Runaway
The Slackers Lyrics


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What you gonna do when they come for
Your old man and they come for
Your best friend and they come for you
Then you better run, run away
Run down the alley up away
Smoke your cigarettes drink your brew
Run, run away, you got to run away
Run, run away but you'll never get away
What you gonna do when they ask your
Mama where'd you go and they ask your
Sister where you go and they just don't know
Then you better duck in the bush
Hiding with your papers and a pistol




Waiting for the man them a come run Joe
Run, run away

Overall Meaning

The Slackers’ “Runaway” is a song about escaping from the law, with lyrics that suggest a sense of paranoia, fear, and urgency throughout. The song describes a situation where the authorities are after the singer, as well as their family and friends. The singer's advice is to run away and hide, to avoid getting caught by the police. The song's opening lines, "What you gonna do when they come for your old man, and they come for your best friend, and they come for you? Then you better run, run away," puts the listener in a position of vulnerability and fear, as the song suggests that anyone could be a target. The lyrics also suggest that running away may be the only option as when the police come and start asking questions, nobody can be trusted to keep quiet.


The chorus instructs the listener to "run, run away," with additional lyrics suggesting to run down the alley or to hide in the bushes with a gun. It is almost as if the singer is teaching the listener how to avoid getting caught as they themselves run away from their problems. The lyrics also suggest a sense of desperation, as they claim that the listener will never truly get away, no matter how far they run.


Overall, The Slackers’ “Runaway” is a song with a sense of urgency and fear that is felt throughout the lyrics. It suggests that sometimes running away is the only option, and that even when we run, there is no real escape from our problems.


Line by Line Meaning

What you gonna do when they come for
When someone comes to get you


Your old man and they come for
When they come for your father


Your best friend and they come for you
When they come for your best friend and then you


Then you better run, run away
You should run away


Run down the alley up away
Run anywhere away


Smoke your cigarettes drink your brew
Smoke and drink to calm yourself


Run, run away, you got to run away
Run away as fast as you can


Run, run away but you'll never get away
You won't escape forever


What you gonna do when they ask your
When they ask you something


Mama where'd you go and they ask your
When they ask your mother where you went


Sister where you go and they just don't know
When they ask your sister and she doesn't know


Then you better duck in the bush
Hide somewhere


Hiding with your papers and a pistol
Hide with important papers and a gun


Waiting for the man them a come run Joe
Wait for them and then run


Run, run away
Keep running away




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, KAREN SCHAUBEN PUBLISHING ADMINISTRATION
Written by: DANILO CALVIO, MARCO PEDRETTI, DANIELE PERSOGLIO, CARMINE RUGGIERO

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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