The Runaways were formed in late 1975 by drummer Sandy West and rhythm guitarist Joan Jett after they had both introduced themselves to producer Kim Fowley, who gave Jett’s phone number to West. The two met on their own at West’s home and later called Fowley to let him hear the outcome. Fowley then helped the girls find other members. Two decades later he said, “I didn’t put The Runaways together, I had an idea, they had ideas, we all met, there was combustion and out of five different versions of that group came the five girls who were the ones that people liked.”
Starting as a power trio with singer/bassist Micki Steele, The Runaways began the party and club circuit around Los Angeles. They soon added lead guitarist Lita Ford who had originally auditioned for the bass spot. Steele got fired from the group, later resurfacing in The Bangles. Local bassist Peggy Foster took over on bass but left after a month. Lead singer Cherie Currie was found and recruited in a local teen nightclub called the Sugar Shack, followed by Jackie Fox (who had originally auditioned for the lead guitar spot) on bass.
The band's lineup was:
* Cherie Currie, lead vocals and keyboards
* Joan Jett, rhythm guitar and vocals
* Lita Ford, lead guitar
* Jackie Fox, bass guitar and vocals
* Sandy West, drums and vocals
Despite the apparent "jailbait on the run" gimmick, the girls in the band were proficient at playing their instruments and wrote or co-wrote most of the band's material and, as later became obvious, were serious about their music. Their best known song is 1976's "Cherry Bomb" which has been covered by many other bands, including the punk band Bratmobile.
The Runaways made five albums and went through several personnel changes. Michael Steele was briefly part of the band before their first album, and later joined The Bangles. In 1977 Vicki Blue replaced Jackie Fox on bass guitar and Joan Jett took over as lead singer after the departure of Cherie Currie. In 1978 Laurie McAllister replaced Vicki Blue. The band broke up in 1979.
Jett and Ford both went on to achieve substantial success as solo artists in the 1980s. Currie went on to a briefly successful career as an actress, appearing in "Foxes" with Jodie Foster, before falling into heavy drug use. She later recovered and wrote an autobiography, "Neon Angel". West continued with music, sometimes playing with her former bandmates. Fox went to UCLA and Harvard Law School and became an entertainment attorney.
There was some progress made towards a Runaways reunion at the end of the 1990s, but this was killed off by Lita Ford who backed out at the planning stage, to the disgust of Jett. Currie did join Jett onstage in 2001 to sing "Cherry Bomb", the first time they had performed together in close to 25 years.
In 2004 Vicki Blue directed a feature-length documentary named "Edgeplay - A Film About The Runaways". The film includes interviews with most of the band members as well as producer Kim Fowley.
Drummer and vocalist Sandy West died on October 21, 2006 of lung cancer, at age 47.
The Runaways paved the way for female oriented punk bands like X-Ray Spex, Bikini Kill and most recently, The Donnas.
Most recently a movie called "The Runaways" was released starring Dakota Fanning as Currie and Kristen Stewart as Jett.
Joan Jett and Cherie Currie re-recorded "Cherry Bomb" for the video game "Guitar Hero Warriors Of Rock.
American Nights
The Runaways Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Clean rock n roll
Makes the midnight flow tonight now
It's hot tonight
Come on let's have a good time
In the dark of the night
We hunt for fun
Hiding from the sun
American nights
You kids are so strange
American nights
You're never gonna change
Our magic is young
Cause we just begun
We light up the sky
Always on the run
We live in the streets
In the alleys of screams
Cause we're the queens of noise
The answer to your dreams
American nights
You kids are so strange
American nights
You're never gonna change
Hey boy you're my good time
Dance close ya feel so fine
Hold tight we're on fire
All night you're my desire
Everybody
Wanna party
Everybody
Wanna party
American nights
You kids are so strange
American nights
You're never gonna change
The Runaways' "American Nights" is an upbeat rock and roll anthem that captures the essence of youthful rebellion. The song begins with a declaration of clean rock and roll that will make the midnight flow. It is hot tonight, and everyone is urged to have a good time. In the dark of the night, the characters in the song hunt for fun as they chase after the moonlight and hide from the sun. This line suggests that they find their vitality and freedom at night and that they are fleeing from the constraints of the day.
The chorus of the song, "American Nights, you kids are so strange," repeats twice and reaffirms the theme of youthful rebellion. The singer suggests that their behavior will continue because they are never going to change. The chorus feels like an anthem for youth culture that directly challenges adult norms. The song's magic is in its young age because they have only just begun. They light up the sky, always on the run, and live on the streets in the alleys of screams. The Runaways are the queens of noise and the answer to your dreams.
Overall, the lyrics capture an upbeat, carefree sense of rebellion that resonates with the youthful generation's spirit. The Runaways created a classic rock and roll anthem fit for the time that the song was released, 1977. "American Nights" has achieved a timeless quality that continues to be embraced today by those young at heart.
Line by Line Meaning
Clean rock n roll
We're playing some classic rock music
Makes the midnight flow tonight now
Our rock music is making the night feel alive and exciting
It's hot tonight
It's a very warm night
Come on let's have a good time
Let's enjoy ourselves and have fun
In the dark of the night
Late at night when it's dark outside
We hunt for fun
We're looking to have a good time
Chasing after the moonlight
We're out at night chasing a good time
Hiding from the sun
We're not ready to end our night and don't want the sun to come up
American nights
This is what we call nights spent in America
You kids are so strange
We find the younger generation to be different from us
You're never gonna change
We don't expect the younger generation to become like us
Our magic is young
We're still young and full of energy
Cause we just begun
We're just starting to have fun
We light up the sky
We're having such a great time that it's lighting up the sky
Always on the run
We're never staying in one place for too long
We live in the streets
We spend a lot of time outside, on the streets
In the alleys of screams
We're not afraid to make noise in dark, secluded spaces
Cause we're the queens of noise
We feel that we are in control of the noise and the fun
The answer to your dreams
We're exactly what you've been looking for to have a good time
Hey boy you're my good time
I'm having a great time with you, boy
Dance close ya feel so fine
Dancing together makes us feel really good
Hold tight we're on fire
We're feeling so much energy and excitement
All night you're my desire
I want to be with you all night
Everybody
Everyone
Wanna party
Wants to have a good time together
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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