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.
Wait For Me
The Runaways Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But you know I have to someday
Don't wanna be alone again, baby
But I know we found our own way
We hold ourselves together
It's a bond that can never be broken
I know we'll last forever
And that's wait for me, my lover
Wait for me, no other
Stay with me, oh, please
Wait, wait for me
You know it's really hard on me
To have to turn an' wave good bye
An' I know it's hard on you too
All those lonely nights we cry but we
We hold ourselves together
It's a bond that can never be broken
I know we'll last forever
But there's something' that I just gotta say
And that's wait for me, my lover
Wait for me, no other
Stay with me, oh, please
Wait, wait for me
You know I get so scared inside
When I come back you won't want me
But then you tell me I'm your only one
I guess it's just my insecurity but we
We hold ourselves together
It's a bond that can never be broken
I know we'll last forever
But there's something' that I just gotta say
And that's wait for me, my lover
Wait for me, no other
Stay with me, oh, please
Wait, wait for me
Wait for me, my lover
Wait for me, no other
Stay with me, oh, please
Wait, wait for me
Wait for me, my lover
Wait for me, no other
Stay with me, oh, please
Wait, wait for
Wait for me, my lover
Wait for me
Stay with me
Wait for me
Wait for me
Stay with me
The Runaways’ “Wait For Me” is a song about the difficulties of a long-distance relationship. The singer doesn't want to leave her partner, but she knows that eventually, they will have to say goodbye. Despite their separation, the two have a strong and unbreakable bond that brings them together. The singer expresses her vulnerability by admitting that she gets scared every time she leaves, fearing that her partner will no longer want her upon her return. However, she finds comfort in the fact that her partner tells her she is the only one that makes them happy.
The chorus of the song, “wait for me,” is a plea from the singer to her partner to wait for her while she’s away. She does not want her partner to be with anyone else while she's gone. The song is a testament to the strength of love and how it can withstand the test of time and distance.
Overall, “Wait For Me” is a touching and heartfelt song that highlights the struggles of maintaining a long-distance relationship while also acknowledging the power of love.
Line by Line Meaning
Don't wanna leave you again, baby
I don't want to be away from you, but I know I have to eventually.
But you know I have to someday
I realize that we can't be together all the time and we have to separate occasionally.
Don't wanna be alone again, baby
I don't want to go back to being lonely without you.
But I know we found our own way
I believe that we've created something special that we will always have, even when we're apart.
We hold ourselves together
Our bond is so strong that we don't need anyone else to hold us up.
It's a bond that can never be broken
Our connection is unbreakable and will last forever.
I know we'll last forever
I'm confident in our relationship and that it will endure any obstacle.
But there's something that I just gotta say
There's something that's been weighing on me that I need to express to you.
And that's wait for me, my lover
Please be patient and wait for me when we're apart.
Wait for me, no other
Don't turn to someone else while I'm away.
Stay with me, oh, please
Please stay by my side, through the good times and the bad.
You know it's really hard on me
Leaving you is incredibly difficult for me.
To have to turn an' wave good bye
Saying goodbye and leaving you behind is heartbreaking for me.
An' I know it's hard on you too
I understand that it's not easy for you either.
All those lonely nights we cry but we
Despite the pain we feel when we're apart, we manage to stay strong.
You know I get so scared inside
Sometimes I worry that you won't want me when I come back.
When I come back you won't want me
I'm afraid that our time apart will change things between us.
But then you tell me I'm your only one
When you reassure me that our love is strong, it makes me feel better.
I guess it's just my insecurity but we
My fears and doubts are just my own issues that I need to work on, but it doesn't change our love for each other.
Wait for me
Please wait for me.
Stay with me
Please stay by my side.
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: JOAN JETT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind