Morning Runner met in Reading, Berkshire, while in different bands. Pianist Chris "Fields" Wheatcroft moved to Reading from Salisbury, where he had dropped out of his classical music course, and singer/guitarist Matthew Greener moved there with his parents in his early teens. Ali Clewer, drummer, and bassist Tom Derrett are from Reading originally.
Following their formation, the band were soon making waves, signing to Manchester independent record label Faith & Hope in 2003. After putting out The Great Escape 7" in 2004 they played numerous gigs around the country and simultaneously became one of the most sought after bands on the A&R circuit. This led to the band signing with Parlophone in November 2004 and paved the way for a busy schedule in the year ahead.
At the start of 2006, Morning Runner embarked on an extensive three-month headline tour of the UK to promote the release of their debut album. In February, they released the single "Burning Benches", which broke the band into the top 20 of the official UK Singles Chart, as well as being made single of the week by Steve Lamacq, Scott Mills, and Colin and Edith on BBC Radio 1. Their debut album, Wilderness Is Paradise Now, was released shortly afterwards on March 6, 2006, and despite failing to make a significant impact commercially, it was critically well-received.
The band began working on their second album in September 2006. At the beginning of 2007 they played two intimate shows to showcase their new material, one on January 26 at the South Street Arts Centre in Reading, and the other on February 26 at The Zodiac in Oxford. Following more gigs in June and July, the songwriting stage of the next album was said to be nearing completion, and by August the band were seeking a record producer to work with.
However, to the shock of many of their fans, on October 10 2007, Morning Runner posted a message on their official forum announcing they were splitting up. They blamed the split on pressures from their record label, saying that Parlophone had "heaped pressure on us to have a follow up hit record", partly due to the "relative commercial failure" of their first album. Parlophone had said that their music "wasn’t commercially viable", and, after two days of contemplation, the band decided to go its separate ways. Their statement added that Matthew Greener and Ali Clewer would "probably go on to perform together in the future", and thanked fans for their support.
Since their split, Morning Runner's music has continued to be used in other media, notably "Gone Up In Flames" as the theme tune for the E4 sitcom The Inbetweeners and in the soundrack of the EA Sports game Fifa'07, and "Burning Benches" as part of the Adidas 'Impossible is Nothing' advertising campaign.
Matthew Greener and Ali Clewer have now formed a new band with friends called Glass see: http://www.myspace.com/glassofficial
Work
Morning Runner Lyrics
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We know what your about,
You cannot say,
We didn't see it,
'Cos we can see, that your slacking,
Well its another habit that your cracking,
Whats the movement if you don't move?
Im not sure, how to stick to the floor,
I smashed on to your ceiling,
Let me sleep awhile, cos I cannot stand,
Break my fingers, hold my hand
Whats the movement if you don't move?
What have you got left to prove?
And I'll write and I'll write,
But nothing here reminds me of you,
You left a post-it on your door,
Saying I don't wanna see you no more,
But sir, I know your lying,
This time I'll disappear, into my career,
Cos nothing in here reminds me of you.
Dear Sir, quietly slip away,
The last leaf fell we all saw it,
Cos we can see, that you flagging its not just your heels that your dragging,
Whats the movement if you don't move?
What have you got left to prove?
Whats the movement if you don't move?
What have you got left to prove?
And I'll write and I'll write,
But nothing here reminds me of you,
You left a post-it on your door,
"I don't wanna see you no more",
But sir I know your lying,
This time I'll disappear, into my career,
Cos nothing in here reminds me of you.
The song "Work" by Morning Runner is about someone who is slacking off at work and not putting in the effort that they should be. The singer of the song is aware of this behavior and observes the individual as they continue to struggle with their consistently poor work ethic. The song also touches on the idea that sometimes people lose motivation and need to move on from certain situations, which is perhaps why the singer decides to disappear into their career at the end of the song.
The lyrics are very direct and emphasize the importance of movement, both literally and figuratively. The repeated phrase "What's the movement if you don't move?" suggests that there is no progress without effort, and that a lack of movement will result in stunted growth. This can be applied to the situation at work, as well as personal growth and development.
The line "Let me sleep awhile, cos I cannot stand, break my fingers, hold my hand" could be interpreted as feeling overwhelmed and needing a break, but also feeling trapped and unable to move forward, both physically and mentally. Overall, the song encourages the listener to keep moving forward and to not become complacent in any aspect of their life.
Line by Line Meaning
Dear Sir,
Starting the song by addressing a person with respect.
We know what you're about,
The writer calling out the person for something they have been doing.
You cannot say,
The person being called out cannot deny the accusation.
We didn't see it,
The person being called out cannot hide from the fact that they have been guilty of something.
'Cos we can see, that your slacking,
The person being called out is being called out for their lack of hard work.
Well its another habit that your cracking,
The person being called out is being called out for not being able to keep a habit.
What's the movement if you don't move?
A rhetorical question that asks the importance of a person's actions that don't lead to progress.
What have you got left to prove?
Questioning what motivates a person to keep going when they are not making progress.
I'm not sure, how to stick to the floor,
The writer is referring to feeling stuck and not sure how to move forward.
I smashed on to your ceiling,
A metaphor used for reaching a limit or hitting a roadblock.
Let me sleep awhile, cos I cannot stand,
The person is tired and needs rest because they are unable to continue working.
Break my fingers, hold my hand
The person is referring to feeling helpless and needing support while suffering.
And I'll write and I'll write,
The songwriter is trying to express their emotions through writing.
But nothing here reminds me of you,
The person doesn't feel connected to something that used to remind them of the person they are singing about.
You left a post-it on your door,
The writer is referencing a breakup note that the person left on their door.
Saying I don't wanna see you no more,
The song is about a breakup where one person has left the other.
But sir, I know your lying,
The writer is calling out the other person's dishonesty.
This time I'll disappear, into my career,
The singer plans to focus on their career in the aftermath of the breakup.
Cos nothing in here reminds me of you.
The writer is ready to move on from the relationship.
Dear Sir, quietly slip away,
The writer is done with the relationship and is asking the person to leave quietly.
The last leaf fell we all saw it,
The songwriter is referencing the changing season, which signifies the end of a chapter.
Cos we can see, that you flagging it's not just your heels that your dragging,
The person being called out is struggling in more ways than one.
What's the movement if you don't move?
The writer is repeating a rhetorical question that signifies the importance of taking action.
What have you got left to prove?
The songwriter is questioning what motivates a person to keep going when they are not making progress.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ALISTAIR CLEWER, CHRISTOPHER WHEATCROFT, MATTHEW GREENER, TOM DERRETT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind