The Notting Hillbillies was a country music project formed in 1986 by Mark … Read Full Bio ↴The Notting Hillbillies was a country music project formed in 1986 by Mark Knopfler, who was then lead guitarist and singer of the Dire Straits, with Brendan Croker, Steve Phillips, and Knopfler's bandmate Guy Fletcher. They made just one album, Missing...Presumed Having a Good Time. This album was released on Vertigo (Warner Bros. in the US) in 1990, before returning to concentrate on their primary musical outlets. The Notting Hillbillies have reunited several times for charity gigs. In May 1997 the Hillbillies went on an 11 show tour in the UK.

On 31 May 1986, Mark Knopfler played a low key gig at the Grove pub in Holbeck, Leeds, with old friends Steve Phillips and Brendan Croker. They were billed as the Notting Hillbillies and each received the princely sum of £22 for their performance. Phillips first met Knopfler in 1968 when both interviewed a local blues and country guitarist (also called Steve Phillips) for the YORKSHIRE POST. As both journalists played guitar they formed the Duolian String Pickers duo and played together during the late '60s. They split when Knopfler went to university in 1970. When he finished studying three years later he went to London and eventually formed Dire Straits. Meanwhile, Phillips formed the Steve Phillips Juke Band to play rockabilly. In 1976 Bradford-born Croker met Phillips and when the Juke Band split they toured as Nev And Norriss. In 1980, Phillips temporarily retired from music to concentrate on art. Croker eventually got the 5 O'Clock Shadows together. In 1986 Knopfler, flushed with success through Dire Straits, decided the time was right to do something a little different. In 1989 they started to work on a album and all three musicians came together, Mark also called on Dire Straits cohort Guy Fletcher to play keyboards and subsequently to help with the production of the album "Missing......Presumed having a good time" released in 1990.

In 1993, the Notting Hillbillies performed two live shows, both without Guy Fletcher.

Run Me Down
The Notting Hillbillies Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

You gotta run me down, you gotta run me down
If you wants to contact me, you gotta run me down

I got work to do, I'm the busiest man in town
If you want to contact me, you gotta run me down

When I gets my dough, I'm kinda hard to find
If you want me to pay your bills, you gotta run me down

Now the rooster crows and the hens looked around
Said, if you want to make love, you gotta run me down

[Incomprehensible]

When I had my money you used to follow me around
Now I have got broke, you gotta run me down

You gotta run me down, you gotta run me down
If you want to contact me, you gotta run me down

[Incomprehensible] boy
Yeah

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to The Notting Hillbillies' song "Run Me Down" reflect the busy and elusive life of a hardworking man. The singer seems to be constantly on the move and immersed in his work, making it difficult to reach him. He insists that if you want to contact him, you have to put in the effort to "run him down," which suggests that he is not easily accessible or available.

The lyric "When I gets my dough, I'm kinda hard to find" implies that the singer is financially successful and busy with his work. This success has made him harder to track down and more in demand. However, he also notes that after he lost his money, people stopped following him around and he became less important to them. The rooster and hen metaphor used in the lyrics suggests that even for love, the singer requires a chase and pursuit.

Overall, the song's lyrics reflect the notion that success and financial stability come at a cost of being constantly busy and harder to reach. The singer suggests that he is not opposed to being reached but requires effort from those who seek to contact him.

Line by Line Meaning

You gotta run me down, you gotta run me down
If you want to get in touch with me, you need to put in some effort and come find me.

I got work to do, I'm the busiest man in town
I am very busy and don't have time to be reached easily. You will need to find me if you want to talk to me.

If you want to contact me, you gotta run me down
You'll have to put in some physical effort and chase after me if you want to get my attention.

When I gets my dough, I'm kinda hard to find
When I have my money, I'm not easy to locate. You'll need to track me down if you want to get in touch with me.

If you want me to pay your bills, you gotta run me down
If you want me to pay your bills, you will have to come find me because I am not often available and hard to reach.

Now the rooster crows and the hens looked around
The animals are stirring and paying attention, suggesting that something notable is happening.

Said, if you want to make love, you gotta run me down
If you want to pursue a romantic relationship, you will need to work hard and put in the effort to get my attention.

[Incomprehensible]
Lyrics are difficult to comprehend and there is no clear meaning.

When I had my money you used to follow me around
When I had my money, people were always around, but now that I am broke, they have disappeared and it takes effort to locate me.

You gotta run me down, you gotta run me down
You will need to physically track me down if you want to contact me because I am not easy to reach.

[Incomprehensible] boy
Lyrics are difficult to comprehend and there is no clear meaning.

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: BRENDAN CHRISTOPHER CROKER, DP, GUY EDWARD FLETCHER, MARK KNOPFLER, STEVE PHILLIPS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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