Nowhere To Run
Martha Reeves / The Vandellas Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Got nowhere to run to, baby, nowhere to hide.
It's not love, I'm a running from,
It's the heartbreak I know will come.
'Cause I know you're no good for me, but you've become a part of me.
Ev'rywhere I go, your face I see, ev'ry step I take, you take with me yeah
Nowhere to run to, baby, nowhere to hide
I know you're not good for me, but free of you I'll never be, no.
Each night as I sleep, into my heart you creep.
I wake up feelin' sorry I met you, hoping soon that I'll forget you.
When I look in the mirror to comb my hair
I see your face just a smiling there.
Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide from you baby,
Got nowhere to run to, baby, nowhere to hide.
I know you're no good for me, but you've become a part of me,
How can I fight a lover, that shouldn't be, when it's so deep,
So deep, deep inside of me
My love reaches so high I can't get over it
It's so wide I can't get around it, no
Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide from you baby
Just can't get away from you baby, no matter how I try to
I know you're no good for me, but free of you I'll never be,
Nowhere to run to baby, nowhere to hide, got nowhere to run to baby.
The song "Nowhere to Run" by Martha Reeves & The Vandellas is a high-energy, up-tempo track that brings the listener on an emotional rollercoaster. The lyrics capture the feeling of being trapped in a toxic relationship, unable to escape the pain and heartbreak that comes with it. The title and chorus "Nowhere to run to, baby, nowhere to hide, got nowhere to run to, baby, nowhere to hide" emphasize the hopelessness of the situation, as the singer is unable to flee from the love that is hurting her.
The lyrics reveal that it is not love that the singer is running from, but the heartbreak that she knows will inevitably come with it. Although she is aware that her lover is no good for her and has become a part of her, she cannot seem to escape him, as he is everywhere she goes, and his face is imprinted in her mind. The singer wakes up feeling sorry for meeting her lover and hoping that she will soon forget him, but he has become so deeply ingrained in her heart that she cannot escape her love for him. The final lines of the song show how she is trapped by her own love, unable to escape, no matter how hard she tries.
Line by Line Meaning
Nowhere to run to, baby, nowhere to hide
Feeling trapped and unable to evade heartbreak and disappointment.
Got nowhere to run to, baby, nowhere to hide.
Continuation of feeling trapped and unable to escape.
It's not love, I'm a running from,
Not running from love, but rather running from the impending heartbreak.
It's the heartbreak I know will come.
Feeling certain that heartbreak and pain are inevitable.
'Cause I know you're no good for me, but you've become a part of me.
Acknowledging that the person is toxic, yet still feeling attached and unable to let go.
Ev'rywhere I go, your face I see,
Unable to escape the constant reminder and presence of the person.
ev'ry step I take, you take with me yeah
Feeling like the person is always with them, even when physically apart.
I know you're not good for me, but free of you I'll never be, no.
Knowing that the person is not good for them, yet still feeling unable to break away.
Each night as I sleep, into my heart you creep.
The person is invading their thoughts and feelings, even in their subconscious.
I wake up feelin' sorry I met you, hoping soon that I'll forget you.
Regretting meeting the person and wishing to move on and forget them.
When I look in the mirror to comb my hair
Even when performing mundane tasks, the person is on their mind.
I see your face just a smiling there.
The person's presence is constant and unrelenting.
I know you're no good for me, but you've become a part of me,
Reiterating the feeling of being attached and unable to break away from the person.
How can I fight a lover, that shouldn't be, when it's so deep,
Feeling unable to resist the strong emotions and attachment to the person, even though the relationship is unfavorable.
So deep, deep inside of me
The deep attachment and feelings towards the person are ingrained and almost impossible to remove.
My love reaches so high I can't get over it
The feelings and attachment towards the person are overpowering and difficult to move past.
It's so wide I can't get around it, no
The attachment and feelings are all-consuming and difficult to avoid or evade.
Just can't get away from you baby, no matter how I try to
Feeling like they are constantly being pulled back towards the person, even when trying to break away.
Nowhere to run to baby, nowhere to hide, got nowhere to run to baby.
Reiterating the feeling of being trapped and unable to escape the impending heartbreak and pain.
Lyrics ยฉ Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: EDWARD JR. HOLLAND, LAMONT DOZIER, BRIAN HOLLAND
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Tarantulisimo
Martha Reeves - Lead vocals
Rosalind Ashford & Betty Kelly - background vocals
The Funk Brothers - All instruments
Benny Benjamin: drums
James Jamerson: bass guitar
Earl Van Dyke: Wurlitzer electric piano
Jack Ashford: percussion, tambourine, vibes
Ivy Jo Hunter: Detroit snow chains
Robert White: guitar
Eddie Willis: guitar
Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier and Edward Holland, Jr. - songwriters
Lamont Dozier and Brian Holland - producers
@markplane5994
I start Spring Cleaning tomorrow and my stereo is going to get abused with Martha, Aretha, Motown and Northern Soul.( if you are familiar with the Northern Soul Genre) Nothing under 50 years old and I am going to literally shake the house as I clean (unless I blow my speakers, which would be a really bad day) Don't know about my hips being loosened, but I could have very well dislocated them by the end of the day. lol.
If you are not from the UK, have a look at this.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_soul
Here is a quick preview.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8TEyxwXIRPs&list=PLfMaV_DTTyta-hFFXFtw0OyeNqRUfOx9x&index=3
@ramsnover3599
63 yrs old, Detroit Bred, Every 2 days i heard a new motown song come out when i was young...
@markcf83
I don't doubt it for one minute. Motown were prolific.
@ralphsorrenti1602
At 65 I hear this music and I say to myself GOD I was luckly to be alive, when this music first came out. You wil NEVER EVER hear music like this again.
@salimaalazri9664
don't i wish i lived then cause i believe i was born into the wrong era when the musics actually meant something, unlike the garbage the produce these days :(
@motowngirl5891
Never
@beautyan5309
Truth
@frankmalinaro9700
~~ at 73 ..I hear ya...really blessed we are . The crap they call music today is unlistenable to me.ย
My motto is " Pick a decade and be true to it ".
@Snuffnguts
I'm lucky in this gen cause I can listen to it for free lmfao
@authenticallykyle
This song is so recognizable, makes me think of so many movies I love. Congratulations on Martha's Hollywood star today โค
@lettsifo
It has been almost fifty years since I served in the South Vietnam War. But this song a;ways moves me to tears when I think of buddies lost in that senseless war. It still sadden me to think that they were given a chance to grow up and become men. Three of them were still in their teens when they died.