After relocating to Hamburg in 2003, Nneka has been working closely with the hip hop beatmaker DJ Farhot. As a young singer she first gained public attention in 2004 while performing as an opening act for dancehall reggae star Sean Paul at Hamburg Stadtpark. After much acclaim, Nneka released her debut EP The Uncomfortable Truth with the music label Yo Mama's Recording Company after which she performed on her first tour with Patrice, playing shows in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
She finished recording her first album in the autumn of 2005. Entitled Victim of Truth. Garnering rave reviews from the media, the UK's Sunday Times later declared it “the year’s most criminally overlooked album”, comparing it favourably to 'The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill'.
In February 2008, she released her second album, No Longer at Ease. The title of the album is taken from a novel of the same name by Chinua Achebe and reflects the lyrical content of the record. Most of the songs are political, talking about the plight of the Niger Delta and the corruption in Nneka’s homeland. “No Longer at Ease” combines the political and the personal in “a winning mix of soul, hip-hop an reggae”. The lead single from it, "Heartbeat", became her first song to break into the German Top 50.
In November 2009, Nneka staged her first concert tour of the United States where she performed shows in New York City, Vienna (Washington DC), Boston, Philadelphia, Los Angeles and San Francisco. Furthermore she was a special guest on The Roots Jam session. Her first US release Concrete Jungle was set for 2 February 2010.
Nneka recorded her last album Soul Is Heavy in Nigeria. She also co-founded a charity foundation called the "ROPE foundation" with Genda, Ahmed Nyei from Sierra Leone. She has worked extensively in charity and arts with the foundation in Sierra Leone. Nneka has also worked with Reebok and her track "Shinning" topped global charts in 2013.
running away
Nneka Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Oh denying feelings I have inside when you are near me
Something within me makes me feel so out of place
I am running away, running away, running away
Running away from you
It is true
I am taking my space, taking my space, taking my space
It is true
It was love in the first place, must admit you really blew me away
All the music inside of me, got me feeling some kind of madness
It was love, it was love, it was love
In Nneka's song Running Away, the singer is describing her struggle with denying her feelings for someone when they are close to her. She expresses this feeling of being out of place and how it leads her to run away. She repeats the phrases "running away" and "taking my space" to emphasize the fact that she needs to distance herself from this person. The lyrics suggest that she is conflicted about her feelings - on one hand, she's been blown away by this person's love and they had great chemistry from the start, but on the other hand, she's struggling to come to terms with these emotions.
The repetition of the phrase "it was love" suggests that the singer is trying to convince herself that what she feels is genuine, but she's still not ready to confront it yet. The song highlights how sometimes it can be difficult to be vulnerable and honest about our emotions, even when we know that we are in love.
Overall, Nneka's Running Away is a relatable and emotive portrayal of the complexity of romantic feelings and the struggle to accept them.
Line by Line Meaning
I have been hiding, contemplating
I've been avoiding facing my feelings and have been deep in thought about it
Oh denying feelings I have inside when you are near me
I've been refusing to acknowledge my emotions when I'm around you
Something within me makes me feel so out of place
There's a part of me that doesn't belong when I'm near you
I am running away, running away, running away
I'm deliberately putting distance between us
Running away from you
I'm physically and emotionally distancing myself from you
It is true
This is a fact, not a lie
I am taking my space, taking my space, taking my space
I'm claiming my personal boundaries and physical distance from you
Taking my distance from you
I'm establishing distance to protect myself emotionally
It is true
This is a fact, not a lie
It was love in the first place, must admit you really blew me away
I originally felt love for you, and I have to admit you had a strong impact on me
All the music inside of me, got me feeling some kind of madness
My deep feelings for you are causing emotional chaos within me
It was love, it was love, it was love
I did truly love you, although I can't be with you now
Contributed by Hudson G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@dianta88
I have been hiding, contemplating
Oh denying feelings I have inside when you are near me
Something within me makes me feel so out of place
I am running away, running away, running away
Running away from you
It is true
I am taking my space, taking my space, taking my space
Taking my distance from you
It is true
It was love in the first place, must admit you really blew me away
All the music inside of me, got me feeling some kind of madness
It was love, it was love, it was love
@NoDoyPieConBola
I can fly with the Nneka's voice She's magic!
@sarsquare
She seems to be one of those artists who are as good live as on the track.
@kinkycoiled
Love it!! Real music!
@GinaGibbons
so talented. LOVED her live. amazing.
@RedLetterChick
If anyone has the "Dre's Beats" headphones...this is one of the best songs to listen to with them... you would NOT BELIEVE THE BASS that emerges from this track..wow.
@dianta88
I have been hiding, contemplating
Oh denying feelings I have inside when you are near me
Something within me makes me feel so out of place
I am running away, running away, running away
Running away from you
It is true
I am taking my space, taking my space, taking my space
Taking my distance from you
It is true
It was love in the first place, must admit you really blew me away
All the music inside of me, got me feeling some kind of madness
It was love, it was love, it was love
@roccorn9044
I love this lovely song.
@TrillianS8
Every song i go to is amazing, LOVE her :D
@IntegralFusion
such consistently appreciative comments, the most resounding from <my> heart <too>. Nneka,you got it, and give it so nicely. One love, and thank you
@kevila8916
refreshing! love her!