Nowhere To Run
The Isley Brothers Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Nowhere to run to, baby, nowhere to hide
Got nowhere to run to, baby, nowhere to hide.
It's not love, I'm a running from,
It's the heartbreak I know will come.
'Cause I know you're no good for me, but you've become a part of me.
Ev'rywhere I go, your face I see, ev'ry step I take, you take with me yeah

Nowhere to run to, baby, nowhere to hide
Got nowhere to run to, baby, nowhere to hide.
I know you're not good for me, but free of you I'll never be, no.
Each night as I sleep, into my heart you creep.
I wake up feelin' sorry I met you, hoping soon that I'll forget you.
When I look in the mirror to comb my hair
I see your face just a smiling there.

Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide from you baby,
Got nowhere to run to, baby, nowhere to hide.
I know you're no good for me, but you've become a part of me,
How can I fight a lover, that shouldn't be, when it's so deep,
So deep, deep inside of me
My love reaches so high I can't get over it
It's so wide I can't get around it, no
Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide from you baby
Just can't get away from you baby, no matter how I try to





I know you're no good for me, but free of you I'll never be,
Nowhere to run to baby, nowhere to hide, got nowhere to run to baby.

Overall Meaning

The Isley Brothers' "Nowhere To Run" is a soulful ballad that expresses the feeling of being trapped in a relationship that is destined for heartbreak. The repeated lines "Nowhere to run to, baby, nowhere to hide" symbolize a feeling of being helpless and stuck in a situation that is both alluring and dangerous. The singer admits that they know their lover is no good for them, but they have become so intertwined with that person that they can't escape their grasp.


The lyrics reveal a complicated relationship that is built on both love and pain. The singer admits that they are afraid of the heartbreak that will inevitably come if they continue to deny their feelings. The lyrics, "How can I fight a lover, that shouldn't be, when it's so deep, so deep inside of me," suggests that the attraction the singer feels for their lover is rooted in something deeper than just the physical. The influence of the lover is so strong that the singer can't escape their memory, even when they're alone.


Line by Line Meaning

Nowhere to run to, baby, nowhere to hide
Feeling trapped, cannot escape or hide from the situation


Got nowhere to run to, baby, nowhere to hide.
Echoing the first line, emphasizing the feeling of being stuck


It's not love, I'm a running from,
Not running away from love, but something else


It's the heartbreak I know will come.
The fear of getting hurt in the future is what's driving the desire to escape


'Cause I know you're no good for me, but you've become a part of me.
Acknowledging that the person is not good for them, but they still have feelings for them


Ev'rywhere I go, your face I see, ev'ry step I take, you take with me yeah
The person is always on their mind and always with them, no matter where they go


I know you're not good for me, but free of you I'll never be, no.
Reiterating the knowledge that the person is not good for them, but also accepting that they'll never truly be free of them


Each night as I sleep, into my heart you creep.
Even when they're not awake, the person is in their heart and mind


I wake up feelin' sorry I met you, hoping soon that I'll forget you.
Regretful of meeting the person and hoping to move on


When I look in the mirror to comb my hair
A simple everyday action


I see your face just a smiling there.
The person's face is in their mind even during mundane tasks


Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide from you baby,
Repeated once again, expressing how stuck the person feels


I know you're no good for me, but you've become a part of me,
Repeating the sentiment


How can I fight a lover, that shouldn't be, when it's so deep,
Acknowledging the depth of their feelings and struggling to fight them


So deep, deep inside of me
Emphasizing the depth of their emotions


My love reaches so high I can't get over it
Their love is overwhelming and all-consuming


It's so wide I can't get around it, no
Their love is inescapable, no matter how hard they try


Just can't get away from you baby, no matter how I try to
Reiterating how trapped the person feels


Nowhere to run to baby, nowhere to hide, got nowhere to run to baby.
Final repetition of the refrain, driving home the feeling of being stuck and unable to escape the person's hold on their heart




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: EDWARD JR. HOLLAND, LAMONT DOZIER, BRIAN HOLLAND

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found

More Versions