The National – Runaway

• 0
  General Comment:This song is about Halo.

  Flag andyhallowon February 16, 2013   Link

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• 0
  General Comment:I think this song is about reality that you should not run from it and you must just go with it
  its kind of hard but you must try it.

  Flag ilyailoon March 06, 2012   Link

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• 0
  My Interpretation:This song is about standing up for one's beliefs in society. It's tough to speak up against those in power and would be safer if we didn't ("We don't bleed when we don't fight") but if we don't fight we're going to lose what we have; if you throw your arms in the air (give up) we'll lose our shirts in the fire. He doesn't enjoy getting beat down by his fight but it's important and he wants you to join him and stop letting things get worse around you, because you're afraid.

  Flag CityFolkon October 20, 2011   Link

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• -2
  General Comment:It's been written in such a way as to make it interprative. For me this is a song about environmentalism and peak oil, were swallowing the shine of the sun is what happens when the ozone layer breaks down.
  
  We dont bleed when we dont fight is our acceptance that were just going to carry on doing what we're doing (burning up oil, expanding via globalization, damaging the environment) without a fight, it's easier just to ignore it and just hope everything will be ok, instead of facing our issues head on and dealing with them.
  
  What makes you think i'm enjoying being led to the flood - the flood is the flood of tears when all of a sudden mankind falls off a cliff because we've run out of oil and didnt do enough to transition for it. The people in power will say but look at the life you've had at least you have enjoyed it... but how can you enjoy it when it's participating in disaster! We've got another thing coming undone!
  
  But i wont be no runaway - this part is hope, in the end no matter how disasterous things end up or how much damage is done if we have to start again mankind will face their fate and have no choice but to build a new world.
  
  
  For me the song is basically a sadness in our inability to protect our future, we know if we carry on the way we are we will eventually hit disaster but we are just carrying on and nobody seems to be able to reset the course, our destiny is disaster. As songs go this has to rank as one of the saddest ever written, in my interpritation is about apocalypse and the distructive nature of man, i dont think it could get any bleaker!
  
  

  Flag kmbursson June 21, 2011   Link

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• +2
  General Comment:In my opinion, Berninger is lamenting the future of society.
  
  Many people I've talked to feel that we're headed towards a destructive outcome. I really don't think Berninger concedes that there is any hope left at all for mankind. However, I feel that it is a very powerful song emotionally (even if it is about Global Warming), because despite his incredibly ominous foresight, he is determined to see it through.
  
  Also, although I think "No, I won't be no runaway" can implicate a variety of actions. Sometimes I think he's talking about suicide, and some days I think he means going to some dark corner of the world where he won't be reminded of our collective monstrosity.

  Flag ghopson8787on March 03, 2011   Link

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• 0
  General Comment:This song is beautiful. The way he sings it making it almost hauntingly amazing. So much emotion in one song. And I completely agree with staringatthesun12.

  Flag kacyedge999on January 20, 2011   Link

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  General Comment:Chills every time he sings "What makes you think I'm enjoying being led to the flood?"

  Flag pnw13on December 13, 2010   Link

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• +3
  General Comment:I think this song is about a relationship that in the midst of a big argument. The relationship looks very bleak and they are at the point that he doesn't see it being resolved ("There's no saving anything. Now we're swallowing the shine of the sun.")
  
  However bad things are, he still has feelings and does not want to quit ("But I won't ne no runway cause I won't run.")
  
  He does not like when she brings the argument to the forfront and he feels like things are piling on top of the main argument.("What makes you think I'm enjoying being led to the flood. We've got another thing coming undone. And its taking us over.")
  
  He would much rather set aside their differences and move on with the relationship.("we don't bleed when we don't fight. Go ahead put your arms I'm the air tonight".) And would rather kiss and make up.("Go ahead lose our shirts in the fire tonight.")
  
  She keeps bringing up the argument while he tries to move past it.("I'll go braving everything with you swallowing the shine of the sun.")

  Flag warnocknon December 02, 2010   Link

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• +4
  General Comment:This might be because I'm relating it a little too much to a recent personal situation, but here's how I interpret it:
  
  It's about a relationship with someone you love deeply but which is just not working. Even though you know it's doomed ("There's no saving anything"), you can't bring yourself to leave ("I won't be no runaway, 'cause I won't run").
  
  How I see it, is that the reason that they don't want to leave is that things are not always bad, they love the person and things are great unless they start arguing ("We don't bleed when we don't fight"). The "throw your arms in the arm/lose our shirts in the fire" bit would be when they don't fight and instead have a wild and fun time.
  
  I think the references to the sun are just abstract allusions to the fire you can feel in an intense relationship, as if you've swallowed this huge flaming thing and it's burning away inside of you; it hurts, but it's magical.
  
  "What makes you think I'm enjoying being led to the flood?" is pretty self explanatory. It's just expressing that don't want to be travelling towards the end of the relationship.
  
  I might be completely wrong, but that's how I see it.
  

  Flag FlamePitBabyon October 08, 2010   Link

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• -2
  General Comment:To me this song is about the end of a relationship where the singer wants to continue beings friends with the other person. A little less epic-sounding than some of these other interpretations, but to me the song says, "Look, this relationship isn't working, but I refuse to just push you out of my life. You mean too much to me to do that."

  Flag ripplebacktomeon October 01, 2010   Link

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