Eddie and the Tide were a fixture on Bay Area rock radio (a rarity for an indie band) scoring many local hits including Running Wild, Running Free, One In A Million, Maybe I'll Get Lucky, Just Need A Little Rock and 'Till I Can't Run No More. Their video for Running Wild, Running Free won the MTV Basement Tapes and their LP I Do It For You won a Bammie for best independent release.
With sold out shows and local radio support The Tide were always seemingly one step from breaking out as a national act. They eventually did sign a major label deal with Atco Records and released two LP's before being dropped by the label. They released two more indie records before eventually breaking up in 1990.
Runnin' Wild Runnin' Free
Eddie and the Tide Lyrics
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And I'm all by myself
I guess she thinks now that she's gone
I'll lay right on the shelf
I'm gonna show her she's all wrong
No lonesome stuff for mine
I won't sit home, all alone
She'll soon find that I'm
Runnin' wild, lost control
Runnin' wild, mighty bold
Feelin' gay, reckless too
Care free mind all the time, never blue
Always goin' don't know where
Always showin', I don't care
Don't love nobody, it's not worth while
All alone, runnin' wild. Runnin' wild
When I first met that gal of mine
It seemed just like a dream
But when she tho't she had me right
She started actin' mean
Like mary led her little lamb
She led me all the time
Until the worm had to turn
That's the reason I'm
Runnin' wild, lost control
Runnin' wild, mighty bold
Feelin' gay, reckless too
Care free mind all the time, never blue
Always goin' don't know where
Always showin', I don't care
Don't love nobody, it's not worth while
All alone, runnin' wild. Runnin' wild
No gal will ever make a fool of me
No gal! I mean just what I say
I ain't the simpleton I used to be
Wonder how I got that way
Once I was full of sentiment, it's true
But now I got a cruel heart
With all that other foolishness I'm through
Gonna play the Villain part
Runnin' wild, lost control
Runnin' wild, mighty bold
Feelin' gay, reckless too
Care free mind all the time, never blue
Always goin' don't know where
Always showin', I don't care
Don't love nobody, it's not worth while
All alone, runnin' wild. Runnin' wild
The lyrics of Eddie and the Tide's song Runnin' Wild Runnin' Free narrate a story of a man who had a fight with his girlfriend and is now alone. Despite his loneliness, he wants to show her that he doesn't need her and that he won't be sitting at home, wallowing in his sadness. The singer of the song wants to prove to his girlfriend that he doesn't need her and that he is capable of living life on his own terms. He then goes on to say that he will be running wild, doing things recklessly, being carefree, and not caring about anyone else. The lyrics express the idea that the singer is now unencumbered and that he will do what he wants, without any restrictions.
The song seems to be a meditation on the idea of freedom and independence. Its protagonist is someone who has been hurt by love and romantic relationships, and he decides to move on from those experiences. He is emboldened by the idea that he can live without love and that he will be better off not risking his heart again. The lyrics are a window into the mind of someone who has been disillusioned by love and has decided to move on and embrace his freedom completely.
Line by Line Meaning
My gal and I, we had a fight
I had a quarrel with my girlfriend
And I'm all by myself
I'm alone now because of our fight
I guess she thinks now that she's gone
She must think that I am unable to enjoy myself without her
I'll lay right on the shelf
I'll probably mope around the house
I'm gonna show her she's all wrong
Actually, I'm going to prove her wrong
No lonesome stuff for mine
I refuse to be melancholy
I won't sit home, all alone
I won't stay at home feeling lonely
She'll soon find that I'm
She'll see that I am actually
Runnin' wild, lost control
Living without restraint, with no limits
Runnin' wild, mighty bold
Being audacious and brave
Feelin' gay, reckless too
Feeling lighthearted and impulsive
Care free mind all the time, never blue
Having a carefree attitude and never feeling down
Always goin' don't know where
I constantly move without a clear destination
Always showin', I don't care
I always demonstrate that I don't care
Don't love nobody, it's not worth while
I don't want to love anyone because it's not worth the effort
All alone, runnin' wild. Runnin' wild
I prefer to be alone and free, doing whatever I want
When I first met that gal of mine
When I first dated my girlfriend
It seemed just like a dream
It felt too good to be true
But when she tho't she had me right
When she thought she had me under control
She started actin' mean
She became cruel and unkind
Like mary led her little lamb
She started acting like she was my boss
She led me all the time
She tried to control me all the time
Until the worm had to turn
But eventually, I had to assert myself
That's the reason I'm
That's why I'm actually
No gal will ever make a fool of me
I won't let any woman take advantage of me
No gal! I mean just what I say
This is the truth and I won't compromise it
I ain't the simpleton I used to be
I'm not naive anymore
Wonder how I got that way
I'm not sure how I became this way
Once I was full of sentiment, it's true
I used to be very sentimental, that's true
But now I got a cruel heart
But now I have a heart that is cold and unkind
With all that other foolishness I'm through
I'm done with all that other silliness
Gonna play the Villain part
I'm going to act like a heartless villain
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group, T.R.O. INC.
Written by: ARTHUR GIBBS, ARTHUR HARRINGTON GIBBS, JOSEPH GREY, JOSEPH W GREY, LEO WOOD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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