Says Alex of the first single from the fourth Oh Mercy album - still untitled... “Sandy is a fast song. Faster than the other ones. Or slower. It really just depends on how you count the bars. And which song you compare it to. Faster than a real slow song. Slower than a real fast one. Sandy is a stuck in the middle kind of song. I wrote it in Nashville. I was walking to a Mexican restaurant. It's about self loathing. And self loathing by way of resenting someone who loves you. Just for loving you! (what a world!!!). It's a little about needing it. But wishing you didn’t need it. In the end you're god damn glad you got it.”
Alex Gow recently returned home to Melbourne from the States where he spent time in Nashville, Portland and Los Angeles, disconnected and rootless - a ‘romatic saboteur’ creating his forthcoming album.
Read the album’s travel diary here: http://www.ohmercy.com.au/about/
Gow is one of Australia’s most acclaimed singer/songwriters. Releasing three albums by the time he was 25, he won the ‘Outstanding Potential Award’ at the AMP’s in 2009 and was awarded the EG Music ‘Outstanding Achivement’ Award in 2012. He also has a string of ARIA nominations under his belt for the albums Privileged Woes, Great Barrier Grief and most recent, Deep Heat.
On the Run
Oh Mercy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm on the road to a nowhere land
I paid my dues I said what's done is done
I'm on the road to a nowhere land
CHORUS
Girl
And I want you to be my
Girl
I'm on the run
And I want you to be my
Girl
I love my kids but I hate my wife
I'm on the road to a nowhere land
I felt what was wrong but I couldn't put it right (damn)
I'm on the road to a nowhere land
CHORUS
The lyrics to Oh Mercy's song "On The Run" convey a sense of aimlessness and desperation. The singer is on the road to "nowhere land," a place where he feels lost and directionless. He acknowledges that he has "paid his dues" and that he can't change the past, but he still can't seem to find his way.
The chorus of the song is directed at a specific person, a girl. The singer pleads with her to be his, saying that he needs her to help him find his way. Despite his confession that he loves his kids but hates his wife, he sees this girl as an answer to his problems. The repetition of the phrase "I'm on the run" speaks to the urgency and desperation of the situation - the singer can't stay where he is and needs to find a new path.
The line "I felt what was wrong but I couldn't put it right" is particularly poignant. It speaks to the struggle many people face when they know something is wrong in their lives but can't seem to fix it. The sense of regret and frustration in this lyric adds to the overall sense of unease and restlessness that pervades the song.
Overall, "On The Run" is a powerful exploration of the human condition. It speaks to the fact that we all feel lost and directionless at times, and that sometimes we need someone else to help us find our way.
Line by Line Meaning
Under that sun, that beating sun
I am traveling in the scorching heat of the sun.
I'm on the road to a nowhere land
I am traveling aimlessly and without destination.
I paid my dues I said what's done is done
I have experienced consequences for my actions and am accepting them.
Girl, I'm on the run
I am fleeing from something or someone and seeking help from a female companion.
And I want you to be my girl
I desire a romantic relationship with this female companion.
I love my kids but I hate my wife
I have conflicted feelings about my family and my marital relationship.
I felt what was wrong but I couldn't put it right (damn)
I recognized that something was amiss but was unable to correct it.
Girl, I'm on the run
I continue to seek refuge in the company of this female companion.
And I want you to be my girl
My yearning for a romantic connection with this female companion persists.
Contributed by Max M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Trystan Kaes
How doesn't this have a million more views?