Life can be difficult and sometimes you just feel like running away from it all.
Although it’s a natural emotion, it certainly isn’t an uncommon one.
Musicians have been writing songs about running away for decades as it relates to life experiences many of us have had.
In this article, I’ve compiled 30 of the best songs about running away I could find.
Some songs aren’t about literally running away but rather about mentally leaving a relationship or situation. Everyone has their interpretation of song lyrics.
Songs about running away can be found in just about every genre of music, as you will see in this article. Hopefully, you’ll find a couple of songs to add to your playlists.
What Are the Best Songs About Running Away?
1. “Runaway” By Bon Jovi
Written and recorded before the band was formed, “Runaway” is one of the most famous Bon Jovi songs, released in 84’.
“Daddy’s girl learned fast
All those things he couldn’t say
Ooh, she’s a little runaway”
A song about a girl who received little attention from her family, so she runs away and turns to drugs and partying. She learns what life is about, not from her parents but by experiencing it herself.
2. “Run Away from It All” By Blackberry Smoke
The American rock band formed in 2000 wrote the song for their album “Find a Light.”
“Miles and miles wide open for me
Got it all laid out so beautifully
Don’t you worry about a thing, baby. We can run away from it all.”
Running away from your life and starting all over, leaving people behind, and living life to the fullest might be something you’ve thought about at some point. This Blackberry Smoke song explains the feeling perfectly.
3. “Runaway” By Del Shannon
This ‘61 pop song from Del Shannon, aka Charles Westover, was a big hit in Europe and Australia.
“She ran away
And I wonder where she will stay
My little runaway”
Leaving a relationship and running away is the theme of this Del Shannon song. The upbeat music has a slightly melancholy feel, making it an exciting song choice to add to your playlist.
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4. “Runaway Train ” By Soul Asylum
The American rock band Soul Asylum released the song in ‘93. It was trendy worldwide, reaching the top five in several countries.
“Runaway train never going back
Wrong way on a one-way track
Seems like I should be getting somewhere
Somehow I’m neither here nor there.”
“Runaway Train” is seemingly about depression and how someone can’t escape the pain. They aren’t getting anywhere, even though they’re trying.
5. “Run Away With Me ” By Carley Rae Jepsen
Pop singer Carley Rae Jepsen co-wrote the song for her album “Emotion,” released in 2015.
“Baby, take me to the feeling
I’ll be your sinner, in secret
When the lights go out
Run away with me.”
This song appears to be about a secret relationship. Running away to throw yourself into a romantic relationship with someone ultimately allows you to live high on love and be free to be affectionate with one another.
6. “Running Away” by Hoobastank
The alternative metal Hoobastank single was released in 2002.
“So why are you running away?
Why are you running away?”
The band seems to tell the story of a man who lets his partner go their way because they aren’t entirely committing themselves to the relationship. He wonders why they keep their distance and just wants them to be truthful.
7. “Runaways” by The Killers
The American rock band formed in the early 2000s released the song in 2012.
“Let’s take a chance, baby. We can’t lose
And we’re all just runaways.”
The Killers sing about young love, wanting to run away to start a life together. They get engaged, married, and have children, but the man falls out of love. The man now wants to run away from the relationship but tries to stay committed to their life together.
8. “Runnin’ Away” by Sly & The Family Stone
Sly & the Family Stone is an American band. They released “Runnin’ Away” in ‘71. The song was most popular in the US and the UK.
“Running away to get away
Ha-ha, ha-ha
You’re wearing out your shoes.”
The song seems to be about someone addicted to something and throwing their life away. This person is losing themself to their addiction, running away from the life they had before, from a sane mind.
9. “Runaway Child, Running Wild” by The Temptations
The Temptations is another American band, formed in 61’. The band members often changed over the years, and they are still active to this day.
“’Cause you already made up your mind you wanna run away, yeah
You’re on your way, runaway child, running wild.”
Running away because you don’t like the rules your parent dictate to you might be something you’ve considered when you were a teenager. The teenager in the song runs away, but soon gets lost and scared.
10. “Born to Run” By Bruce Springsteen
Springsteen released the song in ‘75, becoming most popular in European countries and the US.
“Come on with me, tramps like us
Baby, we were born to run.”
“Born to Run” is a love song about escaping life as it is with all of the pain it has brought and starting over somewhere else, away from everything they’ve once known.
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11. “Running Away” By Vulfpeck
The American funk band Vulfpeck was formed in 2011. The song “Running Away” was released in 2017, along with the music video.
“Running Away
you’re Running Away.”
The song is seemingly about loving someone from afar and wondering if they feel the same way. You could even consider that the song is about stalking and the victim running away from the person stalking her, who believes she feels the same about him.
12. “Send Me On My Way” By Rusted Root
“Send Me On My Way” was released in ‘94 by the American rock band.
“I would like to hold my little hand
And we will run, we will, we will crawl.”
The song reminds me of the feeling you have when you’re young, have your whole life in front of you, and look forward to living life to the fullest, running off to somewhere new. However, the lyrics are somewhat vague, so it’s entirely up to your interpretation.
13. “Fast Car” By Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman is an American singer-songwriter who released the song “Fast car” in ‘88.
The song was very successful all over Europe and in the US.
“We gotta make a decision
Leave tonight or live and die this way.”
A song about starting over somewhere new, leaving everything behind: it doesn’t matter where to go, but they want to get away to experience life to the fullest.
14. “Run” By Taylor Swift and Ed Sheeran
The song, released in 2021, was written and sung by the iconic pop artists in a surprising collaboration.
“And run, like you’d run from the law
Darling, let’s run
Run from it all.”
A pop song about wanting to run away with a loved one to start all over, leaving fake friends and a phony life behind. The partner seems to have doubts about running away and is told they will wait for them.
15. “Carry Me Away” By John Mayer
The single from the album “Sob Rock” was released in 2019 and was successful in the US. The singer-songwriter has been active since 1998.
“Take me out and keep me up all night
Let me live on the wilder side of the light.”
This song is about someone who is somewhat introverted or hesitant to go out, who wants someone to encourage them to leave home and experience the night. He wants an adventurous person to help him loosen up and be more spontaneous.
16. “Run to the Hills” By Iron Maiden
The metal- and rock band Iron Maiden released the hit “Run to the Hills” in ‘82. The heavy metal song is one of the band’s biggest hits.
“Run to the hills
Run for your lives.”
The song tells the story of how the Americans fought the native Americans and took their land. It’s about the enslavement, theft, and destruction of the Indian tribes and their possessions.
17. “Runaway” By The Corrs
“Runaway” was released in ‘95 by the Irish pop/rock band formed in 1990. The song was most popular in Ireland, Canada, and Australia.
“And I would runaway
I would runaway, yeah.”
It is a beautiful love song about longing to run away with someone you’re hopelessly in love with. It’s a passionate song with sexual connotations and a clear depiction of how intense the love that the couple feels for one another.
18. “Runaway” By Avril Lavigne
Lavigne wrote Runaway for ‘The Best Damn Thing’ album, released in 2007.
“Laughing so hard it hurts like hell
Forget about everything and run away, yeah.”
Avril tells the story of someone who struggles and feels like everything and everyone is against them. They are angry at life at all of the struggles it throws their way and just want to run away from all those problems.
19. “I Am Born to Run” By American Authors
American Authors is an American rock band. They wrote the song for their album “What We Live For,” released in 2016.
“I’m gonna spend my time like tomorrow won’t come
Do whatever I want like I’m born to run.”
“I Am Born to Run” is a story about someone living life to the fullest. Traveling, seeing new places, and meeting new people like they will die young and want to experience as much as possible.
20. “Running Away” By Bob Marley & The Wailers
The reggae group wrote the song for their album “Kaya,” released in ‘78. The album was most popular in Europe, Australia, and New Zealand.
“Ya running and ya running,
But ya can’t run away from yourself.”
The song is about someone trying to escape from themselves and who they are. There seems to be an internal dialogue that points to very anxious thoughts that they want to run from.
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21. “Run, Baby, Run” By Sheryl Crow
“Run, Baby, Run is a song from Sheryl’s debut album, released in ‘93.
“He taught her how to
Run, baby, run, baby, run.”
The girl in the song wants to run away from a familiar place where she doesn’t feel at home. It seems like that’s something that she does often, to find new places and leave behind the places that she can come back to if she wants. Always on the move.
22. “You Keep Running Away” By Four Tops
Four Tops are an American group formed in ‘56. They released the single in ‘67, which was most popular in the US.
“You keep running away
Though I beg you not to leave.”
“You Keep Running Away” is a love song about someone who’s only there now and then. There’s only commitment from one side, and the other person keeps walking away only to return when they feel like it.
23. “Runaway” By AURORA
AURORA is a Norwegian Singer-songwriter who’s been active since 2012.
“And I was running far away
Would I run off the world someday?”
The person in the song has been running away from what she calls home, from herself, because she’s chasing someone who doesn’t love her back. She tries to convince herself that the love is reciprocated, but deep down, she knows that isn’t the truth.
24. “Free Bird” Lynyrd Skynyrd
“Free Bird” was released in ‘73 by Lynyrd Skynyrd, formed in ‘64. The song was on their debut album.
“For I must be traveling on now
Cause, there’s too many places I’ve got to see.”
The band sings about someone who doesn’t want to be in a committed relationship because they want to be free. They think a relationship will tie them down to one place, but they want to travel and run away to different places.
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25. “Run” By Joji
Singer-songwriter Joji released “Run” in 2020. The song ranked highest on the charts in Sweden and New Zealand.
“Guess I’m not enough
Like you used to think
So I’ll just run.”
Joji sings about falling out of love and running away from a relationship that brought up the best and the worst in both parties involved. One person in the relationship is left with a broken heart, while the other seems to be able to move on quickly.
26. “Turn Me Loose” By Loverboy
Loverboy is a Canadian rock band formed in ‘79. The song was released in ‘80 and ranked very high on the music charts in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Canada, and the US.
“I’m gonna pack my bags and fly, baby
Or no way at all.”
A song about a guy who enjoys the sexual pleasures in life and likes to share that with many people. Somebody trying to tie him down makes him want to run away.
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27. “Here I Go Again” By Whitesnake
Whitesnake is a British band that released the song “Here I Go Again” in ‘82. The music was most popular in the US and Canada.
“Here I go again on my own
Going down the only road I’ve ever known.”
Whitesnake seemingly sings about a guy who has been through several breakups and always ends up alone. He walks away from each relationship and moves on, convinced that he’s supposed to end up alone.
28. “The Sweet Escape” By Akon And Gwen Stefani
The song was released in 2007 and was the most popular in The Netherlands and New Zealand.
“If I could escape
And recreate a place as my own world.”
Stefani and Akon sing about a relationship in which the woman feels terrible about how she treats her partner, and she dreams about escaping to a place where she’s exactly who he wants her to be. A place where she’s ‘his favorite girl,’ and they are very happy together.
29. “Run Away Together” By Anouk
“Run Away Together” was released in 2016 on the Dutch singer-songwriter Anouk’s album Queen For a Day.
“Let’s run away together and never look back
Somewhere we can be alone out of the black.”
Anouk sings about a relationship in which both people aren’t 100% happy. The guy appears to be thinking about leaving, but the woman suggests they run away together and start over as if they’re able to run away from their problems.
30. “Run Away to Mars” By TALK
This song is the most recently released song mentioned in this article, 2022. TALK is a Canadian artist, and “Run Away to Mars” was their debut song.
“What If I run away to Mars?
Would you find me in the stars?”
TALK tells the story of someone who wants to run far away to find new inspiration and motivation because their passion has started to fade. They are wondering if people would still find them there.
Final Thoughts
There are tons of songs to choose from if you want to listen to lyrics about running away.
It’s easy for people to relate because most people have had the urge to run away from a situation they are in, a place that doesn’t feel like home, or a relationship that isn’t working out.
I hope you found a couple of songs in this list that you like and want to listen to again.
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