Well, I've got to run to keep from hiding
And I'm bound to keep on riding
And I've got one more silver dollar
But I'm not gonna let 'em catch me, no
Not gonnna let 'em catch the midnight rider

And I don't own the clothes I'm wearing
And the road goes on forever
And I've got one more silver dollar
But I'm not gonna let 'em catch me, no
Not gonna let 'em catch the midnight rider

And I've gone by the point of caring
Some old bed I'll soon be sharing
And I've got one more silver dollar

But I'm not gonna let 'em catch me, no
Not gonna let 'em catch the midnight rider
No, I'm not gonna let 'em catch me, no
Not gonna let 'em catch the midnight rider
No, I'm not gonna let 'em catch me, no
I'm not gonna let 'em catch the midnight rider
No, I'm not gonna let 'em catch me, no
I'm not gonna let 'em catch the midnight rider


Lyrics submitted by shut

Midnight Rider Lyrics as written by Gregg Allman Robert Kim Payne

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

Midnight Rider song meanings
Add Your Thoughts

28 Comments

sort form View by:
  • +3
    General Comment
    They performed this song (obviously) at the last show I went to, and Gregg was amazing. You almost get lost in his emotion, like a hitchhiker walking the country road at night, with nowhere to go, but nowhere to stay. Truly amazing.
    the deadest roseon July 22, 2005   Link
  • +3
    General Comment
    The lyrics wreak of desperation, save for the recurring reference to that last silver dollar. Surely a dollar isn't enough to sustain a human body. It seems more like something that sustains a desperate soul. Maybe hope? Maybe a phrase overheard in a casino (false hope). Whatever that silver dollar represents, it seems to define the ability to muster the will to survive with even the smallest chance. Most likely a tune more appreciated by non-conformists. So very well-received when it was released in 1970.
    JBeaston October 09, 2007   Link
  • +2
    General Comment
    i think that it's an outlaw biker talking about their current circumstances. though obviously the author draws from their experience as a touring musician, song writers (particularly rock musicians from a relative time period) often exaggerate their experiences to come up with material that reflects in part things they might be romancing about and/or often the artist doesn't feel their particular story (verbatim) is anything worth writing into a song.
    cansongon March 16, 2013   Link
  • +1
    General Comment
    i had to comment on this alman bros. classic, this song on filmore east does something to me. lets just say the raw sound of the duane on guitar just really sets taht lonely feel which is what this song is about. latenight driving on a lonely highway
    jbird4017on April 08, 2008   Link
  • +1
    General Comment
    I played this tune for my buddy when he was truly "on the lamb", and it made his spirits rise. Dude had a buck and a ride. He wasn't a violent felon, just an unlucky drug doer. The Midnight Rider slips on by into the night.
    Jordo013on September 16, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    lifes a journey, u gotta keep riding or u will get caught up in something
    cmurda420on January 26, 2002   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    I love this song, happens to be one of my favorite Allman Bros.' song, it's perfect for those long lonely nighttime drives
    cadillac4lifeon May 31, 2004   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    It's about a lonely man on the road, walking a fine line between lawlessness and divinity.
    Forty3Hodownon December 30, 2004   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    It's OK but "Stetesboro Blues" is THE classic Allman Brothers song.
    chrisb1on February 03, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    This sounds like the ultimate lonesome cowboy song...it could even be the theme to a Clint Eastwood or even a Sam Peckinpah movie...there are two versions of this song, and I prefer the Gregg Allman version to the Allman Brothers Band version. It sneaks in a little more instrumentation (like a full blasted orchestra) and a lot more desperation in the voice of Gregg Allman. It may be way overdone in some areas but it's more memorable in my mind. Besides that, this is a great song and worthy of praise.
    OpinionHeadon February 05, 2005   Link

Add your thoughts

Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.

Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!

More Featured Meanings

Album art
X French T-Shirt
Shudder to Think
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.
Album art
Anti-Hero
Taylor Swift
I believe this is another amazingly on point and nuanced commentary on the insanity that follows emotionally abusive relationships. The abuser has no anxieties, no emotional pain, or salience/memory for that matter, so the survivor appears to be the crazy one, obsessed with the abuse and that buzzword that seems to ignite arguments about diagnosing people without a degree, etc. funny how you say the words domestic violence, abuse, abuse survivor and boom the subject changes. Anyways, I especially relate to her midnights becoming afternoons, complex PTSD often leads to this phenomenon, whether due to purposeful sleep deprivation by the abuser, or just hyper vigilance associated with the PTSD, along with the fear of facing people, especially your loved ones, who Never actually understand, even if they try, because all they see is you, on fire, screaming about the arsonist that no one ever sees, and who has been spreading lies about your alleged mental instability, deceptive personality, etc. the whole time. While the last thing survivors need is more blame, our society supports a narrative that blames the objectively innocent party because the blatantly guilty party has spent their entire lives fabricating a persona and we’re just being human, and human psychology is quite counterintuitive especially in the context of trauma. Look at Amber Heard. Vilified and not believed, regardless of what any abuse survivor could recognize as a fellow survivor instantly. But Johnny depp is a malignant narcissist, a man, and wealthy as all get out. It’s sick.
Album art
Hypnotized
River Tiber
This standout psychedelic track was produced in its entirety by River Tiber, being released to all major digital streaming platforms on December 29, 2020.
Album art
Breathe
80vii
This standout song was released to close out the year and was produced in its entirety by 80vii. The track was released via major streaming platforms on December 27, 2020.
Album art
Blue Lights X 216
Jorja Smith
This standalone single was produced in its entirety by Elfi Vomberg, and released on December 29, 2020.