Carmen's first solo single "All By Myself" was penned by Carmen based on a classical theme by Sergei Rachmaninoff. It was subsequently covered by Celine Dion and also used in the opening scene of the movie 'Bridget Jones' Diary'.
Besides his successful solo career, Carmen is remembered as one of the rock'n'rollers behind the Cleveland, Ohio-based band The Raspberries. As lead vocalist and co-songwriter, he helped the group gain big popularity in the 70s through arena-ready hits such as "Go All the Way" and "Tonight", with the band becoming a cult figure among power pop fans. Carmen reunited with Raspberries producer Jimmy Ienner to be a part of the 'Dirty Dancing' soundtrack, a commercial juggernaut that achieved massive success and was RIAA certified multi-platinum. Carmen's song "Hungry Eyes" reached the top 40 charts in Canada, Germany, the U.S., and elsewhere while attracting critical acclaim. Over the years, Carmen's work has been praised by many of his fellow musicians including Bruce Springsteen and Ringo Starr among others.
On 24 December 2013, the first new recording in over 15 years by Carmen titled "Brand New Year" was released.
Run Away
Eric Carmen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Golden high school dream
An illusion nothing real could ever touch
Funny love seemed so much more intense
At seventeen
When I knew she'd never love me
Half as much
I must find a way somehow to win her heart
I've got to make her mine
Gonna run away
Till I prove that I'm a man
Gonna run away
Be the best I know I can
Got to run away
Got to find my space and time
And I cannot rest a day until I make her mine
Trades were made for promises
Of a timeless memory
And I knew but still refused to comprehend
The fantasy more glamorous
Then she could ever be
Was the course of least resistance
In the end
I recall the desperate vow I made
I must find a way somehow to win her heart
I've got to make her mine
Gonna run away
Till I prove that I'm a man
Gonna run away
Be the best I know I can
Got to run away
Got to find my space and time
And I cannot rest a day until I make her mine
Long ago an innocence
Lived deep within my soul
In a yesterday where love
And dreams remain
But disillusion clouds my eyes
And the winter takes it's toll
For the spring has gone
And will not come again
I recall the desperate vow I made
I must find a way somehow to win her heart
I've got to make her mine
Gonna run away
Till I prove that I'm a man
Gonna run away
Be the best I know I can
Got to run away
Got to find my space and time
And I cannot rest a day until I make her mine
Got to run away
Got to find my space and time
And I cannot rest a day until I make her mine
The lyrics to Eric Carmen's song, "Run Away," are about unrequited love and the desire to prove one's worth to the person they love. The singer of the song, presumably Eric Carmen himself, reminisces about a girl he loved in high school. She was his golden dream, but he knew deep down that she would never love him as much as he loved her. In an attempt to win her heart, he made a vow to become the best version of himself he could be.
The singer talks about how love seemed so much more intense at seventeen, and how he believed that he could prove his worth by running away and making something of himself. He made trades and promises in order to create a memory that would last a lifetime, but ultimately he realized that his love for her was just a fantasy that was more glamorous than reality.
As the song progresses, the singer talks about how he knows that his innocence and idealism are gone, replaced by the disillusionment of adulthood. He cannot go back to an earlier time, but he still holds onto the hope that one day he can win the heart of the girl he loved.
Overall, "Run Away" is a poignant song about the desire to prove oneself and win the heart of someone unattainable. It captures the feeling of longing and the bittersweet memories of a love that could never be.
Line by Line Meaning
She was just an average blue-eyed
He describes the woman he so desires as being an ordinary blue-eyed girl.
Golden high school dream
The woman he desires served as the ideal high school ‘dream girl’.
An illusion nothing real could ever touch
The woman he desired was more of a fantasy than a reality and there was no way he could attain her.
Funny love seemed so much more intense
The unique feelings he had for her made the concept of love seem more profound to him.
At seventeen
The age at which he was sure he loved her.
When I knew she'd never love me
Despite his feelings, he realized she wouldn't reciprocate his love.
Half as much
He knew she couldn't feel the same way towards him.
I recall the desperate vow I made
He remembers the promise he made himself to win her love.
I must find a way somehow to win her heart
He knows he must go out of his way to win her love.
I've got to make her mine
He has become obsessed with the idea of winning her heart and making her his own.
Gonna run away
He intends to leave home to prove that he is mature and capable of winning her heart.
Till I prove that I'm a man
His intent is to leave and only return when he has proven himself as a man worthy of her love.
Be the best I know I can
He plans to work to become the best version of himself possible.
Got to run away
He must detach himself from her and focus on bettering himself first.
Got to find my space and time
He needs to discover himself and find the time to do so.
And I cannot rest a day until I make her mine
He cannot be at ease until he has won her over and made her his own.
Trades were made for promises
He traded promises with her to keep their memories fresh in his mind.
Of a timeless memory
Their moments together are something he will never forget.
And I knew but still refused to comprehend
He realized that deep down they could never truly be together, but he refused to accept it.
The fantasy more glamorous
He preferred the thought of her to reality.
Then she could ever be
She could never compare to the image he had in his head.
Was the course of least resistance
Preferring the fantasy was easier for him than accepting reality.
Long ago an innocence
Years ago, he was a different person, with an inspired soul, filled with youthfulness and dreams.
Lived deep within my soul
He used to possess a great deal of innocence that was slowly eroded away.
In a yesterday where love
He used to live in a time where love was a simple concept.
And dreams remain
His hopes and aspirations persisted.
But disillusion clouds my eyes
Due to his failed endeavor to win her, he has lost himself and his vision of love.
And the winter takes it's toll
The dark spell of winter contributes to his fragile state of mind.
For the spring has gone
He has long since passed the blissful springtime of his youth.
And will not come again
He knows he will never return to the youthful days he desires.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ERIC CARMEN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind