Phair's 1993 debut studio album, Exile in Guyville, was released to acclaim; it has been ranked by Rolling Stone as one of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. Phair followed this with her second album, Whip-Smart (1994), which earned her a Grammy Award nomination for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance, and Whitechocolatespaceegg (1998). Ten years after the release of her debut, Phair's fourth album, Liz Phair (2003), released on Capitol Records, moved towards pop rock, earning her a mainstream audience but alienating critics.
After the release of her fifth album, Somebody's Miracle (2005), Phair left Capitol and released her sixth album Funstyle independently in 2010. In 2018, it was announced that Matador Records would be releasing a retrospective set for Phair's debut album Exile in Guyville which includes remastered recordings from her original Girly-Sound demo tapes. Phair released her seventh studio album, Soberish, in 2021.
Fuck and Run
Liz Phair Lyrics
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I didn't know where I was at first
Just that I woke up in your arms
And almost immediately I felt sorry
'Cause I didn't think this would happen again
No matter what I could do or say
Just that I didn't think this would happen again
With or without my best intentions
And whatever happened to a boyfriend
The kind of guy who tries to win you over?
And whatever happened to a boyfriend
The kind of guy who makes love 'cause he's in it?
And I want a boyfriend
I want a boyfriend
I want all that stupid old shit like letters and sodas
Letters and sodas
You got up out of bed
You said you had a lot of work to do
But I heard the rest in your head
And almost immediately I felt sorry
'Cause I didn't think this would happen again
No matter what I could do or say
Just that I didn't think this would happen again
With or without my best intentions
And I want a boyfriend
I want a boyfriend
I want all that stupid old shit like letters and sodas
Letters and sodas
I can feel it in my bones
I'm gonna spend another year alone
It's fuck and run, fuck and run
Even when I was seventeen
Fuck and run, fuck and run
Even when I was twelve
You almost felt bad
You said that I should call you up
But I knew much better than that
And almost immediately I felt sorry
'Cause I didn't think this would happen again
No matter what I could do or say
Just that I didn't think this would happen again
Without or without my best intentions
I can feel it in my bones
I'm gonna spend my whole life alone
It's fuck and run, fuck and run
Even when I was seventeen
Fuck and run, fuck and run
Even when I was twelve
In Liz Phair's song "Fuck and Run," the singer wakes up in the arms of someone, feeling alarm and regret. The singer didn't think they would find themselves in this situation again, and wonders where the kind of boyfriend who tries to win you over and make love because he's in it has gone. The desire for a more traditional, romantic relationship is expressed through the repeated refrain of "I want a boyfriend / I want all that stupid old shit like letters and sodas."
The second verse continues in a similar vein, with the singer realizing that the person they're with has other priorities and is not interested in a committed relationship. The third verse is the most bleak, with the singer recognizing that they will likely spend their whole life alone, engaging in the titular "fuck and run." Even when they were just twelve or seventeen years old, this pattern of brief, unsatisfying encounters was already present.
Line by Line Meaning
I woke up alarmed
I was startled when I first woke up
I didn't know where I was at first
I was disoriented and unsure of my location
Just that I woke up in your arms
I realized that I had slept with you
And almost immediately I felt sorry
I regretted what had happened
'Cause I didn't think this would happen again
I didn't expect to repeat this pattern
No matter what I could do or say
I couldn't change the situation
And whatever happened to a boyfriend
I miss having a real relationship
The kind of guy who tries to win you over?
Someone who really tries to impress me
And whatever happened to a boyfriend
I long for a true partner
The kind of guy who makes love 'cause he's in it?
Someone who is emotionally invested in our intimacy
And I want a boyfriend
I desire a genuine romantic relationship
I want all that stupid old shit like letters and sodas
I miss the little sentimental things that people used to do
You got up out of bed
You got out of bed
You said you had a lot of work to do
You claimed to be very busy
But I heard the rest in your head
I suspected other motives
And almost immediately I felt sorry
I regretted this situation
'Cause I didn't think this would happen again
I didn't expect to find myself back in this situation
Without or without my best intentions
Regardless of how hard I try to prevent this
I can feel it in my bones
I have a strong intuition about this
I'm gonna spend another year alone
I anticipate being single for another year
It's fuck and run, fuck and run
This pattern of casual relationships will continue
Even when I was seventeen
I have been dealing with this since I was a teenager
Even when I was twelve
I have been struggling with this for a long time
You almost felt bad
You appeared to feel somewhat guilty
You said that I should call you up
You suggested keeping in touch
But I knew much better than that
I knew that it would not lead to anything significant
Without or without my best intentions
No matter how hard I try to change things
I can feel it in my bones
I know deep down that things will not change
I'm gonna spend my whole life alone
I anticipate being single for the long term
It's fuck and run, fuck and run
The pattern of meaningless encounters will continue
Even when I was seventeen
This has been a long-standing issue for me
Even when I was twelve
I have been grappling with this for a while
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Liz Phair
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind