- Published on 1965
- Author: Lennon/McCartney
- Track 14 on “Rubber Soul“
JOHN 1980: “It has a line from an old Presley song. ‘I’d rather see you dead little girl than to be with another man’ is a line from an old blues song that Presley did once. Just sort of a throw-away song of mine that I never thought much of… but it was always a favorite of George’s.”
About “Run For Your Life”
“Run For Your Life” was written primarily by John Lennon, though credited to Lennon–McCartney. The song’s lyrics establish a threatening tone towards the singer’s unnamed girlfriend (referred to throughout the song as “little girl”), claiming “I’d rather see you dead, little girl, than to be with another man.” The line was taken from an early Elvis Presley song, “Baby Let’s Play House” (written by Arthur Gunter).
“Run for Your Life” was the first song recorded for Rubber Soul, on 12 October 1965; “Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)” was also recorded later that day. The song has only one section, a verse-refrain combination, with the guitar duet introducing a six-bar blues.As with most other songs on Rubber Soul, McCartney sings the higher register of the three-part harmony.
Rubber Soul was released on 3 December 1965, with “Run for Your Life” sequenced as the album’s closing song. Since release, the song has garnered a mixed response from music critics. Lennon designated it as his “least favourite Beatles song” in a 1973 interview. He also stated that it was one of George Harrison’s favourites on Rubber Soul at that time, despite Lennon’s dislike of it.
Ian MacDonald criticised the vocal performance and added these comments about the guitar: “The guitar-work, some of which is badly out of tune, is similarly rough, the piercingly simplistic blues solo suggesting that the player was not Harrison but Lennon himself.”
Thomas Ward of AllMusic similarly criticised the song, calling it “arguably the weakest” on Rubber Soul, and one of the “lesser items in the entire Lennon–McCartney songbook”. Ward further criticised the song’s lyrics, calling them “trite”, and the melody, calling it “bland and uninteresting”. While he did compliment Lennon’s vocal performance and Harrison’s “lovely” guitar part, they can’t rescue the song from being “one of the Beatles most dispensable items”. The Beatles never performed the song live.
Meaning of “Run For Your Life”
The lyrics of “Run For Your Life” have often been viewed as controversial due to their possessive and somewhat threatening nature.
While musically catchy and well-composed, the lyrics are considered by many to reflect a possessive and controlling attitude, which stands in contrast to the more positive and uplifting themes found in many other Beatles songs. It’s important to note that the song’s lyrics have been criticized for their content, and they do not necessarily reflect the attitudes or beliefs of the individual Beatles as private individuals.
Due to the nature of the lyrics, “Run For Your Life” is often viewed as a somewhat controversial entry in the Beatles’ catalog.
Personnel
- John Lennon – vocal, acoustic 12-string guitar, slide guitar
- Paul McCartney – harmony vocal, bass
- George Harrison – harmony vocal, electric rhythm guitar, lead guitar
- Ringo Starr – drums, tambourine
