Runrig began in 1973 as a three-piece named the "Run Rig Dance Band", its members comprising Calum Macdonald and Rory Macdonald, and their friend, accordionist Blair Douglas. The line-up played its first gig at the Kelvin Hall in Glasgow. Donnie Munro joined the following year and the band started to expand outside its native Skye. Douglas left the band in late 1974 and was replaced by Robert Macdonald, with Campbell Gunn joining for a brief spell in 1976. This line-up continued until 1978, when Blair Douglas re-joined and multi-instrumentalist Malcolm Jones became guitarist, both displacing Macdonald. This lasted until the following year when Douglas left again to pursue a solo career. 1980 saw the arrival of drummer Iain Bayne (ex-New Celeste) and 1981 that of keyboard player Richard Cherns. Cherns left in February 1986 and was replaced by ex-Big Country member Peter Wishart. This formed what became known as the classic line-up for the next 11 years.
In 1997, lead singer Donnie Munro left the band for a career in politics, but later resumed his musical career to become a solo artist. The remaining members contemplated splitting up, but after a long search they replaced Donnie with Canadian singer-songwriter Bruce Guthro. This issue has divided Runrig's fan base; some argue that the loss of Donnie's highly distinctive vocals and his ability to sing in both Gaelic and English has not been truly compensated for by Bruce, whose vocal style is much lighter and who is not a Gaelic speaker. Others claim that the fact that Bruce has such a different voice has allowed Runrig to evolve musically in ways that it might not have done were Donnie still with them.
In 2001, Peter Wishart, the band's keyboard player, left after being elected Member of Parliament for the constituency of Tayside North for the Scottish National Party. Brian Hurren stepped in to take Wishart's place in the band.
The band "pulled down the curtain" on their 45 year career with a final concert in Stirling on 18th August 2018, titled "The Last Dance".
Membership
- Bruce Guthro (Lead vocals, guitar)
- Rory Macdonald (Songwriter, bass, vocals)
- Calum Macdonald (Songwriter, percussion)
- Malcolm Jones[ (Guitars, pipes, accordion)
- Iain Bayne (Drums)
- Brian Hurren (Keyboards, vocals)
Past members
- Donnie Munro (Lead vocals, guitar)
- Peter Wishart (Keyboards)
- Richard Cherns (Keyboards)
- Blair Douglas (Accordion, keyboards)
- Robert Macdonald (Accordion)
- Campbell Gunn (Vocals)
City of lights
Runrig Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Enchanted ballrooms where I lost my life
I've closed my eyes
On your fairground smile
Seedy heroes and silver tills
Sinking suns on a sea of thrills
I place my bets
Trading with strangers in silhouette
There's a sadness
There's a joy
There's a place
There's a song that will never die
Forever
I drink your health, son of the earth
Passing ships in the modern death
We're all still fired
Old emotions still burn inside
On solid ground, 'round the mother tongue
A tower of hope, a joyful sound
You take your time
A hand of aces in a pack of lies
There's a sadness
There's a joy
There's a place
There's a song that will never die
Another night in this town
Holds me close
Holds me there, in the searchlight
Forever
I found my song and I started to sing
Took me away on an olden wing
So far from home
Standing so lonely but not alone
In this empire of ache and rhyme
Lovers and best friends are running blind
I grasp your hand
Is this the only world I understand?
There's a sadness
There's a joy
There's a place
There's a song that will never die
Another night in this town
Holds me close
Holds me there, in the searchlight
Oh, forever
And ever, and ever, and ever, and ever
And ever, and ever, and ever, and ever, and ever
And ever, and ever, and ever, and ever, and ever
And ever, and ever, and ever, and ever, and ever
And ever, and ever, and ever, and ever, and ever
And ever, and ever
The lyrics to Runrig's "City of Lights" speak to the experience of wandering through a dynamic, buzzing city and all the emotions it can evoke. The singer has arrived in this "city of lights," a place he finds enchanting but also filled with seedy characters and complex emotions. He recounts losing himself in "enchanted ballrooms" where he "closed [his] eyes on [a] fairground smile." The city is full of "silver tills" and "trading with strangers in silhouette," painting a picture of a bustling, crowded metropolis where anything can happen.
The chorus speaks to the range of emotions that such a city can evoke: there's both sadness and joy, and the implication that there is something special about this particular place - a "song that will never die." The second verse further explores this idea, with the singer toasting to the "son of the earth" and feeling a sense of camaraderie with the other people in the city, despite their anonymity ("passing ships in the modern death"). The line "old emotions still burn inside" suggests a sense of nostalgia or an awareness of tradition, as well as the idea that despite the city's many changes, some things remain constant.
As the song progresses, the singer continues to navigate the city's many complexities - standing "so lonely but not alone" and struggling to understand what he calls "this empire of ache and rhyme." Despite the sense of isolation and confusion, the singer also finds friendship and connection, "grasp[ing] your hand" and finding solace in the power of song. Through it all, the idea of the city's endlessness and timelessness persists: "another night in this town holds me close... in the searchlight, forever."
Line by Line Meaning
I arrived in the city of lights
I came to the city of bright lights.
Enchanted ballrooms where I lost my life
I experienced wondrous and lively ballrooms, which ended up consuming my life, leaving me breathless.
I've closed my eyes
I am ignorant of the world around me, blinded by the glamour.
On your fairground smile
I relied on your façade of a kind smile to guide me through the fairground.
Seedy heroes and silver tills
Amidst the corrupt people I met, I was drawn to those who resembled heroes, and those sat behind the shiny cash tills.
Sinking suns on a sea of thrills
Fading sunsets on a sea of excitement and liveness.
I place my bets
I took risks and gambled.
Trading with strangers in silhouette
I did business with strangers whose forms were unclear and mysterious.
There's a sadness
I acknowledge a sense of melancholy.
There's a joy
There is also a sense of cheerfulness and elation.
There's a place
This location holds significance in my life.
There's a song that will never die
This melody will remain eternally alive and memorable.
Forever
For all of eternity.
I drink your health, son of the earth
I offer a toast and a gesture of kindness to you, child of the land.
Passing ships in the modern death
Like ships in the night, we move past one another towards modern decay and ruin.
We're all still fired
We are all still passionate and ignited with life.
Old emotions still burn inside
Past feelings and passions still stir within us.
On solid ground, 'round the mother tongue
On stable land, around the familiar tongue and culture.
A tower of hope, a joyful sound
A beacon of optimism and enthusiasm, with a happy noise to express it.
You take your time
There is no need to hurry, and you can proceed at your own pace.
A hand of aces in a pack of lies
Amidst the deceit and falsehoods, I have a powerful and valuable advantage.
Another night in this town
Yet another evening in this location.
Holds me close
This town has a strong hold on me, and I can't seem to leave.
Holds me there, in the searchlight
I am stuck in the spotlight, searching for something elusive.
I found my song and I started to sing
I discovered my unique voice and began to express myself.
Took me away on an olden wing
My song swept me away, like a bird on the wing of the past.
So far from home
I am distant from my place of origin.
Standing so lonely but not alone
Though I am standing by myself, I do not feel entirely abandoned.
In this empire of ache and rhyme
In this kingdom of pain and poetry,
Lovers and best friends are running blind
Even those in love and with close friends are lost and unsure of the way.
I grasp your hand
I reach out to you and hold your hand tightly.
Is this the only world I understand?
Is this my only true reality, and do I comprehend it fully?
And ever, and ever
Forever and ever, without end.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Calum MacDonald, Rory MacDonald
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
mgraebner
on Rise and Fall
and thinking about if he can survive
mgraebner
on Rise and Fall
all these tries of explanation fail if you fail to accept the connotation
this is from a soldier in WW2 fighting in Normandy. trying to reach
Caen thru the bocage (their version of wind-stopping hedges)
Colin Souter
on Dust
IMHO, the line by line meaning given, strongly underplays the significance of the words, “Lowland Scots with English habits, brought me to its Lowland manners.” It speaks to the cultural loss of the Gaels’ way of life in favour of a creeping transition to an alien society with alien values imported by those who have abandoned their own, in favour of becoming “English”. It resonates with an incredible strength for anyone who rejects Westminster politics/corruption and supports Scottish independence.