I Ran

“I Ran (So Far Away) is A Flock of Seagulls' most successful single. Released in 1982, the song epitomizes new wave music, being brought back into public view when it was used on the trailer for Grand Theft Auto: Vice City back in 2002. Since then, it has been covered by Bowling For Soup, and by the Ska Rangers in The Hangover: Part II. It was also used in the Netflix show Dark. In an interview on the VH1 special 100 Greatest Songs of the ‘80s, Mike Score said that he resents the song, but plays it live because people enjoy it. "I Ran (So Far Away)," also released as "I Ran," is a song by English new wave band A Flock of Seagulls. It was released in 1982 as their third single and it was the second single from their self-titled debut album. It topped the chart in Australia and reaching numbers seven and nine in New Zealand and the United States respectively although the single did not enjoy similar success in the band's home country (United Kingdom), failing to make the top 40. Recording and composition: Lead vocalist Mike Score says that there were two main sources of inspiration for "I Ran (So Far Away)." The members of A Flock of Seagulls would regularly visit Eric's Club in Liverpool, where one of the bands had a song called "I Ran." Score noted that because A Flock of Seagulls would rehearse right after returning from Eric's, the song title and chorus may have gotten stuck in his head. Another idea came from a poster at a Zoo Records office. The band had gone there with the intent of securing a recording contract, and they wanted to use the poster, which featured a man and a woman running away from a flying saucer, as the cover for their first album, A Flock of Seagulls (1982). This depiction also helped spark the song's unusual space-like lyrics. "I Ran (So Far Away)" was recorded at Battery Studios in London with producer Mike Howlett. It is a new wave and synth-pop song, with a run time of five minutes and seven seconds. According to the sheet music, the song moves at a quick tempo of 145 beats per minute. With a chord progression of A-G-A-G in the verses and F-G-A in the choruses, the song is written in the key of A minor. During the song's introduction and musical interludes, short guitar riffs are played, which give the sense of an echo. Guitarist Paul Reynolds had joined the band after the music was already written, so the short guitar riffs were added for Reynolds to play. Lyrically, "I Ran (So Far Away)" is about a man who sees an attractive woman and attempts to run away from his feelings. Before this happens, the man sees an aurora in the sky, and he and the woman are abducted by aliens.

I Ran Lyrics A Flock Of Seagulls From The Album A Flock of Seagulls (1982) [Verse] I walk along the avenue I never thought I'd meet a girl like you Meet a girl like you With auburn hair and tawny eyes The kind of eyes that hypnotize me through You hypnotize me through [Chorus] And I ran, I ran so far away I just ran, I ran all night and day I couldn't get away [Verse 2] A cloud appears above your head A beam of light comes shining down on you Shining down on you The cloud is moving nearer still Aurora Borealis comes in view Aurora comes in view [Chorus] And I ran, I ran so far away I just ran, I ran all night and day I couldn't get away [Verse 3] Reached out a hand to touch your face You're slowly disappearing from my view 'Appearing from my view Reached out a hand to try again I'm floating in a beam of light with you A beam of light with you [Chorus] And I ran, I ran so far away I just ran, I ran all night and day And I ran, I ran so far away I just ran, I couldn't get away Produced By Mike Howlett Written By Paul Reynolds, Frank Maudsley, Ali Score & Mike Score Label Jive Records Recorded At Battery Studios Release Date March 1982