Run-Around
Encyclopedia
"Run-Around" is a song by American jam band
Blues Traveler
, featured on the 1994
album
Four. Blues Traveler won their first Grammy Award
for the song in 1995.
The song was the band's breakthrough hit, peaking at #8 on the Billboard Hot 100
.
. The first full band performance of the song took place the next time it was played, February 21, 1994. The 1994 show was significant because it took place at the famous CBGB's
and the show introduced a number of songs that were to be on their next album, Four.
The song is believed to be about an argument John Popper has with a female friend of his. She was also the subject of a later song, "Felicia".
The song is also suspected to be about John Popper's relationship with Spin Doctors'
frontman Chris Barron at the height of their fame. The evidence being the lyrics "a trusted friend" as well as "it doesn't have to rhyme". (Barron is notorious for his clever rhyming.)
phrase, resulting in a semblance of coherence that breaks down to almost nonsense
upon deeper examination, a purposeful lyric "run-around"
. Some of the many references include Edgar Allan Poe's
"The Raven
"; Matthew
7:7; Psalm 23
; and Ritchie Valens
' song "La Bamba
".
Musically, the song chords are G-C-Am-D, a chord progression
which is very common in modern pop music
. The original studio recording has a very upbeat tone to it, in contrast to the 'break-up' topic of the song.
motif
, with Blues Traveler playing behind a curtain in a nightclub while a young, "hip" and more "photogenic
" group appears to be playing the song
. Dorothy Gale
(played by Diana Marquis), the main character of the story, tries to get into the club.
She is turned away by the doorman, as are three other people whose appearances resemble the Scarecrow, the Cowardly Lion, and Tin Woodsman characters. They rush to the locked back door, where they catch a glimpse of the show. Finding a club-goer passed out nearby, Dorothy transfers the stamp on his hand to her own and to the hands of her three companions, and they are able to get inside.
By this time, several brief shots of the actual band have been seen; they are playing the song in a darkened back area, with several bouncers guarding the entrance, and the onstage group is only lip-synching and miming in time. As Dorothy begins to realize something is amiss, her dog Toto slips past the bouncers and pulls open a curtain to expose the band. She and the other three are quickly whisked away and the curtain is yanked shut as the song ends.
Although the video for this song shows a Kansas
driver's license, the license shown was not the current design but instead the design the state used in the mid to late 1980s. The name appearing on the license was misspelled as "Dorthy".
The song reached #76 in VH1
'S 100 Greatest Songs of the 90s.
The song was originally sung a lot slower than it is today. This is because it is written as more of a depressed song, but it was sped up before it was recorded. Starting in late 1998, the band began experimenting with a different sound. This new version of the song, referred to as "Fucked Run," brings out the depressed and slower side of the song that Popper felt when it was written. However, when this version is performed it always segue
s into another song. The last half of the song is sung as the normal version.
While part of the third verse was recorded as "I shall drink in and always be full / yeah I will drink in and always be full," the second line was originally written as "My cup shall always be full." When performed live, the correct lyrics are always used.
Jam band
-Ambiguity:By the late 1990s use of the term jam band also became ambiguous. An editorial at jamband.com suggested that any band of which a primary band such as Phish has done a cover of be included as jam band. The example was including New York post-punk band Talking Heads after Phish performed...
Blues Traveler
Blues Traveler
Blues Traveler is a rock band, formed in Princeton, New Jersey in 1987. The band has been influenced by a variety of genres, including blues-rock, psychedelic rock, folk rock, soul, and Southern rock...
, featured on the 1994
1994 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1994.-January–February:*January 25 – Alice in Chains release their Jar of Flies album which debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, becoming the first ever EP to do so....
album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
Four. Blues Traveler won their first Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
for the song in 1995.
The song was the band's breakthrough hit, peaking at #8 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
.
Overview and history
"Run-Around" debuted on June 24, 1993, during a solo show featuring Blues Traveler frontman John PopperJohn Popper
John Popper is an American musician and songwriter.He is most famous for his role as frontman of rock band Blues Traveler performing harmonica, guitar and vocals...
. The first full band performance of the song took place the next time it was played, February 21, 1994. The 1994 show was significant because it took place at the famous CBGB's
CBGB
CBGB was a music club at 315 Bowery at Bleecker Street in the borough of Manhattan in New York City.Founded by Hilly Kristal in 1973, it was originally intended to feature its namesake musical styles, but became a forum for American punk and New Wave bands like Ramones, Misfits, Television, the...
and the show introduced a number of songs that were to be on their next album, Four.
The song is believed to be about an argument John Popper has with a female friend of his. She was also the subject of a later song, "Felicia".
The song is also suspected to be about John Popper's relationship with Spin Doctors'
Spin Doctors
Spin Doctors is an American alternative rock band formed in New York City, best known for their early 1990s hits, "Two Princes," and "Little Miss Can't Be Wrong," which peaked the Billboard Hot 100 charts at #7 & #17 respectively....
frontman Chris Barron at the height of their fame. The evidence being the lyrics "a trusted friend" as well as "it doesn't have to rhyme". (Barron is notorious for his clever rhyming.)
Composition
Lyrically, almost every line of the song is either a literary reference or a well-known clichéCliché
A cliché or cliche is an expression, idea, or element of an artistic work which has been overused to the point of losing its original meaning or effect, especially when at some earlier time it was considered meaningful or novel. In phraseology, the term has taken on a more technical meaning,...
phrase, resulting in a semblance of coherence that breaks down to almost nonsense
Nonsense
Nonsense is a communication, via speech, writing, or any other symbolic system, that lacks any coherent meaning. Sometimes in ordinary usage, nonsense is synonymous with absurdity or the ridiculous...
upon deeper examination, a purposeful lyric "run-around"
Bromide (language)
A bromide is a phrase or platitude that, having been employed excessively, suggests insincerity or a lack of originality in the speaker employing it....
. Some of the many references include Edgar Allan Poe's
Edgar Allan Poe
Edgar Allan Poe was an American author, poet, editor and literary critic, considered part of the American Romantic Movement. Best known for his tales of mystery and the macabre, Poe was one of the earliest American practitioners of the short story and is considered the inventor of the detective...
"The Raven
The Raven
"The Raven" is a narrative poem by American writer Edgar Allan Poe, first published in January 1845. It is often noted for its musicality, stylized language, and supernatural atmosphere. It tells of a talking raven's mysterious visit to a distraught lover, tracing the man's slow descent into madness...
"; Matthew
Gospel of Matthew
The Gospel According to Matthew is one of the four canonical gospels, one of the three synoptic gospels, and the first book of the New Testament. It tells of the life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth...
7:7; Psalm 23
Psalm 23
In the 23rd Psalm in the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament, the writer describes God as his Shepherd. The text, beloved by Jews and Christians alike, is often alluded to in popular media and has been set to music....
; and Ritchie Valens
Ritchie Valens
Ritchie Valens was a Mexican-American singer, songwriter and guitarist....
' song "La Bamba
La Bamba
La Bamba may refer to:*La Bamba , a 1987 film based on the life and death of Ritchie Valens*"La Bamba" , a folk song best known from a 1958 adaptation by Ritchie Valens*"La Bomba" , a 2000 Latin pop song by King Africa...
".
Musically, the song chords are G-C-Am-D, a chord progression
Chord progression
A chord progression is a series of musical chords, or chord changes that "aims for a definite goal" of establishing a tonality founded on a key, root or tonic chord. In other words, the succession of root relationships...
which is very common in modern pop music
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
. The original studio recording has a very upbeat tone to it, in contrast to the 'break-up' topic of the song.
Track Listing
- "Run-Around" - 4:12
- "Trust In Trust" - 3:02
- "Regarding Steven" - 4:44
- "Escaping" - 4:57
- "The Poignant & Epic Saga Of Featherhead & Lucky Lack" - 5:11
Video
The video for the song has a Wizard of OzThe Wizard of Oz (adaptations)
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is a 1900 novel by L. Frank Baum, which has been adapted into several different works, the most famous being the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz, starring Judy Garland...
motif
Motif (narrative)
In narrative, a motif is any recurring element that has symbolic significance in a story. Through its repetition, a motif can help produce other narrative aspects such as theme or mood....
, with Blues Traveler playing behind a curtain in a nightclub while a young, "hip" and more "photogenic
Photogenic
A subject is photogenic if appearing aesthetically or physically attractive or appealing in photographs. Photogenic drawing, coined by William Fox Talbot, also describes the earliest method for recording camera images....
" group appears to be playing the song
Lip sync
Lip sync, lip-sync, lip-synch is a technical term for matching lip movements with sung or spoken vocals...
. Dorothy Gale
Dorothy Gale
Dorothy Gale is the protagonist of many of the Oz novels by American author L. Frank Baum, and the best friend of Oz's ruler Princess Ozma. Dorothy first appears in Baum's classic children's novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and reappears in most of its sequels...
(played by Diana Marquis), the main character of the story, tries to get into the club.
She is turned away by the doorman, as are three other people whose appearances resemble the Scarecrow, the Cowardly Lion, and Tin Woodsman characters. They rush to the locked back door, where they catch a glimpse of the show. Finding a club-goer passed out nearby, Dorothy transfers the stamp on his hand to her own and to the hands of her three companions, and they are able to get inside.
By this time, several brief shots of the actual band have been seen; they are playing the song in a darkened back area, with several bouncers guarding the entrance, and the onstage group is only lip-synching and miming in time. As Dorothy begins to realize something is amiss, her dog Toto slips past the bouncers and pulls open a curtain to expose the band. She and the other three are quickly whisked away and the curtain is yanked shut as the song ends.
Although the video for this song shows a Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
driver's license, the license shown was not the current design but instead the design the state used in the mid to late 1980s. The name appearing on the license was misspelled as "Dorthy".
The song reached #76 in VH1
VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
'S 100 Greatest Songs of the 90s.
Performance
In Blues Traveler's live shows, "Run-Around" has been played nearly 837 times (as of 02/27/2010) which is roughly 63% of the shows since its debut.The song was originally sung a lot slower than it is today. This is because it is written as more of a depressed song, but it was sped up before it was recorded. Starting in late 1998, the band began experimenting with a different sound. This new version of the song, referred to as "Fucked Run," brings out the depressed and slower side of the song that Popper felt when it was written. However, when this version is performed it always segue
Segue
A segue is a smooth transition from one topic or section to the next.-In music:In music, segue is a direction to the performer. It means continue without a pause. It comes from the Italian "it follows". The term attacca is also used in classical music.For written music it implies a transition...
s into another song. The last half of the song is sung as the normal version.
While part of the third verse was recorded as "I shall drink in and always be full / yeah I will drink in and always be full," the second line was originally written as "My cup shall always be full." When performed live, the correct lyrics are always used.
Peak positions
- 1995 Adult Contemporary No. 4
- 1995 The Billboard Hot 100 No. 8
- 1995 Mainstream Rock Tracks No. 13
- 1995 Modern Rock Tracks No. 14
- 1995 Top 40 Mainstream No. 4
- 1995 Adult Top 40 No. 2
- 1996 Top 40 Adult Recurrents No. 1
- 1996 Adult Top 40 No. 4
End of year charts
| End of year chart (1995) | Position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 14 |
External links
- BluesTraveler.com: Lyrics to Run-Around CD5