Video Kid is a project of Bret McKenzie (born 29 June 1976 in New Zealand),… Read Full Bio ↴Video Kid is a project of Bret McKenzie (born 29 June 1976 in New Zealand), a singer and actor, best known as one half of Flight of the Conchords and a former member of The Black Seeds. He has appeared in the first and third films in Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy, achieving some internet notoriety as Figwit. His father is Peter McKenzie, who played the role of Elendil in Lord of the Rings. He has two brothers, Justin and Jonathon. Justin also appeared as an Elf extra in "The Fellowship of the Ring" during the Council of Elrond.

McKenzie attended Victoria University where he met Jemaine Clement, and together they formed Flight of the Conchords. They have toured internationally and released three CDs: Folk the World Tour in 2002, Grammy-winning The Distant Future (EP) in 2007 and Flight of the Conchords in 2008. The Conchords produced a six-part improvisational comedy radio program for the BBC and have appeared on Late Night with Conan O'Brien, The Late Show with David Letterman and The Late Late Show. After a successful appearance in 2005 on HBOs One Night Stand, the Conchords were offered their own 12-part HBO series Flight of the Conchords. Its first season ran from June to September 2007, and it was renewed for a second season. They passed on a third season citing overload.

He has released an album called Prototype as Video Kid. He is also one twelfth of the Wellington International Ukulele Orchestra.

He is currently engaged to a fellow New Zealander, Hannah Clarke.

He currently lives in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Silverlake, when in the U.S.

On the 26th February 2012, Bret won the Academy Award for Best Song for "Man or Muppet" from the Muppets movie.

Runnin
Video Kid Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Been a long, long time, no see
You know our friendship's hard to keep
So how you doing?
Okay
And who you seeing?
Okay

What happened to our plan?

I was going to be your man
Sure, I understand
You couldn't wait for me
You couldn't wait for me
'Cause I've been runnin'...

I've been runnin' runnin' runnin' runnin' away (x4)

Does he love you like I should?
Better
Does he treat you like I would?
Better

What happened to our plan?
I was going to be your man
Sure, I understand
You couldn't wait for me
You couldn't wait for me

I've been runnin' runnin' runnin' runnin' away (x4)

Overall Meaning

In Video Kid's song "runnin," the lyrics explore the feeling of loss and questioning what could have been in a past relationship. The opening lines set the tone for the entire song, as the singer has not seen their friend in a "long, long time." They express the difficulty in keeping a friendship alive when so much time has passed, hinting that perhaps time has taken a toll on this particular relationship.

As the conversation continues, the singer asks how their former flame is doing, and who they are seeing. The conversation takes a turn when the singer brings up their old plan, where they were going to be each other's partners. However, the other person couldn't wait and moved on. The repetition of the line "you couldn't wait for me" emphasizes the frustration and disappointment the singer feels.

In the chorus, the singer reveals that they have been running away, physically or emotionally, from their feelings since being left behind. The verses then repeat with a comparison between the new partner and the singer, with the questions "Does he love you like I should?" and "Does he treat you like I would?" Even though it appears the singer has moved on, there is still a sense of longing and unfulfilled desire.

Overall, the lyrics of "runnin" capture the feeling of lost love and missed opportunities. The repetition of certain lines adds to the frustration and disappointment that the singer feels, while the comparison between the new partner and the singer emphasizes the sense of jealousy and insecurity.

Line by Line Meaning

Been a long, long time, no see
It's been a while since we last saw each other

You know our friendship's hard to keep
We've had a hard time maintaining our friendship

So how you doing?
How have you been?

Okay
I'm doing fine

And who you seeing?
Are you seeing anyone?

Okay
Yes, I am seeing someone

What happened to our plan?
Why did our plan fall apart?

I was going to be your man
I thought we were going to be in a romantic relationship

Sure, I understand
I get it

You couldn't wait for me
You didn't want to wait for me to be ready for a relationship

'Cause I've been runnin'...
I've been avoiding the situation and running away from my feelings