Early life:

Scott started playing guitar and piano at age seven. He … Read Full Bio ↴Early life:

Scott started playing guitar and piano at age seven. He grew up listening to his parents’ classic albums, and was influenced by artists like Stevie Wonder and Donny Hathaway. Inspired by singer/songwriters Simon and Garfunkel, Jamie Scott formed a duo in college and played acoustic shows in London. During this time, a dying aunt bought him a new piano. For the next three years, Jamie Scott spent his time playing records and writing music.

Music career:

According to his website, Jamie Scott never listened to popular, contemporary music while he was growing up.Jamie started his musical career by pursuing a publishing deal for music written for someone else to sing. When Jamie Scott sent his demo tape to publishers, they responded that they liked his voice and wanted Jamie to sing the songs for himself. Because of this, Jamie Scott signed a contract with Sony Music in 2002. He then teamed up with producer Toby Smith, a former keyboardist from Jamiroquai, to work on his full-length album. As he was working on this album, Jamie Scott played solo shows with only his acoustic guitar. He then played a Blues & Soul magazine tour. Following this, he performed with artists such as Carleen Anderson, Mario Winans, and Ginuwine.

Jamie Scott writes music on his guitar, and always starts with the song first. He insists that he cannot write in a format specifically to get onto the radio. Jamie Scott’s songwriting is a way for him to make sense of life and relationships. The lyrics for his song, “Just” were inspired by “The Prophet” by Khalil Gibran. According to his website, the song, “Searching,” is about trying to make it in the record industry and not listening to people who try to bring you down. But it could also apply to any situation where you lack confidence, but are trying to appear strong.

Jamie Scott’s full-length album, then titled “Soul Searching,” was scheduled to be out in early 2005. However, due to the merger between Sony and BMG, production got delayed. His newest song, “Made,” is on the soundtrack to the motion picture Step Up. Jamie Scott performs the song in the film, and he also has a brief part as the character, Colin. He also plays guitar while Drew Sidora is performing “Til the Dawn.”

Personal life:

Jamie Scott is a fan of West Ham United football club. Some of his favorite artists include John Legend, Raphael Saadiq, D'Angelo, and Donny Hathaway and singer/songwriters Damien Rice and Ray Lamontagne. Scott's favorite television show is The Mighty Boosh with his all time favorite movie being One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.

Runaway Train
Jamie Scott & The Town Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Well, I sold my guitar for a diamond ring
Yeah the preacher's daughter's got a thing for me
With all of our stuff in a pick up truck
Yeah we're headed out west in a cloud of dust

[Chorus]
Runaway baby like a runaway train
Like a train comin' off the tracks

Runaway baby like a runaway train
Runaway and never look back
Runaway and never look back

Well, it's a Vegas weddin' at the break of day
By a magistrate dressed in blue suede
Lost all of our cash on a roll of the bones
Had to pawn that ring just to get back home

[Chorus]

In a cheap motel on the county line
Sneakin' back into town in the black of night
I heard the preacher screamin' through the motel door
Yeah he's cursin' my soul in the name of the Lord

Runaway baby like a runaway train
Like a train comin' off the tracks
Runaway baby like a runaway train
Runaway and never look back

Runaway baby like a runaway train
Like a train comin' off the tracks
Runaway baby like a runaway train
Runaway and never look back

Runaway and never look back
Runaway and never look back, yeah

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Jamie Scott & The Town's song Runaway Train tell the story of a couple who make impulsive decisions and end up running away from their lives with nothing but their possessions in a pick-up truck. The singer sells his guitar for a diamond ring and elopes with the preacher's daughter, getting married in Vegas at daybreak. However, their luck runs out when they lose all their money gambling and are forced to pawn the ring to get back home. They wind up holed up in a cheap motel, hiding from the angry preacher who curses their souls in the name of the Lord.

The song's story is one of adventure, passion, and recklessness, with the singer chasing his dreams and following his heart, consequences be damned. The lyrics use vivid imagery and descriptive language to paint a picture of a wild and carefree journey, while also touching on themes of love, loss, and regret.

Line by Line Meaning

Well, I sold my guitar for a diamond ring
I made the decision to give up my passion (playing guitar) for my significant other by buying them an expensive present.

Yeah the preacher's daughter's got a thing for me
The daughter of the religious authority in our town has romantic feelings for me.

With all of our stuff in a pick up truck
We're leaving town with all of our belongings piled into the back of a truck.

Yeah we're headed out west in a cloud of dust
We're driving towards the western part of the country leaving behind a trail of dust.

Runaway baby like a runaway train
We are like a train that's come off the tracks, living life recklessly and impulsively.

Like a train comin' off the tracks
We are living life recklessly and impulsively, not knowing where we're headed next.

Runaway and never look back
We are running away from our past without any intention of ever looking back at the life we have left behind.

Well, it's a Vegas weddin' at the break of day
We got married in Las Vegas early in the morning, likely in a spontaneous fashion.

By a magistrate dressed in blue suede
Our wedding ceremony was likely performed by a justice of the peace, who was dressed in a unique and flashy outfit.

Lost all of our cash on a roll of the bones
We gambled all of our money away in a casino.

Had to pawn that ring just to get back home
We were so broke we had to pawn the diamond ring I had bought as a gift for my significant other just to be able to return home from Las Vegas.

In a cheap motel on the county line
We're staying in a low-budget and rundown motel on the outskirts of town.

Sneakin' back into town in the black of night
We are covertly returning to town in the middle of the night, likely out of fear of being caught.

I heard the preacher screamin' through the motel door
The religious authority in our town has found us and is yelling at us through the closed motel room door.

Yeah he's cursin' my soul in the name of the Lord
He is condemning us and invoking the power of his God to bring down hellfire upon us.

Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JIMI WESTBROOK

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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