Receiving a hand up in this business of music from the likes of Ray Wylie Hubbard is no small accomplishment, and that mentorship – and sometimes harsh instruction – was not lost on Sam Riggs, who has had the fortunate opportunity to meander through Wylie’s cerebral countryside over the last few years. At the time of their meeting, Riggs was already a commercially-viable songwriter with an impressive root system, having sprung from his family’s musical genes; but he was still feeding off the unripe fruits of his youth. Through the songwriting school of Hubbard, he learned the time-honored virtue of patience and the aptitude for turning the rough and tumble falls to the ground into a steady, recovered gait.
“He opened my eyes to songwriting, and I could see the idiot I had been and the idiot I was going to be, and he helped me to navigate that. He taught me what it really is to be a songwriter.”
Those rough and tumble falls steadily began upon Riggs’ relocation in 2007 from his home base in Florida to Austin, Texas, after some friends brought him a CD from the prominent Texas-based band, Reckless Kelly. Their unprocessed lyrics and raw production hit Riggs squarely between the eyes, like hammer on nail, driving him to plant his personal flag in a place where he could be his own artist. His inception was less than spectacular, as he struggled to imprint himself on the hearts of Texas Music fans while also drawing heavy influence from commercial radio. With hard stares and indifferent responses, Riggs diligently worked to strip down the polish and bring out the more natural shine – a task that resulted from the truth that, as Riggs so accurately put it, “You can’t bullshit a Texan.” The experience was both a breath of fresh air and a simultaneous smack in the face, and it ultimately cultivated the signature collection that is his debut record release, OUTRUN THE SUN.
“The only thing that matters is how you interpret this life. I wanted this to be reflection of my intent and an echo of my soul as songwriter and artist.”
Following the release of the 2012 EP, Lighthouse, OUTRUN THE SUN is a perfectly ripened delicacy that will be available for the picking on October 29, 2013, on Nashville-based Vision Entertainment. Produced by Erik Herbst (Eli Young Band, Bowling For Soup, Josh Abbott Band), the debut album of Sam Riggs & The Night People signals a lyrical comprehension that reaches far beyond Sam’s years, and musical compositions that are both brave and progressive. The driving will in “Longshot”; the matter of abuse in “The Change”; and the love-provoked courage in “Lighthouse” are just a few of the towering giants included in this release.
The record is fully backed by a live show that comes out swinging and keeps the energy high. Having opened for acts that include Chris Knight; Joe Diffie; Kevin Fowler; Pat Green; the Eli Young Band; the Randy Rogers Band; and, of course, Ray Wylie Hubbard, Sam Riggs & The Night People have become well-educated in the art of working a crowd. Riggs himself never fails to dazzle with his “musical chair” performances that never restrict him to one location on the stage. Vocals, electric and acoustic guitars, banjo, fiddle, and even drums are all part of the magic that he hypnotically spins on a nightly basis.
“Your audience is like a dreamer, and the last thing you want to do is wake a dreamer. We try to draw them in with our music and keep them entranced in that dream.”
Run
Sam Riggs Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But you've been hurt for the last time
Tired of going through the motions just to wreck your emotions
Yeah there's blood on your sleeve where your heart used to be
And it's not too hard to see
All you wanna do is run
To the beat of a broken heart
Blacked out headlights cutting through the dark
Fading in the rearview mirror
You just run 'til the white line starts to blur
Till the RPMs push past the hurt
And the daylight finds you anywhere but here
All you wanna do is run
All you wanna do is run
Yeah what you need these days is more than a scene-change
You've been living in the bright lights, a slave to the night life
You want a love you can keep but you're laying with thieves, baby
And it's not too hard to see
All you wanna do is run
To the beat of a broken heart
Blacked out headlights cutting through the dark
Skyline and a thousand scars
Fading in the rearview mirror
You just run 'til the white line starts to blur
Till the RPMs push past the hurt
And the daylight finds you anywhere but here
All you wanna do is run
All you wanna do is run
You just run
To the beat of a broken heart
Blacked out headlights cutting through the dark
Skyline and a thousand scars
Fading in the rearview mirror
You just run 'til the white line starts to blur
And the RPMs push back the hurt
And the daylight finds you anywhere but here
All you gotta do is run
The song Run by Sam Riggs tells the story of a person who is tired of being hurt by love and life in general. The opening lyric, "it's like pain is a past time" sets the tone of someone who has grown accustomed to being hurt. However, they have been hurt for the last time and are ready to move on. They are tired of going through the motions just to wreck their emotions. All they want to do is run away from all the hurt and pain they are feeling.
The chorus is a powerful statement of the emotion behind the song. "To the beat of a broken heart, blacked-out headlights cutting through the dark, skyline and a thousand scars fading in the rearview mirror." The imagery in this chorus is haunting and beautiful, capturing the essence of someone running away from all that hurts them. The person is running to the beat of their broken heart, with scars that have become a part of their skyline. They just want to keep running until they escape the pain and hurt and find solace elsewhere.
The second verse talks about the need for a change in someone's life. They have been living a life of bright lights and the night-life, chasing temporary highs that left them empty. The person wants a love they can keep and nurture, but the people they have been with have been thieves, stealing their heart and leaving them feeling used. The chorus repeats twice more, emphasizing the desire to run away from everything.
Line by Line Meaning
It's like pain is a past time
Feeling pain has become a habit or routine.
But you've been hurt for the last time
You have reached your limit of being hurt and want to move on from it.
Tired of going through the motions just to wreck your emotions
You are exhausted from pretending to be okay when really it is causing you emotional distress.
Yeah there's blood on your sleeve where your heart used to be
You have been hurt so many times that you feel like you no longer have a heart and are emotionally numb.
And it's not too hard to see
It is obvious to others that you are hurt and struggling to cope.
All you wanna do is run
You want to leave your problems and pain behind and escape.
To the beat of a broken heart
You want to move on to the rhythm of your broken heart.
Blacked out headlights cutting through the dark
You are driving away in the dark of night with no clear direction.
Skyline and a thousand scars
You are leaving behind a cityscape and a trail of emotional scars.
Fading in the rearview mirror
You are leaving your past behind and it is becoming a distant memory.
You just run 'til the white line starts to blur
You keep driving until everything around you becomes a blur, signifying that you are leaving everything behind.
Till the RPMs push past the hurt
You speed up to escape the pain and hurt you are feeling.
And the daylight finds you anywhere but here
You continue to run until you find a new place to be and start afresh.
Yeah what you need these days is more than a scene-change
Changing your surroundings is not enough, you need something more to heal.
You've been living in the bright lights, a slave to the night life
You have been living a fast-paced, party-filled lifestyle but it is not fulfilling and instead is causing harm.
You want a love you can keep but you're laying with thieves, baby
You want a meaningful and stable relationship, but you keep choosing people who are not good for you.
You just run
You keep running away from your problems and emotional pain.
And the RPMs push back the hurt
Your speeding car helps to alleviate the hurt you feel by distracting from your emotional pain.
All you gotta do is run
In order to move on and start anew, all you feel like you can do is run.
Writer(s): Sam Riggs, Andy Sheridan, Aby Gutierrez
Contributed by Cooper E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.