Written by guitarist Keith Richards, the song is a response to his arrest for heroin possession in Toronto in February 1977. The criminal charges and prospect of a prison sentence loomed over the Some Girls recording sessions and endangered the future of the Rolling Stones.
In the lyrics Richards reflects unapologetically on his lifestyle up to that point. The line "it's another goodbye to another good friend" in the first verse can be interpreted as referring to Gram Parsons, Richards's close friend who died in 1973 from a drug overdose, and/or to heroin itself: Richards had sought medical treatment for heroin addiction following his arrest in Toronto, and his resolution to overcome his addiction would be a significant factor in his upcoming trial.
Originally entitled "Rotten Roll", the song was recorded in a Paris studio in March 1978 during one of Mick Jagger's absences from the Some Girls sessions.[3] The completed track - "a high-energy rock & roller"- features Richards on lead vocals, acoustic and electric guitars and bass; Ronnie Wood on pedal steel, slide guitar and backup vocals; Charlie Watts on drums and Jagger on backup vocals.
Before They Make Me Run
The Rolling Stones Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Only a crowd can make you feel so alone
And it really hit home
Booze and pills and powders, you can choose your medicine
Well here's another goodbye to another good friend
After all is said and done
Gotta move while it's still fun
After all is said and done
I gotta move, it's still fun
I'm gonna walk before they make me run
Watched my taillights fading, there ain't a dry eye in the house
They're laughing and singing
Started dancing and drinking as I left town
Gonna find my way to heaven, 'cause I did my time in hell, oh yeah
I wasn't looking too good but I was feeling real well
Oh after all is said and done
I gotta move I had my fun
Let us walk before they make us run
After all is said and done
I did alright, I had my fun
But I will walk before they'll make me
I will walk before they'll make me (run)
I will walk before they'll make me (run)
I will walk before they'll make me run
So if it's all been said and done
I gotta move I had my fun
Let me walk before they make me run
So let me walk before they make me run
I want to walk before they'll make me run
The Rolling Stones's song "Before They Make Me Run" is an autobiographical tune based on Keith Richards's experience with drug addiction and drug busts. Richards was famously arrested on drug charges in 1977 in Toronto and was facing a lengthy jail term. The song talked about the lifestyle he led while he was addicted to drugs, playing the bars and the sideshows in the "twilight zone". Richards felt that only a crowd can truly make you feel alone, and the lifestyle of drugs, booze, and pills was his medicine of choice.
The second part of the song talks about Richards leaving town and moving on to a new life. He sings about finding his way to heaven because he did his time in hell. The lines "After all is said and done, gotta move while it's still fun" is a reference to the fact that he wants to retire from this lifestyle on his own and not because of any external factors. The overall message of the song is that Richards had his fun, but he wants to leave the lifestyle behind before it destroys him.
Line by Line Meaning
Worked the bars and sideshows along the twilight zone
I spent a lot of time in shady places where no one really knows what's going on
Only a crowd can make you feel so alone
Despite being surrounded by people, I still felt isolated and disconnected
And it really hit home
It was a sobering realization
Booze and pills and powders, you can choose your medicine
I had my pick of vices, but they all led to the same self-destructive path
Well here's another goodbye to another good friend
I've lost a lot of people along the way, and it never gets easier
After all is said and done
In the end, when everything has been experienced and nothing left untouched,
Gotta move while it's still fun
I need to keep moving and enjoying life while I still can
Let me walk before they make me run
I want to take control of my own path and avoid the fate that others may have for me
Watched my taillights fading, there ain't a dry eye in the house
Leaving behind my old life and relationships has caused a lot of sadness and tears
They're laughing and singing
Other people seem to be having a good time, but I'm not on the same page anymore
Started dancing and drinking as I left town
I'm leaving behind the party scene that used to be so familiar to me
Gonna find my way to heaven, 'cause I did my time in hell, oh yeah
I've been through a lot of tough times and now I want to find something better
I wasn't looking too good but I was feeling real well
Even when things weren't going well on the surface, I was still enjoying myself
So if it's all been said and done
After all is said and done
I gotta move I had my fun
I need to keep moving and enjoying life while I can
Let me walk before they make me run
I want to take control of my own path and avoid the fate that others may have for me
I want to walk before they'll make me run
I want to take control of my own path and avoid the fate that others may have for me
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Mick Jagger, Keith Richards
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Greg Halder
on 2000 Light Years From Home
Totally underrated track and album..