In Australia, the song was ranked #77 on Triple J's Hottest 100 of 2004.
Written by Lightbody, McClelland (now with Little Doses), Quinn, Archer, Connelly
Lead singer Gary Lightbody said of the song in Q Magazine April 2007: "I've never told anyone before and I don't want to spoil it for people because it has its own meaning for them. But in 2000 I was on a massive bender and one night I was drinking in the bar of the Glasgow School Of Art. I fell down a full flight of stairs. Jonny Quinn (Snow Patrol's drummer) found me in the stairwell with blood coming out of my head. He said I looked like a police chalk line and he thought I was dead.
I was very lucky. A fall like that could easily finish you off. I split my head open and my eye was closed and I lost a few teeth. I was put on a plane to see my mum and dad and they were terrified when they saw me. I wrote Run soon after...The words 'Light up, light up' gave this sense of a beacon. There had to be a light at the end of a tunnel."
Run
Snow Patrol Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Then we really have to go
You've been the only thing that's right
In all I've done
And I can barely look at you
But every single time I do
I know we'll make it anywhere
Light up, light up
As if you have a choice
Even if you cannot hear my voice
I'll be right beside you, dear
Louder, louder
And we'll run for our lives
I can hardly speak I understand
Why you can't raise your voice to say
To think I might not see those eyes
It makes it so hard not to cry
And as we say our long goodbyes
I nearly do
Light up, light up
As if you have a choice
Even if you cannot hear my voice
I'll be right beside you, dear
Louder, louder
And we'll run for our lives
I can hardly speak I understand
Why you can't raise your voice to say
Slower, slower
We don't have time for that
All I want's to find an easier way
To get out of our little heads
Have heart my dear
We're bound to be afraid
Even if it's just for a few days
Making up for all this mess
Light up, light up
As if you have a choice
Even if you cannot hear my voice
I'll be right beside you, dear
The lyrics to Snow Patrol's song "Run" describe a bittersweet moment between two individuals who must part ways, perhaps forever. The first stanza sets the stage for this departure, with the singer acknowledging that the person they are leaving behind has been the only good thing in their life. However, despite this acknowledgement, the singer finds it difficult to look at the individual directly. This may suggest that the separation is painful and they cannot bear to see the hurt in their companion's eyes. However, the singer maintains that even though they may be apart, they will "make it anywhere, away from here."
The second stanza contains the most famous lines of the song, with the repeated command to "light up, light up." This phrase can be interpreted in multiple ways, from an encouragement to keep going, to a plea for the individual to show some sort of response. The singer continues to assure their companion that they will always be by their side, even if they cannot hear their voice. The chorus then culminates with the declaration that they will "run for our lives," suggesting that this departure is an escape from something, perhaps the negativity or pain they have experienced.
The final stanza slows down the pace of the song, with the singer asking for a reprieve from the chaos that has enveloped their minds. Nevertheless, they reassure their companion that "we're bound to be afraid," and that short-term fear is worth it to escape the mess they find themselves in. The song concludes with another reiteration of the chorus, with the singer pledging once again to be there for their companion, no matter what.
Overall, "Run" is a powerful song that captures both the pain and the hope that comes with major life changes. The repetition of the chorus adds to the intensity of the emotion behind the lyrics, making it a memorable and moving piece of music.
Line by Line Meaning
I'll sing it one last time for you
I am going to sing this song one last time before we leave
Then we really have to go
We have to leave soon
You've been the only thing that's right
You are the only thing that has gone right for me
In all I've done
In everything that has happened to me
And I can barely look at you
It is hard for me to even look at you
But every single time I do
However, every time I do look at you
I know we'll make it anywhere
I feel confident that we can go anywhere and be successful
Away from here
As long as we leave this place
Light up, light up
Shine brightly
As if you have a choice
As if you have a say in what happens
Even if you cannot hear my voice
Even if you cannot hear me talking to you
I'll be right beside you, dear
I will be there with you regardless
Louder, louder
Speak up, make your presence known
And we'll run for our lives
We will flee for our own safety
I can hardly speak I understand
I am nearly speechless, but I get it
Why you can't raise your voice to say
I understand why you cannot speak up
To think I might not see those eyes
It's hard for me to think I might not see your eyes again
It makes it so hard not to cry
It makes me want to cry
And as we say our long goodbyes
As we say farewell for an extended period of time
I nearly do
I almost cry
Slower, slower
Take it easy, calm down
We don't have time for that
We have other things we need to do
All I want's to find an easier way
I just want to find a simpler solution
To get out of our little heads
To stop overthinking and worrying so much
Have heart my dear
Hold on, my dear
We're bound to be afraid
We are sure to be scared
Even if it's just for a few days
Even if it only lasts a short while
Making up for all this mess
Compensating for all the troubles we have been through
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Nathan Connolly, Gary Lightbody, Mark McCelland, Jonathan Quinn, Ian Archer
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@faizradzi5777
I'll sing it one last time for you
Then we really have to go
You've been the only thing that's right
In all I've done
And I can barely look at you
But every single time I do
I know we'll make it anywhere
Away from here
Light up, light up
As if you have a choice
Even if you cannot hear my voice
I'll be right beside you dear
Louder, louder
And we'll run for our lives
I can hardly speak I understand
Why you can't raise your voice to say
To think I might not see those eyes
Makes it so hard not to cry
And as we say our long goodbyes
I nearly do
Light up, light up
As if you have a choice
Even if you cannot hear my voice
I'll be right beside you, dear
Louder, louder
And we'll run for our lives
I can hardly speak I understand
Why you can't raise your voice to say?
Slower, slower
We don't have time for that
All I want is to find an easier way
To get out of our little heads
Have heart, my dear
We're bound to be afraid
Even if it's just for a few days
Making up for all this mess
Light up, light up
As if you have a choice
Even if you cannot hear my voice
I'll be right beside you dear
@Ciccio0816
2023 and this song will ALWAYS be timeless… ♥️
@gosixers546
I so agree 💯
@aaronsmith1833
Agreed
@hkassault1228
came here to make this comment and was more than happy to see it's already here ♥♥♥
@Talven_Daluka
Amen.
@xXMorbidAngelXx
Absolutely
@sherrie.112
This album got me through my darkest days of addiction. I played in constantly when I was kicking dope. I couldn't sleep, was terribly sick, but if I played this album, it seemed to ease my pain. I've been clean for almost 12 yrs in Nov. Thank you, Snow Patrol!! 💜
@marketwizard1977
❤
@sabrinamorse88
I'm proud of you 👏 ❤
@patriciamanuel6622
I’m proud of u too! ❤