On the Run
Electric Light Orchestra㄀ Lyrics


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Whatever I do,where-ever I go,the same afterglow
Is keepin' me low, don't wanna lose it,
But don't wanna stay here too long.

They see you go by, I tell you no lie,
You're up in the sky, make everyone cry,
Don't wanna lose it,but don't wanna stay around here.
I'm on the run again
But it's like what they say when it happens this way
You gotta do it again and again.

I hear them talkin' and they go on and on,they think that
Nothing is wrong,and so they just carry on about you,
Don't wanna lose it,but I gotta move out of here.

I see them waiting there for most of the day,I known
You asked them to stay but they just won't go away.
Don't wanna lose it,but I gotta do it again.

I'm on the run again
But it's like what they say when it happens this way
You gotta do it again and again.

I know it ain't real,but when you are near,
You're saying the things that I wanna hear.
Don't wanna lose it,but I gotta do it again.

I'm on the run again




But it's like what they say when it happens this way
You gotta do it again and again.

Overall Meaning

The Electric Light Orchestra's song "On The Run" seems to be about the struggle of a person who is constantly on the move, both physically and emotionally. The opening lines, "Whatever I do,where-ever I go,the same afterglow/ Is keepin' me low, don't wanna lose it, But don't wanna stay here too long," suggest a sense of restlessness and dissatisfaction with the present. The "afterglow" can be interpreted as a nostalgia for the past, the memory of a good experience that is now elusive.


As the song progresses, it becomes clear that there is a specific person that is at the center of the singer's thoughts, someone who is "up in the sky" and "make(s) everyone cry." This seems to suggest that the person is an object of admiration and longing, someone who is charismatic and perhaps even unattainable. The singer is torn between staying in one place to be close to this person and moving on to new experiences.


The chorus repeats the phrase "I'm on the run again" as a way to emphasize the perpetual motion of the singer's life. The closing lines, "I know it ain't real,but when you are near, You're saying the things that I wanna hear. Don't wanna lose it,but I gotta do it again," suggest that the singer is aware that their longing for this person is perhaps misguided or unrealistic, but they cannot help themselves. In the end, they must keep moving forward, chasing after something that they may never be able to catch.


Line by Line Meaning

Whatever I do,where-ever I go,the same afterglow Is keepin' me low, don't wanna lose it, But don't wanna stay here too long.
No matter where I am or what I do, I can't shake the feeling of something that lingers after you're gone. It keeps me down, but I don't want to let it go entirely. I need to keep moving, but I can't stay in one place for too long.


They see you go by, I tell you no lie, You're up in the sky, make everyone cry, Don't wanna lose it,but don't wanna stay around here.
People are stunned by your presence and watch you as you move on. Your departure is powerful and emotional, but I can't stay here to bask in it. I want to hold onto that feeling, but I need to keep moving.


I'm on the run again But it's like what they say when it happens this way You gotta do it again and again.
I'm back on the move, but it's a pattern that will continue. They say that when you start something this way, you have to keep doing it over and over again.


I hear them talkin' and they go on and on,they think that Nothing is wrong,and so they just carry on about you, Don't wanna lose it,but I gotta move out of here.
I hear people talking about you non-stop, acting like everything is perfect. They can carry on about you all they want, but I can't stick around. I don't want to lose this feeling, but I need to leave.


I see them waiting there for most of the day,I known You asked them to stay but they just won't go away. Don't wanna lose it,but I gotta do it again.
I see people waiting for you for hours, even though you asked them to go. I don't want to let go of this feeling, but I have to keep moving and doing it all over again.


I know it ain't real,but when you are near, You're saying the things that I wanna hear. Don't wanna lose it,but I gotta do it again.
I know this feeling isn't permanent, but when you're close to me, it feels like it is. You say things that I need to hear, but I can't stay for too long. I don't want to lose this feeling, but I have to keep doing it over and over again.


I'm on the run again But it's like what they say when it happens this way You gotta do it again and again.
I'm back on the move again, and it's a pattern that will continue. They say that when you start something like this, you have to keep doing it over and over again.




Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Jeff Lynne

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comments from YouTube:

ruben ramirez cruz

Hola.
Un tema extraordinario.
Debería haber sido single - pienso.

De una de sus secciones rítmicas , se extrajo la de la canción " Don ' t
bring me down " ( " No me desanimes " ) , ralentizándola y proporcionándole un toque más pesado e incisivo.

" On the run " ( " Arrancando " ) tiene ,entre otras , mucha influencia de The Beatles y The Hollies - creo. En especial , de estos últimos.

Gracias por subir este video.

Un abrazo cordial.

Saludos desde Chile ,Sudamérica.



TAKAHITO NISHIHAMA

Verse 1]
Whatever I do, wherever I go
The same afterglow is keepin' me low
(D-d-d-don't wanna lose it)
But don't wanna stay here too long

[Verse 2]
They see you go by, I tell you no lie
You're up in the sky, make everyone cry
(D-d-d-don't wanna lose it)
But don't wanna stay around here

[Chorus]
I'm on the run again
I'm on the run again
But it's like what they say
When it happens this way
You gotta do it again and again

[Verse 3]
I hear them talkin' and they go on and on
They think that nothing is wrong
And so they just carry on about you
(D-d-d-don't wanna lose it)
But I gotta move out of here

[Verse 4]
I see them waiting there for most of the day
I know you asked them to stay
But they just won't go away
(D-d-d-don't wanna lose it)
But I gotta do it again

[Chorus]
I'm on the run again
I'm on the run again
But it's like what they say
When it happens this way
You gotta do it again and again



Joe Brone

Whatever I do, where-ever I go, the same afterglow
Is keepin' me low, don't wanna lose it,
But don't wanna stay here too long.

They see you go by, I tell you no lie,
You're up in the sky, make everyone cry,
Don't wanna lose it, but don't wanna stay around here.

I'm on the run again
But it's like what they say when it happens this way
You gotta do it again and again.

I hear them talkin' and they go on and on, they think that
Nothing is wrong, and so they just carry on about you,
Don't wanna lose it, but I gotta move out of here.

I see them waiting there for most of the day, I known
You asked them to stay but they just won't go away.
Don't wanna lose it, but I gotta do it again.

I'm on the run again
But it's like what they say when it happens this way
You gotta do it again and again.

I know it ain't real, but when you are near,
You're saying the things that I wanna hear.
Don't wanna lose it, but I gotta do it again.

I'm on the run again
But it's like what they say when it happens this way
You gotta do it again and again.

Source: LyricFind

Songwriters: Jeff Lynne

On the Run lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC



All comments from YouTube:

LOTW Studios

One day I'm making an action movie and I'm going to fill it with ELO songs!

Peter Frank

I'd make any kinds of movie with ELO songs on its soundtrack.

Loonydude

I've had a storyline for a movie in my head for awhile, and all of ELO's songs would describe it and enhance the story perfectly

Tina Dahl Laursen

I can´t wait!

Groos

Yesssss they don’t use them enough

Andres RSL

like that's ever gonna happen

18 More Replies...

C1audin

This right here is why discovery is the best. ELO isn’t good cause of nostalgia, hell my dad was a kid when this stuff came out. ELO is good because it has catchy tunes and a distinct sound to it. No other artist has what ELO had. It’s amazing

slade ippie

Slade had it in abundance too KatZap. Look into their discography, ask your dad 😉💖🎩

Vince Garcia

That's why I love thise band and also blue oyster cult. I've only sung to both of these bands and motley cure 3 or more hours a night since 1980 and I've got some good recordings that I will just play and now one says it sucks. They don't even know my vocals are on the track all over her here was turn it up.

1

Well they got some kind of nostalgic feeling attouched to them

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