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Released in 1965

Run For Your Life

Written by Lennon - McCartney

Last updated on March 26, 2016

Album This song officially appears on the Rubber Soul (UK Mono) LP.

Timeline This song was officially released in 1965

Master album

Related sessions

This song was recorded during the following studio sessions:

From Wikipedia:

“Run for Your Life” is a song recorded by the Beatles for their 1965 album Rubber Soul. The song, credited to “Lennon–McCartney”, was primarily a John Lennon composition.

Background

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). Lennon designated this song as his “least favourite Beatles song” in a 1973 interview and later said it was the song he most regretted writing. He also stated that the song was one of George Harrison’s favourite songs on Rubber Soul at that time, despite Lennon’s dislike of it.

Lennon would revisit this theme in a more apologetic fashion with his post-Beatles song “Jealous Guy“.

Personnel

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.“

Paul McCartney, in Many Years From Now, by Barry Miles:

John was always on the run, running for his life. He was married; whereas none of my songs would have ‘catch you with another man’. It was never a concern of mine, at all, because I had a girlfriend and I would go with other girls; it was a perfectly open relationship so I wasn’t as worried about that as John was. A bit of a macho song.

From The Usenet Guide to Beatles Recording Variations:

  • [a] mono 9 Nov 1965.
    UK: Parlophone PMC 1267 Rubber Soul 1965.
    US: Capitol T 2442 Rubber Soul 1965.
  • [b] stereo 10 Nov 1965.
    UK: Parlophone PCS 3075 Rubber Soul 1965.
    US: Capitol ST 2442 Rubber Soul 1965.
  • [c] stereo 1987.
    CD: EMI CDP 7 46440 2 Rubber Soul 1987.

A thump during the instrumental break– possibly someone hitting a microphone– has been removed in [c].

Lyrics

Well I'd rather see you dead, little girl

Than to be with another man

You better keep your head, little girl

Or I won't know where I am

You better run for your life if you can, little girl

Hide your head in the sand little girl

Catch you with another man

That's the end, little girl

Well I know that I'm a wicked guy

And I was born with a jealous mind

And I can't spend my whole life

Trying just to make you toe the line

You better run for your life if you can, little girl

Hide your head in the sand little girl

Catch you with another man

That's the end, little girl

Let this be a sermon

I mean everything I've said

Baby, I'm determined

And I'd rather see you dead

You better run for your life if you can, little girl

Hide your head in the sand little girl

I catch you with another man

That's the end, little girl

I'd rather see you dead, little girl

Than to be with another man

You better keep your head, little girl

Or you won't know where I am

You better run for your life if you can, little girl

Hide your head in the sand little girl

Catch you with another man

That's the end, little girl

Na, na, na

Na, na, na

Na, na, na

Na, na, na

Officially appears on

See all official recordings containing “Run For Your Life”

Bootlegs

See all bootlegs containing “Run For Your Life”

Live performances

Paul McCartney has never played this song in concert.

Going further

Paul McCartney writing

Talk more talk, chat more chat

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