By the time he reached eleventh grade, he decided school was not for him and left. He spent a little over a year living dangerously and upsetting all those close to him until he met a girl who would then change his life. "It was a really tumultuous romantic relationship that lasted on and off for a few years," he says. "Then it just sort of fizzled out. I started writing songs the first time I figured out how to pinpoint that feeling of loss. I guess I was just waiting to make music until I had something to say. From then on, I realized I could write songs that really meant something to me."
The result was One By One, which Francis recorded at a friend's recording studio and released in August 2007 on Aeronaut Records. It didn't sell much, but it earned positive reviews from critics who compared Francis to a young Townes Van Zandt. The attention led to a record deal with Atlantic Records, which is releasing Before Nightfall.
Written over the summer of 2008 and recorded in March 2009, Before Nightfall is a snapshot of where Francis is now. "When people listen to the album, I want them to feel happy," he says. "I feel uplifted when I hear these songs; they don't bring me down. I hope people will be able to relate to them and feel as though whatever is going on in their lives is going to be okay."
!! There is other Robert Francis, author of cd: The Sitting Bull Suite
Keep On Running
Robert Francis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You said your family's gone, you can't help me anymore.
I heard you knocking, I heard you say, it's not funny that things have to turn out this way.
I broke out into the night for something out of sight, kept moving faster.
Decisions I made, losing you to the narrowing light.
I always loved you, you knew I always loved you.
Oncoming traffic, fading into...
The end of the world, you know I'll keep on running.
We gotta get out of here before the cops start coming.
I held a job for a while, to keep you happy, to keep you laughing.
I knew it wasn't enough, I could not keep acting tough.
And I would find you, just the way I raised you, those pale green eyes, burning into...
In Robert Francis's song "Keep On Running," the singer is dealing with a complicated situation involving a loved one. The song opens with the person showing up at the singer's door, explaining that their family is gone and they can't help anymore. The singer seems hesitant to let them in and acknowledges that things have taken a turn for the worse. The following lines describe the singer's attempt to escape the situation, running away while contemplating their past decisions and their love for the person.
At the chorus, Francis demonstrates that the problem at the center of the song is more complicated than just a fraught relationship. He sings, "The end of the world, you know I'll keep on running. We gotta get out of here before the cops start coming." This sets a tone of panic and urgency, suggesting that the dangerous situation might be criminal in nature.
Later in the song, the singer reflects on their previous attempt to make things work, holding down a job to keep their loved one happy. But they admit that their effort was futile, acknowledging that they "couldn't keep acting tough." The song winds down with the singer once again mentioning the person's green eyes burning into their memory.
Overall, the song depicts a tense and complicated situation between two people that involves family, the law, and a sense of personal responsibility.
Line by Line Meaning
I heard you knocking at my back door.
Someone came to my house unannounced and knocked on the back door.
You said your family's gone, you can't help me anymore.
This person informed me that their family was gone and that they could no longer offer help to me.
I heard you knocking, I heard you say, it's not funny that things have to turn out this way.
I noticed that the person who came to my house was upset and mentioned that the current situation was not humorous.
I broke out into the night for something out of sight, kept moving faster.
I fled into the darkness in search of a mysterious goal, hastening my pace as I did so.
Decisions I made, losing you to the narrowing light.
The choices I made led to me losing someone, as the world seemed to be shrinking around me.
I always loved you, you knew I always loved you.
I had never stopped loving the person I had lost.
Oncoming traffic, fading into...
Cars were getting closer, then everything started to diminish into the distance.
The end of the world, you know I'll keep on running.
Even if it feels like everything is coming to a close, I will continue to move forward.
We gotta get out of here before the cops start coming.
For our own safety, we must leave immediately before the authorities arrive.
I held a job for a while, to keep you happy, to keep you laughing.
I worked to maintain your happiness, to ensure that you were content with your life.
I knew it wasn't enough, I could not keep acting tough.
However, I eventually realized that my efforts were insufficient, and I could no longer pretend to be strong.
And I would find you, just the way I raised you, those pale green eyes, burning into...
If I ever were to come across you again, you would look just as I remembered you, with your striking green eyes staring directly at me.
Contributed by Avery F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@sarahwashington00
Nobody remembers this song but I do ✌🏾
@Emissary369
I never forgot it I play it almost everyday along with magic
@Emissary369
If your reading this.. you have the best taste in music I applaud you now put this song in your playlist! July 14th 2020
@Emissary369
Every year since 2014
@Sharpasathistle
Robert Francis gets me through some rough times. Hes brilliant
@Enayico
My favorite singer. Une si belle voie, de si belles paroles, une si grande présence. Chacune de ses chansons laisse dégager des émotions différentes et tellement profondes... (désolé pour le français ^^')
@jones9625
So underrated but he has so much talent.
@madreflex3830
Laura Jones yah its one of my favorite singer that i discovred him through my older brother who admired him so much that he very looks like him .anyway our generation does not deserve him. sorry for my english though
@doughnutface
"these summer nights are way too long, oooohh ooh ooh oooooh, these summer night go ooonn and ooonnn, ooooh ooh ooh oooooh!" don't worry i still love you man! keep it up dude.
@MrsKateKnowsBetter
so great textes and deep voice - perfect!