Influenced by the likes of Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Bettie Davies, and Led Zeppelin among others, the band forced many music fans to take notice of its powerful, flawless genre-crossing blend of blues that incorporate influences from rock, funk, and soul. Led by guitarist/vocalist Gugun, Gugun & Blues Shelter has released two albums under the Bluesbug moniker "Get The Bug" (2004) and “Turn it On” (2007) that has been gaining praises from music critics and fans alike.
”Turn It On” was voted as one of the best Indonesian album in 2007 by Rolling Stone Indonesia Magazine and Gugun was noted as one of the most promising local guitar player by the same maga-zine. In the same year, Indonesia's Trax Magazine also voted Gugun as the best guitar player in South East Asia. Gugun Blues Shelter is not only drew the attentions of local music lover only.
The band also received attentions from European fans, thanks for years of playing for expatriate fans during its pub-playing days. As the result, Gugun Blues Shelter was participated in Belfast Big River Blues and Jazz Festival 2008 and played several dates in a four-weeks UK tour at cities like Burnley, Scarborough, and Crewe. Due to the good receptions, the tour was extended to other cities like Leeds, Oxford, York, Rotherham, and culminated in another festival, ”Colne Great British R n' B Festival” at the Manchester outskirt.
In Asia, recently Gugun Blues Shelter played several dates in Malaysia in 2008, participated in Singapore Art Festival at the same year, as well as in Indonesia's big festivals such as Java Jazz Festival and JakJazz Festival.
Recently, Gugun & Blues Shelter embarked another European invasion by participated in Skegness Rock and Blues Festival and finished recording another new album, titled “Set My Soul On Fire”.
On the Run
Gugun Blues Shelter Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Got this feeling in my soul
Just like another stormy Monday
Don't want to go outside my house no more (no.no... no...)
My heart is beating like a freight train
Got to move out before the dogs arrive
And there ain't no open doors here
Run and hide, got to ramble on
faces in the trees their staring eye's all over me,
Staring eyes all over me
Staring eyes all over me
Lord have mercy times on my side
Not laying dead down on the floor
Nowhere's safe in this here nightmare
Just get back home and lock your door
Trust no one and don't look back
Just keep a low profile in this here crazy town
Just get back home and lock your door
Don't go outside my house no more
Just get back home and lock your door
The lyrics to Gugun Blues Shelter’s “On the Run” are quite powerful and touch on themes of fear, danger, and paranoia. The opening lines describe a sudden blast which triggers a feeling of unease in the singer’s soul. He feels trapped in his own house, unwilling to face the outside world which seems to be filled with constant danger. The mention of “Stormy Monday” could be a reference to the blues standard of the same name, further emphasizing the idea of feeling stuck in a bleak and hopeless situation.
The singer’s heart beats like a freight train as he tries to move out before the “dogs” arrive. This could be a metaphorical reference to authority figures or people who are after him. He realizes that there are no open doors for escape and fears that they won’t be able to get out alive. The chorus repeats the phrase “run and hide” as the singer desperately seeks to escape the danger he is in. He feels like he is being watched from all angles, with “faces in the trees and staring eyes all over me.”
The final verse encourages the singer to keep a low profile and trust no one if he wants to survive. The only option is to get back home and lock the door, signalling a sense of isolation and mistrust of others. The song captures the sense of fear and uncertainty that can often plague our lives, reminding us that sometimes the only protection we have is our own instincts and judgment.
Line by Line Meaning
Heard the blast and went for the door,
Upon hearing a loud noise, the person quickly heads towards the exit
Got this feeling in my soul
A strong sensation or intuition comes over the person
Just like another stormy Monday
The feeling seems similar to difficulty faced previously
Don't want to go outside my house no more (no.no... no...)
Anxiety overcomes the person, making them hesitate to leave their home
My heart is beating like a freight train
The person's heart rate has rapidly increased, similar to a train in motion
Got to move out before the dogs arrive
The person needs to leave before trouble or danger arrives
And there ain't no open doors here
No way to escape the current situation
We're not going to get out of here alive.
The situation seems dire, without hope of survival
Run and hide, got to ramble on
The person needs to flee and escape quickly
Faces in the trees their staring eye's all over me,
The person sees sinister images in their surroundings and feels watched
Staring eyes all over me
The person continues to feel observed and hunted
Staring eyes all over me
The feeling of being targeted continues to weigh on the person
Lord have mercy times on my side
Hoping fate will be kind and help them survive
Not laying dead down on the floor
Survival is a priority and refusing to be a victim
Nowhere's safe in this here nightmare
There is no place of refuge while in this tragic event
Just get back home and lock your door
Safety can only be found at home by keeping it secured
Trust no one and don't look back
The person needs to remain vigilant and cautious while leaving, and avoid turning back
Just keep a low profile in this here crazy town
Blend in and avoid drawing attention to oneself in this chaotic environment
Just get back home and lock your door
Again, the best course of action is to find safety by returning home and locking the door
Don't go outside my house no more
Still hesitant and anxious, and determined not to leave their safe haven
Contributed by Aiden Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Irfan ChifanK
Pull Continues ..
Om Gugun .. Steady