In regards to the meaning of this song:
Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
I got a job with the mob, makin G's
Doin' some pickups, deliveries and transportin' keys
Yeah, they got me like a flunky, money
I'm drivin' around town with ten kilos inside my trunk, G
And I'm holdin the suitcase
With a half a million dollars on my lap, in front of my face
And I'm tryin to ignore it
But sometimes I get tempted to go dip and make a run for it
The thought alone makes me shiver, damn
What if I get caught? They'll find me floatin' in the Hudson river
But if I escape, I'll be in shape for my life
But they might get my kid and my wife
See, I'm supposed to make a stop
To an Uptown spot, run up the block and make another drop
But I got somethin' else in mind
So at the next stop sign, I pull out and load up the nine
I got the money and the hit
Went through the block nonstop 'cause I ain't droppin' off a rock of it
But then I thought of a plan
So I drovesto my house and got my girl and my little man
C'mon, baby, pack your stuff, get ready
"Damn, why your face all sweaty?"
Just hurry up, don't throw no fits
I'm a dead man walkin', understand? We gotta split
I switched the locks on the door
Started packin' the Gucci bags like I was goin' on a world tour
Grabbed the luggage and the gun
C'mon, we gotta go, they got a brother on the run
"They got the shipment"
"What?"
"They got the whole shipment"
"I want that son of a bitch dead
I want him dead, I want him dead, I don't care"
Now I'm drivin' and I'm lookin' at my passport
I'm outta here soon as my ass hit Kennedy airport
Loaded the other automatic
I don't believe this, I'm like a sitting duck stuck in traffic
I'm gettin' nervous as hell, G
A Lincoln Continental pullin' right up beside me
Puts down my girl and then I bent low
Bullets are flying through my window
The enemy is on attack
Drew the nine and cocked the hammer and I fired at the guinea's back
I gotta take my respect
My bullets hittin' crazy mafia members in the neck
Looked at my girl, a bullet struck her
Put in another clip, cause I ain't givin' up nothin', my brother
Hitmen rollin' up in trenches
Sprayin' at my car, only missin' me by little inches
Stepped on the gas pedal, how bad my girl is harmed?
Man, they only hit her in the upper arm
Now I'm drivin' on sidewalks, makin sharp turns
My son is in the back, catchin' heartburns
I got the car shakin' wildly
I made a turn, and then I dipped the bimmer in a dark alley
They drove right past, now all this chasin' stuff is done
Yeah, they got a brother on the run
"I want him dead
I want his family dead
I want his house burned to the ground"
The next thing I know, it was daylight
And I been sleepin' with the engine runnin' all night
I started pullin on my ho
"C'mon, man, what?
Wake up, stupid, we gotta go
Pulled out the alley, then I dipped
Looked down and picked up the nine and put more rounds in the clip
You know I'm headin' South, no doubt
Don't care about my whereabouts, as long it's a hideout
Finally, we crossed the border, I pulled into a station
To fill up the tank and get a drink of water
Pullin' over to park my ride
That's when I noticed this limousine comin' up on my left side
Then the sucker started rammin' me
Then I looked, it was the Luciano family
Looked at my girl, she started cryin', my finger on the trigger
I pulled it, bullets started flyin'
Now I'm hittin all them bastards
Droppin' 'em fast, when I'm blastin', blood splashes
Then I've finally done it
I took 'em all out, but I caught one in the stomach
Now I'm lookin for survivors
So I ran up on the side of the car and hit the driver
And then I laid low
Catchin' my breath, the only one left was Don Luciano
So I snuck up on the sucker
Put my gun to his head, "What's up now, motherfucker?"
He said, "Wait, I want to talk"
I put his brains on the sidewalk
Another life I had to waste
He fell on his back, and then I spit right in his guinea face
He saw the barrel of the devil's gun
Now they no longer got a brother on the run
Doin' some pickups, deliveries and transportin' keys
Yeah, they got me like a flunky, money
I'm drivin' around town with ten kilos inside my trunk, G
And I'm holdin the suitcase
With a half a million dollars on my lap, in front of my face
And I'm tryin to ignore it
But sometimes I get tempted to go dip and make a run for it
The thought alone makes me shiver, damn
What if I get caught? They'll find me floatin' in the Hudson river
But if I escape, I'll be in shape for my life
But they might get my kid and my wife
See, I'm supposed to make a stop
To an Uptown spot, run up the block and make another drop
But I got somethin' else in mind
So at the next stop sign, I pull out and load up the nine
I got the money and the hit
Went through the block nonstop 'cause I ain't droppin' off a rock of it
But then I thought of a plan
So I drovesto my house and got my girl and my little man
C'mon, baby, pack your stuff, get ready
"Damn, why your face all sweaty?"
Just hurry up, don't throw no fits
I'm a dead man walkin', understand? We gotta split
I switched the locks on the door
Started packin' the Gucci bags like I was goin' on a world tour
Grabbed the luggage and the gun
C'mon, we gotta go, they got a brother on the run
"They got the shipment"
"What?"
"They got the whole shipment"
"I want that son of a bitch dead
I want him dead, I want him dead, I don't care"
Now I'm drivin' and I'm lookin' at my passport
I'm outta here soon as my ass hit Kennedy airport
Loaded the other automatic
I don't believe this, I'm like a sitting duck stuck in traffic
I'm gettin' nervous as hell, G
A Lincoln Continental pullin' right up beside me
Puts down my girl and then I bent low
Bullets are flying through my window
The enemy is on attack
Drew the nine and cocked the hammer and I fired at the guinea's back
I gotta take my respect
My bullets hittin' crazy mafia members in the neck
Looked at my girl, a bullet struck her
Put in another clip, cause I ain't givin' up nothin', my brother
Hitmen rollin' up in trenches
Sprayin' at my car, only missin' me by little inches
Stepped on the gas pedal, how bad my girl is harmed?
Man, they only hit her in the upper arm
Now I'm drivin' on sidewalks, makin sharp turns
My son is in the back, catchin' heartburns
I got the car shakin' wildly
I made a turn, and then I dipped the bimmer in a dark alley
They drove right past, now all this chasin' stuff is done
Yeah, they got a brother on the run
"I want him dead
I want his family dead
I want his house burned to the ground"
The next thing I know, it was daylight
And I been sleepin' with the engine runnin' all night
I started pullin on my ho
"C'mon, man, what?
Wake up, stupid, we gotta go
Pulled out the alley, then I dipped
Looked down and picked up the nine and put more rounds in the clip
You know I'm headin' South, no doubt
Don't care about my whereabouts, as long it's a hideout
Finally, we crossed the border, I pulled into a station
To fill up the tank and get a drink of water
Pullin' over to park my ride
That's when I noticed this limousine comin' up on my left side
Then the sucker started rammin' me
Then I looked, it was the Luciano family
Looked at my girl, she started cryin', my finger on the trigger
I pulled it, bullets started flyin'
Now I'm hittin all them bastards
Droppin' 'em fast, when I'm blastin', blood splashes
Then I've finally done it
I took 'em all out, but I caught one in the stomach
Now I'm lookin for survivors
So I ran up on the side of the car and hit the driver
And then I laid low
Catchin' my breath, the only one left was Don Luciano
So I snuck up on the sucker
Put my gun to his head, "What's up now, motherfucker?"
He said, "Wait, I want to talk"
I put his brains on the sidewalk
Another life I had to waste
He fell on his back, and then I spit right in his guinea face
He saw the barrel of the devil's gun
Now they no longer got a brother on the run
Lyrics submitted by SongMeanings
On the Run Lyrics as written by Norman Harris Michael Wilson
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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I think your first comment is closer to being accurate. The singer/song writers state "Millions of eyes can see, yet why am i so blind!? When the someone else is me, its unkind its unkind". I believe hes referring to the girl toying with him and using him. He wants something deeper with her, thats why he allows himself to be as a puppet (even though for her fun and games) as long as it makes her happy. But he knows deep down that she doesnt really want to be serious with him and thats what makes him.
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Great version of a great song,
No Surprises
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