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)
Ravenscraig
Runrig Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Night fell down like a shroud
And it's caught me drinking, trying to turn back the clock
Through this industrial ghost town
I've known graft and I've voted well
Trying to keep the Lowlands red
But all I gets control in foreign hands
All I want is a roof over my head
All I want is a steady job
All I want to do is say I love you
With every penny I've got
And all I think about are Debbie and Jane
To give them some kind of chance in life
But the long road running out the strip mill gate
Has got me walking that line
We never stretched our dance hall dreams
We got it just about right
There's little escape from a working town
And from a working life
I placed my future in the palm of your hand
One autumn Friday at the Church of All Saints
There's no investment here in life or in love
And now it's getting too late
All I want is a roof over my head
All I want is a steady job
All I want to do is say I love you
With every penny I've got
And all I think about are Debbie and Jane
To give them some kind of chance in life
But the long road running out the strip mill gate
Has got me walking that line
Has got me walking that line
Has got me walking that line
The lyrics of the song "Ravenscraig" by Runrig portray the struggles of the working class living in an industrial ghost town. The opening lines "Word came like a hammer, Night fell down like a shroud" depicts the sudden and ominous announcement of Ravenscraig steelworks' closure. The singer, caught drinking, is trying to turn back the clock and reminisces about his life in the town. He talks about grafting hard and voting red to keep the Lowlands under control but to no avail. The town's industries were sold to foreign investors, and the singer finds himself struggling to find work.
The chorus "All I want is a roof over my head, All I want is a steady job, All I want to do is say I love you, With every penny I've got" reiterates the simple and essential needs of a man trying to provide for his family. The long hours walking out the strip mills' gates have caught up with him, and he finds himself walking that line. The line becomes significant as it portrays the singer's inner conflict of leaving the town and the family for work, yet he cannot provide for them if he leaves.
The final lines, "There's no investment here in life or in love, And now it's getting too late," talks about the lost opportunities and investments in the town and the singer's life. The town's closure signifies the end of an era, and it is too late to make amends.
Line by Line Meaning
Word came like a hammer
Unexpected news hit me hard
Night fell down like a shroud
Darkness surrounded me
And it's caught me drinking, trying to turn back the clock
I'm trying to cope by going back to the past
Through this industrial ghost town
I'm wandering around a deserted industrial area
I've known graft and I've voted well
I've worked hard and supported my community
Trying to keep the Lowlands red
I tried to keep the Labour Party in power
But all I gets control in foreign hands
Foreign companies have taken over control
Other colours instead
Different political parties have taken over
All I want is a roof over my head
I want a stable place to live
All I want is a steady job
I want a reliable source of income
All I want to do is say I love you
I want to express my love freely
With every penny I've got
I want to give everything I have
And all I think about are Debbie and Jane
I think about my loved ones and their future
To give them some kind of chance in life
I want to provide opportunities for them
But the long road running out the strip mill gate
The path ahead seems bleak
Has got me walking that line
I'm struggling to keep going
We never stretched our dance hall dreams
Our aspirations were limited
We got it just about right
We made the most of what we had
There's little escape from a working town
It's hard to leave a town built around industry
And from a working life
It's hard to break free from a life of labor
I placed my future in the palm of your hand
I trusted someone with my future
One autumn Friday at the Church of All Saints
The memory is from a specific event
There's no investment here in life or in love
There's no return on investment in this situation
And now it's getting too late
It's becoming harder to change things
Has got me walking that line
I'm struggling to keep going
Has got me walking that line
I'm struggling to keep going
Contributed by Charlotte H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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.