It is notable for Jim Morrisons introduction, a tribute to the then recently-deceased Otis Redding:
Poor Otis, dead and gone
Left me here to sing his song
Pretty little girl with the red dress on
Poor Otis, dead and gone.
The lyrics and melody of this brief a cappella introduction was taken from a Lead Belly track entitled Po' Howard (or Poor Howard on some compilations) where Jim replaced the name 'Howard' with 'Otis'. Sometimes this introduction was played at the end of the another Doors' song, When The Music's Over.
Robby Krieger shares vocals with Morrison on the track, one of the few songs before Morrison's death to do so.
Runnin' Blue
The Doors Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Pretty little girl with the red dress on
Poor Otis dead and gone
Yeah, back down, turn around slowly
Try it again, remembering when
It was easy, try it again
Much to easy, rememberin' when
All right, look at my shoes, Not quite the walkin' blues
Don't fight, too much to lose, Can't fight the runnin' blues
Well, I've got the runnin' blues
Runnin' away, back to L.A.
Got to find the dock of the bay
Maybe find it back in L.A.
Runnin' scared, runnin' blue
Goin' so fast, what'll I do
Well, I've got the runnin' blues
Runnin' away, back to L.A.
Got to find the dock of the bay
Maybe find it back in L.A.
All right, look at my shoes
Not quite the walkin' blues
Don't fight, too much to lose
Can't fight the runnin' blues
All right, look at my shoes
Not quite the walkin' blues
Don't fight, too much to lose
Can't fight the runnin' blues
The opening lines of the song Runnin' Blue by The Doors refer to a man, Otis. Otis is dead and gone, and the singer is left behind to sing his song. The lyrics then shift to describing a pretty girl with a red dress on. The repetition of "Poor Otis dead and gone" suggests that the death of Otis holds some significance, but the exact nature of the relationship between the singer and Otis is not clear.
The remainder of the lyrics focus on the singer's attempts to run away from something. He describes himself as having the "runnin' blues," which implies that he is feeling some sense of unease or melancholy about his situation. He is running away, back to Los Angeles, and looking for the "dock of the bay," which may be a metaphorical place of safety or refuge. The repetition of the line "runnin' away, back to L.A." suggests that the singer has tried to escape to Los Angeles before and is returning there as a last resort. The final lines of the song return to the image of the singer's shoes and his inability to fight the "runnin' blues."
Overall, the lyrics of Runnin' Blue are somewhat enigmatic and open to interpretation. They suggest a sense of restlessness and unease, but the exact sources of these feelings are left unclear.
Line by Line Meaning
Poor Otis dead and gone, Left me here to sing his song
Otis is no longer with us, and now I have to sing the song he left me with.
Pretty little girl with the red dress on, Poor Otis dead and gone
There is a girl, but Otis is still dead and gone.
Yeah, back down, turn around slowly, Try it again, remembering when
Take a step back, turn around and try it again, remembering how it used to be easier.
It was easy, try it again, Much to easy, rememberin' when
It was easy before, but now it's too easy, reminding me of the past.
All right, look at my shoes, Not quite the walkin' blues
I'm checking out my shoes, they're not the right ones for walking blues.
Don't fight, too much to lose, Can't fight the runnin' blues
There's too much at stake to fight it, I can't resist the urge to run away.
Well, I've got the runnin' blues, Runnin' away, back to L.A, Got to find the dock of the bay, Maybe find it back in L.A.
I'm feeling the need to run away, heading back to L.A. in search of somewhere to dock, maybe I'll find it there.
Runnin' scared, runnin' blue, Goin' so fast, what'll I do, Well, I've got the runnin' blues
I'm running away in fear, feeling downhearted, moving so fast that I don't know what to do.
All right, look at my shoes, Not quite the walkin' blues, Don't fight, too much to lose, Can't fight the runnin' blues
I'm still looking at my shoes, they're still not right for the walking blues. I can't resist the urge to run away, too much is at stake.
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Richard Cain
on Soul Kitchen ( LP Version )
americas top poet
Josemanuel Orona
on Break on Through (to the Other Side)
algo para la banda