Spencer Davis (born 17 July 1939, Swansea, Wales) moved to Birmingham from London in 1960 to study.[1] In 1963, he recruited the Winwood brothers and started the Spencer Davis Group. The band performed regularly in the city and were signed to a recording contract after an appearance in a local club.
The group's first professional recording was a cover version of "Dimples", but they came to success at the end of 1965 with "Keep On Running", the group's first number one single. In 1966 they followed this with "Somebody Help Me" and "When I Come Home". For the German market the group released "Det war in Schöneberg, im Monat Mai" and "Mädel ruck ruck ruck an meine grüne Seite" (the first is from a 1913 Berlin operetta, the second is a Swabian traditional) as a tribute single for that audience, Spencer Davis having studied in West Berlin in the early 1960s.
By the end of 1966 and the beginning of 1967, the group released two more hits, "Gimme Some Lovin'" (which was re-released in a live, nine-minute version by Steve Winwood's Traffic in 1971) and "I'm a Man". These tracks proved to be their two best-known successes, especially in the U.S.
In 1967, Winwood left to form Traffic; his brother Muff moved into the music industry as A&R man at Island Records. In a so-called joint venture, the soundtrack to the film Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush featured both the Spencer Davis Group and Traffic.
Despite the Winwoods' departure, the Spencer Davis Group continued performing and released more singles, though not repeating earlier successes. These included "Time Seller" in July 1967; the b-side, "Don't Want You No More," also received radio airplay.
This was followed by "Mr. Second-Class" in late 1967, which was heavily played on Radio Caroline (at that time one of the two remaining pirate radio ships off the British coast) and the group's last minor hit, "After Tea", in 1968. The latter song was released at the same time by the German band The Rattles, providing competition that led finally to a temporary stop to all activities of the band. Davis continued working, however, producing some jazz-oriented albums in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
Although short-lived, the Spencer Davis Group - particularly its incarnation with Steve Winwood - was influential, with many of the band's songs covered by other artists over the years. Notable among these are Chicago's 1969 version of "I'm a Man," The Allman Brothers Band's 1969 take of "Don't Want You No More," Three Dog Night's 1970 recording of "Can't Get Enough of It," The Blues Brothers' 1980 recording of "Gimme Some Lovin'" along with multiple live covers by the Grateful Dead, including a 1989 appearance of Spencer Davis himself with the Dead at the Great Western Forum in Los Angeles on "I'm a Man".
Keep On Running
Spencer Davis Group Lyrics
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One fine day I'm gonna be the one
To make you understand
Oh, yeah, I'm gonna be your man.
Keep on running, running from my arms
One fine day I'm gonna be the one
To make you understand
Hey, hey, hey
Everyone is talking about me
It makes me feel so sad.
Hey, hey, hey
Everyone is laughing at me,
It makes me feel so bad,
So keep on running
Keep on running, running from my arms
One fine day I'm gonna be the one
To make you understand
Oh, yeah, I'm gonna be your man
The lyrics of "Keep On Running" by Spencer Davis Group talk about a lover who is continuously running away from the singer's arms. The lyrics express the singer's persistent desire to make the lover understand their love and be with them. The song starts with the singer encouraging the lover to keep on running and hiding. But it's the last two lines of the verse where the singer reveals that they are pursuing the lover and will be the one who makes them understand their love.
In the second verse, the singer expresses their frustration as people around them talk and laugh about their love life. However, the singer's determination to make the lover understand their love remains strong, evident in the repetition of the chorus. The line "To make you understand" seems to be the crux of the song, and the singer believes that they will eventually achieve that.
The lyrics of "Keep On Running" describe the internal struggle of trying to convince someone to love them while they try to run from it. The repetition of the chorus amplifies the singer's passion and determination, suggesting they will not rest until they have won the lover's heart.
Line by Line Meaning
Keep on running, keep on hiding
I want you to keep trying to avoid me, keep hiding because one day I'll be the person who will help you realize how special I am to you.
One fine day I'm gonna be the one
I have confidence that someday I'll be the one who you desire and who deserves your love.
To make you understand
I am going to find a way to make you see me as the man who can make you happy.
Oh, yeah, I'm gonna be your man.
I am determined that I will be the man you choose to love and spend your life with.
Hey, hey, hey Everyone is talking about me
I am aware that people are talking about me behind my back, and it makes me feel sad because I want them to respect and appreciate me.
It makes me feel so sad.
When I hear people speaking badly of me, it puts a damper on my mood and discourages me from pursuing my dreams.
Everyone is laughing at me,
People's lack of understanding of me makes me the butt of their jokes which makes me feel humiliated.
It makes me feel so bad,
Being ridiculed by others makes me feel terrible about myself and my self-worth.
Keep on running, running from my arms
I want you to keep running away from me physically until I gain your trust and love.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JACKIE EDWARDS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@nitemareman1
Now that, ladies and gentlemen, is pure raw talent.
@meandwess
17 yrs old and already a star
@theresaakins2317
@@meandwess amazing!
@kennyamylee4046
That is spot on! Raw talent!
@larsgsanger3105
🌸🌺❤️
@oldbutfunkyable
I remember Saturday afternoons roller skating to this, I was 13, I’m nearly 69 now and still love this song. Steven Winwood’s voice is amazing.
@peterkonitzer4410
Same here.... still have that 45....
@geoffreystout5814
Stevie Winwood was only 18, what a talent!
@jimrawles6452
And even more amazingly, he was only 15 when he joined the Spencer Davis Group!
@kenseibert144
In 1966 when this concert was the Spencer Davis group and it was ahead of their times I'm listening to it in 2023 here and it's just beautiful music❤❤❤🎉🎉🎉🎉❤❤