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Bonnie Raitt — Runaway
Album: Sweet Forgiveness
Avg rating:
6.8

Your rating:
Total ratings: 503









Released: 1977
Length: 3:48
Plays (last 30 days): 0
As I walk along I wonder what went wrong
With our love, a love that was so strong
And as still walk on I think of the things we've done
Together while our hearts were young

I'm a walking in the rain, tears are falling and I feel a pain
Wishing you were here by me to end this misery
And I wonder, I wo wo wo wo wonder
Why, you ran away
And I wonder where you will stay
My little runaway, a runaway

(instrumental break)

I'm a walking in the rain, tears are falling and I feel a pain
Wishing you were here by me to end this misery
And I wonder, I wo wo wo wo wonder, baby, yeah
You know why, you ran away
And I wonder where you will stay
My little runaway, my little runaway
Come back baby
A run run runaway
You left me standin' in the rain
A run run runaway
Come back baby
A run run runaway
(fades)
Comments (65)add comment
This is OK, but I prefer the original
 kingart wrote:
Nah. One of those original songs that cannot be improved, and this goes in the wrong direction. 
 
I totally agree! I like Bonnie but this is just a huge NO. Even worse than Eddie Vedder's cover of Last Kiss. 
Nah. One of those original songs that cannot be improved, and this goes in the wrong direction. 
This song is from her "Sweet  Forgiveness"  album.  It's a very good album and RP should consider playing more from it. 

Her early stuff was quite blues RnR and she attracted alot of talented people to play with her.  
 Ptijoc wrote:
The worse cover from this great song i heard, Even the Dave's version is better :https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0rgEBBPO1CY

 
I disagree. I think it is a perfect example of remaking a classic and owning it.
 Krispian wrote:
Thanks for posting this. When this song came on, I became curious about Bonnie, and wanted to know more about the fact that she was apparently famous before "Nick of Time" (first time I'd heard of her). I sign into RP, and here is all the info I need! Thank you!!

Bonnie Raitt - Runaway, Live (1977):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPzcZNgVfpA
Ichnos71live

"Long a critic's darling, singer/guitarist Bonnie Raitt did not begin to win the comparable commercial success due her until the release of the aptly titled 1989 blockbuster Nick of Time; her tenth album, it rocketed her into the mainstream consciousness nearly two decades after she first committed her unique blend of blues, rock, and R&B to vinyl. Born in Burbank, CA, on November 8, 1949, she was the daughter of Broadway star John Raitt, best known for his starring performances in such smashes as Carousel and Pajama Game. After picking up the guitar at the age of 12, Raitt felt an immediate affinity for the blues, and although she went off to attend Radcliffe in 1967, within two years she had dropped out to begin playing the Boston folk and blues club circuit. Signing with noted blues manager Dick Waterman, she was soon performing alongside the likes of idols including Howlin' Wolf, Sippie Wallace, and Mississippi Fred McDowell and in time earned such a strong reputation that she was signed to Warner Bros.
Debuting in 1971 with an eponymously titled effort, Raitt immediately emerged as a critical favorite, applauded not only for her soulful vocals and thoughtful song selection but also for her guitar prowess, turning heads as one of the few women to play bottleneck. Her 1972 follow-up, Give It Up, made better use of her eclectic tastes, featuring material by contemporaries like Jackson Browne and Eric Kaz, in addition to a number of R&B chestnuts and even three Raitt originals. 1973's Takin' My Time was much acclaimed, and throughout the middle of the decade she released an LP annually, returning with Streetlights in 1974 and Home Plate a year later. With 1977's Sweet Forgiveness, Raitt scored her first significant pop airplay with her hit cover of the Del Shannon classic "Runaway"; its follow-up, 1979's The Glow, appeared around the same time as a massive all-star anti-nuclear concert at Madison Square Garden mounted by MUSE (Musicians United for Safe Energy), an organization she'd co-founded earlier.
Throughout her career, Raitt remained a committed activist, playing hundreds of benefit concerts and working tirelessly on behalf of the Rhythm and Blues Foundation. By the early '80s, however, her own career was in trouble — 1982's Green Light, while greeted with the usual good reviews, again failed to break her to a wide audience, and while beginning work on the follow-up, Warners unceremoniously dropped her. By this time, Raitt was also battling drug and alcohol problems as well; she worked on a few tracks with Prince, but their schedules never aligned and the material went unreleased. Instead, she finally released the patchwork Nine Lives in 1986, her worst-selling effort since her debut.
Many had written Raitt off when she teamed with producer Don Was and recorded Nick of Time; seemingly out of the blue, the LP won a handful of Grammys, including Album of the Year, and overnight she was a superstar. 1991's Luck of the Draw was also a smash, yielding the hits "Something to Talk About" and "I Can't Make You Love Me." After 1994's Longing in Their Hearts, Raitt resurfaced in 1998 with Fundamental. Silver Lining appeared in 2002, followed by Souls Alike in 2005, both on Capitol Records. A year later, Bonnie Raitt and Friends was released, featuring guest appearances from Norah Jones and Ben Harper among others. "~ Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide
 

 
Excellent  : )      Thank you
What pipes!
 DCfromBoston wrote:
The harmonica grabbed me.  Previous comment mentioned the performer switching harps in mid-song, which was news to me.  I looked i up and there's some explanation here https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norton_Buffalo about Norton Buffalo, best known for playing with Steve Miller Band but who also played with Doobie Brothers and Bonnie Raitt and many, many others.

 
This was the guy I meant:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy_Zavala

He looked pretty talented on the video of the tour, but I'm not sure how much of that was "live". 
The worse cover from this great song i heard, Even the Dave's version is better :https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0rgEBBPO1CY
Listening to this is like having a migraine. Everything slows down and my mind gets cloudy. This may be the least necessary recording ever.

What were these musicians thinking? Who came to the group with the idea, "Let's cover Runaway but without any of the falsetto genius that made the song a hit!"

This is simply a terrible idea, miserably executed. 
DANN NICE!
The harmonica grabbed me.  Previous comment mentioned the performer switching harps in mid-song, which was news to me.  I looked i up and there's some explanation here https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norton_Buffalo about Norton Buffalo, best known for playing with Steve Miller Band but who also played with Doobie Brothers and Bonnie Raitt and many, many others.
Mom Rock
Rainset!
Didn't think she could top the original, but she did!
I dont like this cover, Me First and the Gimme Gimmes one is waaaaaaaaaaaay better! 
Didn't like it at first, compared with the original, but it's growing... 
Harmonica sounds like the guy who used to play with the Eurythmics around the Revenge tour.  It's not, I know, but I love the use of multiple instruments to achieve the sound.
While I agree with some of the sentiments below about this song not doing much for me, Bonnie gets me deep in the bluesy solar plexus with this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYfJkSY3_Po

Lowell George probably has something to do with it too. 
Wow, I never realized she had such a great voice too!
Definitely makes me appreciate the original more. If you think every song benefits from the Bonnie Raitt treatment, then maybe? {#Stupid}
 hencini wrote:
On the "rate this song" scale, I need an option for "I recognize that this is 'good music', but it does absolutely nothing for me." 

 
Like the Japanese word "Hai" which I understand translates as "Yes, I understand what you are saying but no, I do not necessarily agree with you."

In this case I think you/we should go with the emotional impact rather than an intellectual judgment - in this case this is a 1 for you (and for me btw). Knowing a song is good music doesn't make you get up and dance, feeling it in your bones makes you get out of that chair...

It's kind of ironic, I reckon, because this is the song that brought me to Bonnie Raitt.  

Then I explored her greater body of work ...

So, while I am very thankful for 'Runaway,' it is now fairly low on my list of Bonnie Raitt tunes.  I mean, 'My Opening Farewell,' 'Louise,' 'Angel from Montgomery' ...

 
 hencini wrote:
On the "rate this song" scale, I need an option for "I recognize that this is 'good music', but it does absolutely nothing for me." 

 
{#Yes}
  ckcotton wrote:
The original is lame and this is somehow worse
  robin_at_domani wrote:

My thoughts exactly

 
Nothing to do but shake my head ruefully at the H8. 

If this song doesn't work for you... why are either of you here in the first place?
This is from the Sweet Forgiveness album (mid 1970s?).

It's a great album...really nice slide playing.  
Stops me in my tracks....
 ckcotton wrote:
The original is lame and this is somehow worse
 
My thoughts exactly
The original is lame and this is somehow worse
oh yes that harp is amazing
...and liking the harp too. Bonnie's fantastic IMO
 rdo wrote:
When I think of Bonnie Raitt it makes me want (deleted by censor) her lovely red hair...
 
(to comb)?
She's such a Bad A$$. 
When I think of Bonnie Raitt it makes me want (deleted by censor) her lovely red hair...
On the "rate this song" scale, I need an option for "I recognize that this is 'good music', but it does absolutely nothing for me." 
Class act! One of her best!
{#Sunny} 
Bonnie rates 10 on my scale, WooHoooo she's excellant   
Check out one of the best harmonica solos I've ever seen.
Norton Buffalo is the dude(R.I.P. Norton)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPzcZNgVfpA
 
Great artist.  Great version.  Del Shannon would like it too.
I remember learning to play this song on piano while listening to an old show tape from one of her shows in the 80s.  My dad had a hot rod portable tape player that would let you adjust the speed of playback, and I recall I did just that so that it would play back in an easier key for me to play in. :)  Man, that was almost 25 years ago.  Bon, here's to you and my dad spending another 25 years together, doing what you do.  Thanks for everything you've given to us, and to the whole world.
Goddamn I love Bonnie.
harp playing is great. This is a 10 here
This improves my opinion of the original (and my desire to hear it).
Good cover of a Del Shannon classic.
I just had to crank this up....... my god she's great!
A really fun change from shopping online for dishwashers! Go Bonnie! {#Motor}
I see that I had rated this only a seven - what was I thinking? Clearly a nine- I'm clicking through to Amazon and buying this now!
I was 10. Del Shannon's original grabbed me in a place I'd never been grabbed, and I was addicted to rock'n'roll till the end of me time. Oddly, never got a chance to play it in a band ("that old thing") until my mid-'40s, and the Bonnie Raitt version at that. Still, I get goosebumps at the sound of Al Caiola's deep, dark, mysterious A-minor chord, Max Crook's Musitron break, and Shannon's caterwauling "Why? Why? Why? She ran away..."
 jmsmy wrote:
Sweet Forgiveness  {#Angel}
 
I second that!!  Another great song from this wonderful album.
Oooh, I like this right away. An easy 7 before I even finish listening. The harp break is tasty.

In contrast to a couple of posts below, I think Bonnie's very early and most recent stuff is far less commercially-oriented that stuff she did in the (?) late 70s and early 80s.  Saw her a few years ago, and her voice is just as clear and strong as it is on this recording.


What a voice!
I dunno, I can't help but respect Bonnie Raitt, but I feel she's capable of so much better. Her early material was incredible, but this and so much that I've heard later just seems like underwhelming commercial pap.

Also, I like a well-done cover, but I actually would rather listen to the original on this one.
Move over Del, Bonnie's here!
 Proclivities wrote:

She does a very good version of this tune - her voice sounds fantastic.  I still prefer Del Shannon's original classic, but that will probably never be heard here.



 

I feel the same way. She has such a powerful, clean voice. I have always liked this remake. Isn't Del Shannon on RP though?
Ms Raitt has always seemed superfluous to requirements. Her performance of this song does nothing to change that impression.
Blech.
This makes a nice change from the seriously overplayed (on FM) original, and IMO refreshes it.

She does a very good version of this tune - her voice sounds fantastic.  I still prefer Del Shannon's original classic, but that will probably never be heard here.



Thanks for posting this. When this song came on, I became curious about Bonnie, and wanted to know more about the fact that she was apparently famous before "Nick of Time" (first time I'd heard of her). I sign into RP, and here is all the info I need! Thank you!!

Bonnie Raitt - Runaway, Live (1977):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPzcZNgVfpA
Ichnos71live

"Long a critic's darling, singer/guitarist Bonnie Raitt did not begin to win the comparable commercial success due her until the release of the aptly titled 1989 blockbuster Nick of Time; her tenth album, it rocketed her into the mainstream consciousness nearly two decades after she first committed her unique blend of blues, rock, and R&B to vinyl. Born in Burbank, CA, on November 8, 1949, she was the daughter of Broadway star John Raitt, best known for his starring performances in such smashes as Carousel and Pajama Game. After picking up the guitar at the age of 12, Raitt felt an immediate affinity for the blues, and although she went off to attend Radcliffe in 1967, within two years she had dropped out to begin playing the Boston folk and blues club circuit. Signing with noted blues manager Dick Waterman, she was soon performing alongside the likes of idols including Howlin' Wolf, Sippie Wallace, and Mississippi Fred McDowell and in time earned such a strong reputation that she was signed to Warner Bros.
Debuting in 1971 with an eponymously titled effort, Raitt immediately emerged as a critical favorite, applauded not only for her soulful vocals and thoughtful song selection but also for her guitar prowess, turning heads as one of the few women to play bottleneck. Her 1972 follow-up, Give It Up, made better use of her eclectic tastes, featuring material by contemporaries like Jackson Browne and Eric Kaz, in addition to a number of R&B chestnuts and even three Raitt originals. 1973's Takin' My Time was much acclaimed, and throughout the middle of the decade she released an LP annually, returning with Streetlights in 1974 and Home Plate a year later. With 1977's Sweet Forgiveness, Raitt scored her first significant pop airplay with her hit cover of the Del Shannon classic "Runaway"; its follow-up, 1979's The Glow, appeared around the same time as a massive all-star anti-nuclear concert at Madison Square Garden mounted by MUSE (Musicians United for Safe Energy), an organization she'd co-founded earlier.
Throughout her career, Raitt remained a committed activist, playing hundreds of benefit concerts and working tirelessly on behalf of the Rhythm and Blues Foundation. By the early '80s, however, her own career was in trouble — 1982's Green Light, while greeted with the usual good reviews, again failed to break her to a wide audience, and while beginning work on the follow-up, Warners unceremoniously dropped her. By this time, Raitt was also battling drug and alcohol problems as well; she worked on a few tracks with Prince, but their schedules never aligned and the material went unreleased. Instead, she finally released the patchwork Nine Lives in 1986, her worst-selling effort since her debut.
Many had written Raitt off when she teamed with producer Don Was and recorded Nick of Time; seemingly out of the blue, the LP won a handful of Grammys, including Album of the Year, and overnight she was a superstar. 1991's Luck of the Draw was also a smash, yielding the hits "Something to Talk About" and "I Can't Make You Love Me." After 1994's Longing in Their Hearts, Raitt resurfaced in 1998 with Fundamental. Silver Lining appeared in 2002, followed by Souls Alike in 2005, both on Capitol Records. A year later, Bonnie Raitt and Friends was released, featuring guest appearances from Norah Jones and Ben Harper among others. "~ Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide


 


......................................
 
An excellent album - haven't heard it in ages. Raitt joined by various Little Feats, Norton Buffalo, Rosemary Butler, etc etc.
Sweet Forgiveness  {#Angel}



Bonnie Raitt - Runaway, Live (1977)
Ichnos71live

"Long a critic's darling, singer/guitarist Bonnie Raitt did not begin to win the comparable commercial success due her until the release of the aptly titled 1989 blockbuster Nick of Time; her tenth album, it rocketed her into the mainstream consciousness nearly two decades after she first committed her unique blend of blues, rock, and R&B to vinyl. Born in Burbank, CA, on November 8, 1949, she was the daughter of Broadway star John Raitt, best known for his starring performances in such smashes as Carousel and Pajama Game. After picking up the guitar at the age of 12, Raitt felt an immediate affinity for the blues, and although she went off to attend Radcliffe in 1967, within two years she had dropped out to begin playing the Boston folk and blues club circuit. Signing with noted blues manager Dick Waterman, she was soon performing alongside the likes of idols including Howlin' Wolf, Sippie Wallace, and Mississippi Fred McDowell and in time earned such a strong reputation that she was signed to Warner Bros.
Debuting in 1971 with an eponymously titled effort, Raitt immediately emerged as a critical favorite, applauded not only for her soulful vocals and thoughtful song selection but also for her guitar prowess, turning heads as one of the few women to play bottleneck. Her 1972 follow-up, Give It Up, made better use of her eclectic tastes, featuring material by contemporaries like Jackson Browne and Eric Kaz, in addition to a number of R&B chestnuts and even three Raitt originals. 1973's Takin' My Time was much acclaimed, and throughout the middle of the decade she released an LP annually, returning with Streetlights in 1974 and Home Plate a year later. With 1977's Sweet Forgiveness, Raitt scored her first significant pop airplay with her hit cover of the Del Shannon classic "Runaway"; its follow-up, 1979's The Glow, appeared around the same time as a massive all-star anti-nuclear concert at Madison Square Garden mounted by MUSE (Musicians United for Safe Energy), an organization she'd co-founded earlier.
Throughout her career, Raitt remained a committed activist, playing hundreds of benefit concerts and working tirelessly on behalf of the Rhythm and Blues Foundation. By the early '80s, however, her own career was in trouble — 1982's Green Light, while greeted with the usual good reviews, again failed to break her to a wide audience, and while beginning work on the follow-up, Warners unceremoniously dropped her. By this time, Raitt was also battling drug and alcohol problems as well; she worked on a few tracks with Prince, but their schedules never aligned and the material went unreleased. Instead, she finally released the patchwork Nine Lives in 1986, her worst-selling effort since her debut.
Many had written Raitt off when she teamed with producer Don Was and recorded Nick of Time; seemingly out of the blue, the LP won a handful of Grammys, including Album of the Year, and overnight she was a superstar. 1991's Luck of the Draw was also a smash, yielding the hits "Something to Talk About" and "I Can't Make You Love Me." After 1994's Longing in Their Hearts, Raitt resurfaced in 1998 with Fundamental. Silver Lining appeared in 2002, followed by Souls Alike in 2005, both on Capitol Records. A year later, Bonnie Raitt and Friends was released, featuring guest appearances from Norah Jones and Ben Harper among others. "~ Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide