This song is timeless, and nearly 20 years after its creation, still possesses the mystique it did the first time i heard it ~1994. To me, at first blush, all those years ago, it had some kind of homo-erotic allure. The line "so that the others may do" tells of something which must be done for others to follow suit. It felt like like some kind of roxy-glam-pop invitation to sexual liberation.
Upon further introspection I think the song may not have an intrinsic meaning, but simply represents a sort of "holding open the door" for people who otherwise might be affronted by this song/band's unusual style. I know, as a sort of armchair rock-historian, that there have been few bands so daring and so true to the sound that wanted to emerge from within, whether the creator wanted it or not. This band handled it with elegance and grace seldom, if ever, seen.
What's this I see?
You're try'n' to hide
Away from me,
Away from me.
Don't you know
That you can run
But you can't hide away.
No, you won't find
Your piece of mind
Away from me,
Away from me.
And in your mind
You will not find
Your piece of mind today.
You can run, (no, you can't run)
You can hide, (no, you can't hide)
You can run, (no, you can't run)
You can hide away.
You're part of me,
I'm part of you.
What can we do?
What can we do?
I am your sin
Living within,
It's up to you.
What can we do?
The more you run,
The more you hide
Me down inside your head.
The more they see
The you in me
The more your life is dead.
You can run, (no, you can't run)
You can hide, (no, you can't hide)
You can run, (no, you can't run)
You can hide away.
What's this I see?
You're try'n to hide
Away from me,
Away from me.
Don't you know
That you can run
But you can't hide away.
You're try'n' to hide
Away from me,
Away from me.
Don't you know
That you can run
But you can't hide away.
No, you won't find
Your piece of mind
Away from me,
Away from me.
And in your mind
You will not find
Your piece of mind today.
You can run, (no, you can't run)
You can hide, (no, you can't hide)
You can run, (no, you can't run)
You can hide away.
You're part of me,
I'm part of you.
What can we do?
What can we do?
I am your sin
Living within,
It's up to you.
What can we do?
The more you run,
The more you hide
Me down inside your head.
The more they see
The you in me
The more your life is dead.
You can run, (no, you can't run)
You can hide, (no, you can't hide)
You can run, (no, you can't run)
You can hide away.
What's this I see?
You're try'n to hide
Away from me,
Away from me.
Don't you know
That you can run
But you can't hide away.
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I saw them live on three occasions. I only knew "I Ran" when I saw them open for the Go Go's in 1982, though my girlfriend (long since my wife) had skipped eating for a day when she spent her last few dollars on their EP, so she knew what we were in for and was appropriately geeked. The band absolutely deafened me with their sound. I had seats right in front of Frank Maudsley, and got a great chance to see how well he kept the beat going, driving the band with his bass playing. I was hooked.
I saw them as part of a 5-band show at the old Comiskey Park in Chicago (drove there from Cleveland to see it) . They shared the stage with Ministry (pre-industrial Ministry was excellent!), Joan Jett, and the Fixx...all of whom were opening acts that day on the first show of the Police's "Synchronicity" tour. MTV was there filming, and the air was electric. The crowd was not appreciative of The Flock, however, and they threw stuff at them, and booed as AFOS left the stage. They didn't even play "I Ran" that day, as they were so mistreated by the crowd (who also hated Joan Jett - someone threw a trash can on stage at her - so you can see that 1983-Chicago had no taste in music at all).
Also that Summer, I caught AFOS opening for the Fixx - Cleveland audiences rock, and that was an outstanding show. It was really more of a co-headlining date.
Their live show was always high-energy, and non-stop. I was soaked with sweat from dancing after each of their performances. The highlight (at least at two of the shows...) was the extended version of "I Ran", featuring Paul Reynolds' amazing guitar effects. You can find a live recording featuring this intro if you look hard enough, and it's just haunting - you'd think it was done with synths, but it's just Paul slowing sliding his fingers down the guitar strings, while playing the notes with his other hand. He was an amazing guitar player, but few people seemed to notice.
A sorely underrated band, but one that really hit the nail on the head so far as being in the right place at the right time. They were so completely New Wave just as that genre was starting its peak. It was amazing how well they could create the sound live, too. At the time, a lot of synth-based bands weren't able to get the sound right live, but these four were true musicians - your basic foursome of guitar, bass, synths and drums. They just happened to know how to make it all really danceable, too, which was hugely important at the time. And the sci-fi bent to their early lyrics made it all work.