Runaway
Hazel O 'Connor Lyrics
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You hate yourself, so you hate everybody else
People can make you feel small
Small is a size when age just won't rise fast enough
So you wait for the day, to be up get away
Run run as fast as you can
Over and Over and Over the hill far away
[CHORUS:]
Runaway
Is there something you're trying to say
Runaway
Please come home one day
Runaway
Is there something you're trying to say
Over and over and over and over again
I remember the day in a grey misty way
When we boarded the boat to the hook
I was sick to the sea that was beckoning me to it's end
In the light of the dawn, feeling ragged and worn
I pointed my thumb to the sky
Over and over and over that road again
[CHORUS]
Now in the light of experience
There's something I want to say
Now in the light of experience
There's nowhere to run to
If from yourself you're really running away
[CHORUS 2x]
Runaway!
The lyrics of Hazel O'Connor's song Runaway describe feelings of self-hate and the desire to escape from oneself and the world. The singer of the song experiences a sense of smallness and insignificance, which causes them to despise themselves and others. The idea of aging and the concept of time are also present in the song, as the character feels like they need to run away before it's too late. The chorus is a plea for the runaway to come back home, and the repetition of the phrase "over and over and over again" emphasizes the cyclical nature of this feeling of self-hate and the impulse to escape.
The second stanza introduces a personal memory of the singer, which could be either a metaphor or a literal description of a journey. The image of boarding a boat and feeling sick to the sea can represent a sense of being adrift in life or lost in one's thoughts. The chorus is repeated twice at the end, with an added exclamation point, as if to emphasize the urgency of this plea for the runaway to return.
Overall, the lyrics of Runaway are poignant and introspective, capturing the feelings of isolation and self-loathing that many people experience at some point in their lives. The repetition of certain phrases and the cyclical structure of the song create a sense of inevitability, as if the singer is stuck in a pattern that they cannot break free from.
Line by Line Meaning
You hate yourself, so you hate everybody else
Because you don't like yourself, you find it hard to like other people.
People can make you feel small
Other people's attitudes or behaviour can make you feel insignificant.
Small is a size when age just won't rise fast enough
When you feel like you're not getting any older fast enough, being small is a size you can't escape from.
So you wait for the day, to be up get away
You're looking forward to a day when you can escape from being small and feeling insignificant.
Run run as fast as you can
You need to run away from your problems as quickly as possible.
Over and Over and Over the hill far away
You keep running away, again and again, to a place far away.
[CHORUS:] Runaway Is there something you're trying to say Runaway Please come home one day
The chorus is asking if there's something you're trying to express or if you'll eventually come back home.
I remember the day in a grey misty way When we boarded the boat to the hook
The memories of boarding a boat are foggy, unclear and perhaps even unpleasant.
I was sick to the sea that was beckoning me to it's end
The vastness of the sea, which seemed to lead to nowhere, made you feel ill and uncomfortable.
In the light of the dawn, feeling ragged and worn I pointed my thumb to the sky Over and over and over that road again
As the sun was rising, you were feeling drained and weary, but continued to hitchhike along that same road.
[CHORUS] Now in the light of experience There's something I want to say Now in the light of experience There's nowhere to run to If from yourself you're really running away
The chorus is repeated to emphasize that there's no escape from yourself, and eventually you would have to face your problems, not keep running.
[CHORUS 2x] Runaway!
The chorus is repeated one last time, adding urgency to the plea to stop running away from yourself and dealing with whatever problems you may face.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Downtown Music Publishing
Written by: Seth James Johnson, Ryan O'Connor, Daniel James Stevens
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind