Runaway

Album: Runaway With Del Shannon (1961)
Charted: 1 1
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  • As I walk along, I wonder
    A-what went wrong with our love
    A love that was so strong

    And as I still walk on
    I think of the thing's we've done
    Together, while our hearts were young

    I'm a-walkin' in the rain
    Tears are fallin' and I feel a pain
    A-wishin' you were here by me
    To end this misery

    And I wonder, I wo-wo-wo-wo-wonder
    Why, why-why-why-why-why
    She ran away
    And I wonder where she will stay
    My little runaway
    A run-run-run-run-runaway

    I'm a-walkin' in the rain
    Tears are fallin' and I feel a pain
    A-wishin' you were here by me
    To end this misery

    And I wonder, I wo-wo-wo-wo-wonder
    Why, why-why-why-why-why
    She ran away
    And I wonder where she will stay
    My little runaway
    A run-run-run-run-runaway
    A run-run-run-run-runaway
    A run-run-run-run-runaway Writer/s: Del Shannon, Max D. Crook
    Publisher: BMG Rights Management
    Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Comments: 43

  • Clive from Cumbria EnglandI still have one of the original Del Shannon Runaway imports that had the wrong b side. It was in fact The Snake by Maximilian that was pressed in error. Wonder if it’s worth anything!
  • Joseph Skyrie from MontrealI have on a 4 track tape a slow version of runaway. Don't know where it comes from but it sure sounds like del. Has anyone else know of this slower version?
  • Barry from Sauquoit, NySixty years ago today in 1961 {April 24th} "Runaway" by Del Shannon peaked at #1 {for 4 weeks} on Billboard's Top 100 chart...
    "Runaway" also reached #1 in Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom...
    Between 1961 and 1981 the Grand Rapids, Michigan native had seventeen records on the Top 100 chart, three made the Top 10 with one reaching #1, the above "Runaway"...
    Besides "Runaway", his other two Top 10 records were "Hats Off To Larry" {reached #5 for two weeks in July of 1961} and "Keep Searchin' (We'll Follow The Sun" {peaked at #9 for one week in January of 1965...
    He had one Top 20 record, "Little Town Flirt", it reached #12 for one week in February of 1963...
    Sadly, Del Shannon, born Charles Weedon Westover, passed away at the young age of 55 on February 8th, 1990...
    May he R.I.P.
    And from the 'For What It's Worth' department, the remainder of Billboard's Top 10 on April 24th, 1961:
    At #2. "Blue Moon" by The Marcels {the #1 record for the previous three weeks}
    #3. "Mother-In-Law" by Ernie K-Doe
    #4. "But I Do" by Clarence 'Frogman' Henry
    #5. "On The Rebound" by Floyd Cramer
    #6. "A Hundred Pounds of Clay" by Gene McDaniels
    #7. "I’ve Told Every Little Star" by Linda Scott
    #8. "You Can Depend On Me" by Brenda Lee
    #9. "Take Good Care of Her" by Adam Wade
    #10. "One Mint Julep" by Ray Charles
  • Bob Ledger from Harrogatewho was the original larry
  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn March 8, 1975, the Rhodes Kids performed their covered version of "Runaway" on the Dick Clark ABC-TV Saturday-afternoon program 'American Bandstand'...
    The month before G.R.C. Records released the song, and on February 16th, 1975 it peak at #108 on Billboard's Bubbling Under the Top 100 chart...
    Exactly fourteen years earlier on March 8th, 1961 Del Shannon's original version was in it's first week on the Top 100 at position #77, seven weeks later it would peak at #1 {for 4 weeks}...
    Unlike the Rhodes Kids' version, four other covered versions of "Runaway" have made the Top 100 chart, Lawrence Welk's instrumental version {#56 in 1962}, Charlie Kulis {#46 in 1975}, Bonnie Raitt {#57 in 1977}, and Dawn, in a medley with "Happy Together", {#79 in 1972}.
  • Jennifur Sun from RamonaMax Crooks solo just makes the song.
  • Uncle T. Jay from Grand Junction, CoDel also recorded a new version of "Runaway" in 1967 and dubbed it "Runaway '67". It was a much more slower version of the 1961 smash hit and sounded a bit darker than it's predecessor. Sadly, "Runaway '67" never charted, at least on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Chart, but it's a great version to look up on the internet and to listen to.
  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn January 29th 1972, Tony Orlando and Dawn performed "Runaway/Happy Together" on the ABC-TV program 'American Bandstand'...
    At the time the song was in its first week on Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart at position #99; fifteen days later on February 13th it peaked at #79 and that was its fourth and final week on the Top 100...
    And on the same 'Bandstand' show the trio also performed "What Are You Doing Sunday"; it had peaked at #39 {for 1 week} on the Top 100 on November 7th, 1971.
  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn May 15th 1977 Bonnie Raitt's debut chart record, "Runaway", entered Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart; eventually it peaked at #57...
    Three other covered versions have made the Top 100; Lawrence Welk (#56 in 1962, an instrumental), Dawn* (#79 in 1972), and Charlie Kulls (#46 in 1975)...
    * Dawn's version was a medley combined with the Turtles' "Happy Together".
  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn April 10th 1961, Del Shannon performed "Runaway" on the ABC-TV program 'American Bandstand'...
    One month earlier on March 6th it entered Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart at position #77; and on April 24th it peaked at #1 (for 4 weeks) and spent 17 weeks on the Top 100 (and for 9 of those 17 weeks it was on the Top 10)...
    Between 1961 and 1982 he had seventeen Top 100 records; with three making the Top 10...
    R.I.P. Mr. Shannon, born Charles Weedon Westover, (1934 - 1990).
  • J from Galt, CaTo - John, Mansfield, TX,

    John, actually it is "Watching all the PLAYS go by, Some live and others die" not PLANES. According to this article: http://articles.latimes.com/1987-11-20/entertainment/ca-15345_1_theme-song

    The lyric and the revised 1986 version for Crime Story was changed to the perspective of two detectives instead of two lovers. If you listen to the new lyrics you can hear the reference to being a jaded cop who looks back to a time when he started and believed good and bad was a black and white issue and now the lines have become blurred as he believes he may have done some bad things himself to "keep the peace." That's also why the opening lyrics are different like "What went wrong with our lives" instead of "love."
  • Martin from Fresno, CaHe was a talented man.He also produced Brian Hylands version of "Gypsy Woman' which was one instance of a cover version being far better than the original.
  • Edward from Charlotte, NcCharlie Kulis covered the song in 1975. It was released on Playboy Records in the U.S.
  • Terry from Va.beach, Vato joe, perth, Australia crime story version is on ......1961-1990: A Complete Career Anthology (disc 2)
  • Pierre from Chelsea, Quebec, CanadaCovered in a nice way, twice, by DION DIMUCCI, on two albums.
  • Rick from Belfast, MeThis song "made" the movie American Grafitti
  • Jon from Scotland, United KingdomI've always liked Del's original version, but the updated take he recorded for the 1986 US TV show "Crime Story" was better IMO (two versions were recorded for Crime Story: the full length version that was edited and used as the show's theme and one with a longer outro that wasn't released). Matching the content of "Crime Story", the 1986 re-recording of Runaway was much grittier with a harder, rockier sound. Bonnie Raitt's version that also appeared in "Crime Story" was good too, and if you like it, you need to check out her live version of "Runaway" that she recorded with Billy Joel. Bonnie sings her version while Billy Joel takes over with his faster and more true to the original sixties sound interpretation. I wasn't too keen on the Elvis cover and the one recorded by Me First And The Gimme Gimme's was just plain bad. But the best cover version of "Runaway" is undoubtedly the one recorded by the Travelling Wilburys although Dion Dimucci's take wasn't bad either.
  • Colin from Southport, United KingdomFor Barry in Sanquoit, according to Del's official website delshannon.com there were small quantities erroneously pressed with 'The Snake' as the b-side. When you get to the home page, click on Discographies, then on 'Compilers notes and additions' for the details. I reckon it must have been the very early copies as The US, UK, and belgium. The Snake is actually an instrumental by The Musitron player on the record Max Crook. It was issued as an B side of the single 'The Wanderer' (written by Max and not the Dion hit) credited as Maximillan on Big Top 45-3568.
  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyI remember seeing two 45 RPM copies of 'Runaway' in 1961; on one disk the B-Side was 'Jody' and there was a different song on the other copy. Does anybody know what that song was????
  • Eric from Camas, WaThe verses of Neil Young's "Like a Hurricane" bear a resemblance to the verses of "Runaway" (IMHO).
  • Justin from Woodstock, NyThe Wisconsin band BoDeans pay homage to Runaway, singing the first verse in the intro to their song "She's A Runaway" on their live album, "Homebrewed, Live From The Pabst," released in 2005.
  • Pierre from Chelsea, Quebec, CanadaElvis Presley recorded a nice version of the song while Shannon was in the room. He asked Del to stand up so people could applaud.
    Good, but not as good as the original.
  • John from Mansfield, TxJoe,While I don't know if there ever was a Soundtrack CD to"Crime Story";Seasons 1&2 of"Crime story"is available on DVD from Anchor Bay home Video.
  • Joe from Perth, Australiai can't find the crime story version on cd anywhere does anyone know where to get it?
  • John from Mansfield, TxSteve,The Revised Version For"Crime story"goes
    "I'm A Walkin'
    In the Rain.
    Tears Are fallin'
    And I feel The Pain.

    Watchin'All The
    Planes Go By,
    Some Live and
    Others Die,
    And I Wonder.
    I WhyWhyWhy
    Wonder,Why?
    WhyWhyWhy I
    Don't Walk away.

    And I Wonder,
    What Makes
    Me Stay,Runaway.

    RunRunRunRunRunaway.".
  • Pierre from Chelsea, Quebec, CanadaMy number two song ever : just behind STAND BY ME by Ben E. King. The original is still the better ! aAmd the version for CRIME STORY is not bad.
  • Leah from Brooklyn, NyDel Shannon performing Runaway: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9rC15lhsvs
  • Darrell from EugeneI've been run over by a runaway, that is, a runaway 1969 Dodge Travco 270 motorhome with no brakes!
  • Caren from Detroit Area, MiThere is no Traveling Wilburys volume 4. What that is is a bootleg. The only actual full length Wilburys albums were Volume 1 and Volume 3 (Roy Orbison's Mystery Girl was considered to be Number 2, altho it's sometimes reported incorrectly to be Tom Petty's Full Moon Fever). Runaway appeared on the Wlburys' 1990 single CD "She's My Baby" as a bonus track in the UK. Otherwise, it is unreleased and only appears on bootleg imports.
  • Dan from Kingston, CanadaHorace- the song you are referring to is called "Shannon" by Henry Gross from around 1974-75
  • Tony from Devon, EnglandThe first 8,000 copies of this released in the UK had the wrong B-side. It featured Max Crook's intrumental 'The Snake' instead of the proper B-side. I had one of them.
  • Jeff from San Jose, CaCovered by the Small Faces around '66, although lead singer Steve Marriott later said he hated the song and that the band only did it to appease their manager, who added a mock-operatic intro to their version. It was released on the Decca CD From The Beginning.
  • Jameson from Lexington, KyJorge: I agree that the original track is awesome (I'm a keyboardist and I love the sound of the Musitron here), but having finally tracked down a copy of the full "Crime Story" version, I think I like it more. I think it's the updated drum arrangement that makes this one. The darker lyrics help too, IMHO.
  • Jorge from Mexicali, MexicoFirst heard the song on "Crime Story", but once I tracked down the original I found it to be much better.
  • Shane from Monticello, IlCovered by Gary Allan for the short-lived series "18 Wheels of Justice".
  • Rick from San Juan, United StatesThe first Beatles song to enter the Billboard Top 100 charts was Del Shannon's version of "From Me To You" in June 1963.
  • Rick from San Juan, United StatesThere are three different recordings of "Runaway" by Del Shannon: 1) The 1961 monophonic 45 RPM on Big Top 3067; 2) An alternate stereo version in the 1961 Big Top LP "Runaway with Del Shannon", and 3) the slower "Runaway '67" on Liberty 55993.
  • Tabs from Spring, TxBarenaked Ladies also referenced this in their song "What Do You Dream About," where the singer asks his newborn baby son, "Do you hear Del Shannon's 'Runaway' playing on transister radio waves..."
  • Keith from Slc, UtThe "Crime Story" theme has different words (". . .watchin' all the folks go by, some live and others die . . ."), ending with the question of why the singer doesn't run away.

    This was just one of a number of hits for Shannon, who was working on a new album and concert tour when he killed himself. His wife laid the blame on the fact that he was taking Prozac, the anti-depressant which has been associated with a number of suicidal and violent incidents.

  • Rizwan from Highland Park, NjCovered live by Elvis too, with Del Shannon in the audience. Just a good as the original.
  • Horace from Western, MdI thought this was actually about a pet dog Del Shannon had that ran away?
  • Roddy from Southampton, EnglandA version of this is included in the traveling Wilburys' volume 4, I think it's Del that actually sings on it, but don't quote me on that.
  • Reuben from Virginia Beach, VaCovered by Bonnie Raitt, but nowhere near as good as the original. Who played keyboards on the original?
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