The British pub rock/punk rock band Eddie & the Hot Rods was originally for… Read Full Bio ↴The British pub rock/punk rock band Eddie & the Hot Rods was originally formed under the name Buckshee in 1973. They rehearsed in drummer Steve Nicol's garage in Rochford, Essex. Bassist Rob Steel was known by his nickname 'The Hustler'. They changed their name to Eddie and the Hot Rods after Dave Higgs joined. He was more experienced and it was his input at this early stage that helped them to gel and get gigs, eventually, in 1975, hitting the London pub rock circuit.

They are often considered as one of the many punk rock bands that sprang from that city in the mid-Seventies, but in fact saw themselves as more influenced by groups like The Who and The Kinks, and other pub rock acts such as Dr Feelgood or Graham Parker & the Rumour. Their brand of energetic R&B was over-trumped massively by the punk explosion, and they withered away. The repertoire consisted of Chicago Blues or Soul covers, plus tunes in a similar vein written by the band's guitarist Dave Higgs.

Before rising to semi-stardom in 1977, the Hot Rods underwent several changes in personnel: One of the first members to leave the band was Eddie himself, a dummy that featured prominently in the Hot Rods' early gigs and was discarded as the joke had worn thin. Otherwise, the band consisted of Barrie Masters on vocals, Pete Wall and Dave Higgs on guitar, Rob Steel on bass and Steve Nicol on drums. Ed Hollis, brother of Talk Talk's Mark Hollis became their manager, and the band were signed to Island Records.

By 1976, Lew Lewis (harmonica) and Paul Gray had replaced Wall and Steel. Lewis's tenure in the group lasted for the release of their first two singles before he too left. With this new line-up, the Hot Rods played a set at London's famous Marquee club - their opening act was a young band named Sex Pistols. They first appeared in the UK singles chart the end of that year with the "Live at the Marquee" EP and the single "Teenage Depression", an energetic rock'n'roll song.

After the release of the Teenage Depression LP, which gave them their first appearance in the UK albums chart, they recorded another EP called "Live - At the Sound Of Speed". During the gig from which this EP was recorded, Graeme Douglas (formerly of the Kursaal Flyers) joined the band onstage and jammed along adding extra lead lines. Afterwards his membership of the band was made permanent, and they set about writing and recording for their second album. The live recording of the "Sound of Speed" EP featured Douglas on only one track, he therefore set about recording additional lead guitar overdubs in the studio, though to keep in with the essence of a live release, he was only given one attempt at recording each song.

With the addition of Douglas, the band was moved in a more radio-friendly direction. Their biggest hit came with the Douglas/Hollis collaboration "Do Anything You Wanna Do" in the summer of 1977, under their shorter, snappier name 'The Rods'. This single made the British Top 10 (number 9 in August 1977) and also proved popular with the then predominant punk audience, as did that year's album Life on the Line. Still in 1977, the Hot Rods toured the Americas. When it came to recording a follow-up album, Thriller, the band tried hard to recapture the success of "Do Anything You Wanna Do", but to no avail. They found themselves sacked by their record company in 1979, and after Fish'n'Chips, another misguided effort for EMI, the Hot Rods disbanded in 1981.

At this point, Gray and Douglas had already left the band, the former joining The Damned. Masters teamed up with The Inmates. Ed Hollis went on to work with some of the best known acts of the punk era including The Damned, Elvis Costello, and Stiff Little Fingers.

In 1985 the band reform with Masters and Nichol joined by Warren Kennedy (guitar) and Russ Strutter (bass)and release a single and live mini-album, but after a couple of years this version of the band fizzles out.

In early 1991 the 'classic' line-up (Masters, Nichol, Higgs, Douglas, and Gray) regrouped to play some live dates, by the mid 90s Masters, Gray and Nichol are joined by Manfred Mann guitarist Mick Rodgers to record the album Gasoline Days; plus in 2005 a Masters-led outfit recorded Better Late than Never in preparation for a 30th anniversary tour. The band is currently enjoying renewed popularity throughout Europe with regular tour dates, and is also performing in the U.S. after a 25 year sabbatical.

On The Run
Eddie & The Hot Rods Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Whatcha tryin' to do to my heart
Whatcha tryin' to do to my heart
You go around, tellin' lies, and now you wanna compromise
Whatcha tryin' to do to my heart
You better run, you better hide, you better leave from my side, yeah

Whatcha tryin' to do to my soul
Whatcha tryin' to do to my soul

Well everything I had is yours, and now I'm closin' all the doors
Whatcha tryin' to do to my soul
You better run, you better hide, you better leave from my side, yeah

I love you, oh I love you so, can't you see, don't you know
I can't stand your alibis, you tell me lies, drive me wild, yeah

I say what are you tryin' to do to my head
Say whatcha tryin' to do to my head
Well now I'm gonna draw the line
'Cause you ain't gonna take my mind
What are you tryin' to do to my head

You better run, you better hide, you better leave from my side
You better run, you better hide, you better leave from my side
I could yell, yeah

I said go away and leave me alone
I can't stand you no more

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Eddie & The Hot Rods's song You Better Run express the feelings of someone who is fed up with the lies and manipulations of their significant other. The repeated question of "whatcha tryin' to do" emphasizes the confusion and frustration that the singer is feeling. They feel like their heart, soul, and even their head are being targeted and manipulated by their lover. The singer declares that they are done with the lies and alibis and draws a line, refusing to let their mind be taken over. The repeated command of "you better run, you better hide, you better leave from my side" echoes the warning that the singer is giving to their former lover to stay away from them.

Overall, the song is a classic example of a break-up anthem that is filled with anger, confusion, and hurt. The lyrics are straightforward and the driving rock beat amplifies the intensity of the emotions expressed.

Line by Line Meaning

Whatcha tryin' to do to my heart
What kind of emotional manipulation are you attempting on my heart?

Whatcha tryin' to do to my soul
What kind of mental damage are you trying to inflict upon me?

You better run, you better hide, you better leave from my side, yeah
You should escape my life as fast as possible, and never come back

I love you, oh I love you so, can't you see, don't you know
I have feelings for you, but you are making it hard for me to continue loving you

I say what are you tryin' to do to my head
What kind of psychological tricks are you trying to play with me?

Well now I'm gonna draw the line
I have decided to establish boundaries

You ain't gonna take my mind
You won't be able to manipulate my thoughts

I could yell, yeah
I could scream out loud

I said go away and leave me alone
I am asking you to leave me alone and not interfere in my life anymore

I can't stand you no more
I have grown tired of your behavior and can't bear being around you anymore

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: EDWARD BRIGATI, FELIX CAVALIERE

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind