pop world eats it's own for breakfast.
Este DeTringham
Yes, they do - eat their own for breakfast, that is. Duncan went on to score Broadway musicals. He is an award winning artist. I miss hearing him on the radio, though. This is one of my all time favorite pieces. I posted earlier that it's hauntingly beautiful.
SWRadioConcepts
Every song on this album was great. I bought it when it was first released. I miss the 90s.
Doesnât matter
Ditto!
Raven X
I didnt appreciate rock alternative in the 90s barely breathing. Was tattooed in my brain. Recently i heard the song in my head.. Now i bang it often
Diana Garcia Hunter
Agree!
Joan E
Last decade of really good music~ đśđ¤
JameZ H
@Joan E Nah, there is still good music being made.
Colin Montgomery
I can honestly say that I believe Duncan Sheik produces music of the highest quality.