Born and raised in Michigan, Madonna moved to New York City in 1978 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing as a drummer, guitarist, and vocalist in the rock bands Breakfast Club and Emmy, she rose to solo stardom with her debut studio album, Madonna (1983). She followed it with a series of successful albums, including all-time bestsellers Like a Virgin (1984) and True Blue (1986) as well as Grammy Award winners Ray of Light (1998) and Confessions on a Dance Floor (2005). Madonna has amassed many number-one singles throughout her career, including "Like a Virgin", "La Isla Bonita", "Like a Prayer", "Vogue", "Take a Bow", "Frozen", "Music", "Hung Up", and "4 Minutes".
Madonna's popularity was enhanced by roles in films such as Desperately Seeking Susan (1985), Dick Tracy (1990), A League of Their Own (1992), and Evita (1996). While Evita won her a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress, many of her other films received poor reviews. As a businesswoman, Madonna founded the company Maverick in 1992; it included Maverick Records, one of the most successful artist-run labels in history. Her other ventures include fashion brands, children's books, health clubs, and filmmaking. She contributes to various charities, having founded the Ray of Light Foundation in 1998 and Raising Malawi in 2006.
With sales of over 300 million records worldwide, Madonna is certified as the best-selling female recording artist of all time by Guinness World Records. She is the most successful solo artist in the history of the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart and holds the record for the most number-one singles by a female artist in Australia, Canada, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom. With a revenue of U.S. $1.5 billion from her concert tickets, she remains the highest-grossing solo touring artist of all time. Madonna was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2008, her first year of eligibility. She was ranked as the greatest woman in music by VH1 in 2012, and as the greatest music video artist of all time by MTV in 2003 and Billboard in 2020. Rolling Stone also listed Madonna among the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time and the 100 Greatest Songwriters of All Time.
Studio albums
Madonna (1983)
Like a Virgin (1984)
True Blue (1986)
Like a Prayer (1989)
Erotica (1992)
Bedtime Stories (1994)
Ray of Light (1998)
Music (2000)
American Life (2003)
Confessions on a Dance Floor (2005)
Hard Candy (2008)
MDNA (2012)
Rebel Heart (2015)
Madame X (2019)
Runaway Lover
Madonna Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You didn't understand or care to know
You get your education from your lovers
But now there's just no place for you to go
It doesn't pay
To be a runaway lover
It doesn't pay
You'll never get your money back
You're set adrift with no direction
Just like a ship that's lost at sea
You don't care where you drop your anchor
Make sure it doesn't land on me
It doesn't pay
To be a runaway lover
It doesn't pay
To give away what you lack
You'll never get your money back
It doesn't pay
To be a runaway lover
It doesn't pay (It doesn't pay)
To give away what you lack
You'll never get your money back (To give away, to give away)
Walking around on a cloud
'Cause every girl you meet just trips on you
Saying your name out loud
I guess you met your match
Now what will you do
Uh uh no away
It doesn't pay
To be a runaway lover
It doesn't pay
To give away what you lack
You'll never get your money back
It doesn't pay
To be a runaway lover
It doesn't pay
To give away what you lack
You'll never get your money back
Walking around on a cloud
'Cause every girl you meet just trips on you
Saying your name out loud
I guess you met your match
Now what will you do
It doesn't pay
It doesn't pay
It doesn't pay
To give your heart away
To a runaway lover
Uh uh, no way
Uh uh, no way
Uh uh, no way
In Madonna's song "Runaway Lover," she addresses a man who has lost his reputation because of a woman, but he didn't care to understand or know. She tells him that he gets his education from his lovers but now there's no place for him to go. She implies that he has given away too much of his heart and that he will never get his money back.
As the song progresses, Madonna advises the man that it doesn't pay to be a runaway lover and it doesn't pay to give away what he lacks. She compares him to a ship lost at sea, drifting with no direction. The song implies that this man is constantly meeting new women, with every girl he meets tripping over him, but he doesn't care where he drops his anchor. Madonna tells him not to drop his anchor on her, as she will never pay the price for his recklessness.
"Runaway Lover" is a song about someone who thinks they can find fulfillment in a romantic relationship but ends up losing everything they ever had in the process. It is a warning against pursuing love without any caution or thought. Madonna's lyrics point to the importance of character and reputation, as well as the long-term consequences of recklessness in romantic relations.
Line by Line Meaning
You lost your reputation on a woman
You ruined your good name by doing a bad deed to a woman
You didn't understand or care to know
You lacked empathy or interest to learn about her and her feelings
You get your education from your lovers
Your partners are the only way you learn in life
But now there's just no place for you to go
Your past behavior has caught up to you and you're out of options
It doesn't pay
It's not worth it in the end
To be a runaway lover
To run away from commitment and responsibilities in love
To give away what you lack
To offer something you don't even have yourself
You'll never get your money back
You can't get back what you've spent, in this case, emotional investment
You're set adrift with no direction
You're lost and have no idea where to go
Just like a ship that's lost at sea
You're as helpless as a boat in the middle of the ocean with no navigation
You don't care where you drop your anchor
You place little importance on where or with whom you settle down
Make sure it doesn't land on me
I don't want to be involved in your careless and reckless behavior
Walking around on a cloud
Feeling elated and euphoric
'Cause every girl you meet just trips on you
Because every woman falls so easily for you
Saying your name out loud
Announcing to others about who you are
I guess you met your match
You've finally met someone who is just like you
Now what will you do
What's your next move?
To give your heart away
To give someone your love and trust
To a runaway lover
To someone who will run away from love and leave you heartbroken
Uh uh, no way
Definitely not
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: William Orbit, Madonna Louise Ciccone
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Robert Cochran
on Die Another Day
The only good thing about that sucky film is this song