- Before They Make Me Run
Infobox Song
Name = Before They Make Me Run
Artist =The Rolling Stones
Album =Some Girls
Released= 9 June 1978
track_no = 8
Recorded = March 1978
Genre = Rock
Length = 3m:25s
Writer =Jagger/Richards
Label = Rolling Stones/Virgin
Producer =The Glimmer Twins
[ Chart position = ] |
prev = "Respectable"
prev_no = 7
next = "Beast of Burden"
next_no = 9"Before They Make Me Run" is a song by the English rock band
The Rolling Stones , featured on their 1978 album "Some Girls ".Written by
guitarist Keith Richards , the song is a response to his arrest forheroin possession inToronto in February 1977. The criminal charges and prospect of a prison sentence loomed over the "Some Girls" recording sessions and in fact endangered the future of the Rolling Stones.cite book |last=Appleford |first=Steve |title=Rip This Joint: The Rolling Stones: The Stories Behind Every Song |publisher=Thunder's Mouth Press |date=2000 |id=ISBN 1-56025-281-2 |pages=pg. 162-163]In the lyrics Richards reflects unapologetically on his lifestyle up to that point. The line "it's another goodbye to another good friend" in the first verse can be interpreted as referring to
Gram Parsons , Richards' close friend who died in 1973 from a drug overdose,Appleford 2000. pg. 162-163] and/or to heroin itself: Richards had sought medical treatment for heroin addiction following his arrest in Toronto, and his resolution to overcome his addiction would be a significant factor in his upcoming trial.cite book |last=Flippo |first=Chet |title=On the Road with the Rolling Stones |publisher= Doubleday/Dolphin |date=1985 |id=ISBN 0-385-19374 |pages=pg. 134-136]Originally entitled "Rotten Roll", the song was recorded in a
Paris studio in March 1978 during one ofMick Jagger 's absences from the "Some Girls" sessions.cite book |last=Elliott |first=Martin |title= The Rolling Stones: Complete Recording Sessions 1962-2002 |publisher=Cherry Red Books |date=2002 |id=ISBN 1-901447-04-9 |page=pg. 263] The completed track - "a high-energy rock & roller"] - features Richards on lead vocals, acoustic and electric guitars and bass; Ronnie Wood onpedal steel ,slide guitar and backup vocals;Charlie Watts on drums and Jagger on backup vocals.cite web |last =McPherson |first=Ian |title=Track Talk: Before They Make Me Run |url=http://www.timeisonourside.com/SOBeforeThey.html |accessdate=2008-03-18 | ]Richards first performed the song in concert on the The New Barbarians' tour of North America in 1979; it wasn't until 1989 that it entered the Rolling Stones' concert repertoire.cite web |last =Zentgraf |first=Nico |title=The Complete Works of the Rolling Stones 1962-2008 |url=http://www.nzentgraf.de/books/tcw/works1.htm|accessdate=2008-03-18 | ] Like "Happy", the song has become one of Richards' "signature tunes", performed on most Rolling Stones tours since 1989; he also played it on the X-Pensive Winos' 1992-93 tours promoting his album "
Main Offender ".Steve Earle has also performed the song in concert and has recorded it as part of a split single with theSupersuckers .cite web |title=Steve Earle: Miscellaneous Lyrics |url=http://steveearle.net/lyrics/ly-misc.php |accessdate=2008-03-18 | ]References
External links
* [http://www.rollingstones.com/discog/index.php?v=so&a=1&id=217 Complete Official Lyrics]
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