Running Away

Original Song: “Running Away”

Album: Kaya

Label: Tuff Gong/Istand

Year: 1978

Notes:

The songs from this album were recorded around the same time as the Exodus album. And like its sister album, it contains revised versions of old Wailers songs from the African Herbsman album. The message here is clear; no matter how far you go, how deep the sleep or how trivial the times are, one can never run away from who he is.

Jer 49:19 Behold, he shall come up like a lion from the swelling of Jordan against the habitation of the strong: but I will suddenly make him run away from her: and who is a chosen man, that I may appoint over her? for who is like me? and who will appoint me the time? and who is that shepherd that will stand before me?

Ya running and ya running
And ya running away.
But ya can’t run away from yourself
Can’t run away from yourself.

Ya must have done (must have done),
Something wrong (something wrong).
Said: ya must have done (must have done),
Wo! Something wrong (something wrong).
Why you can’t find the place where you belong?

Every man thinketh his burden is the heaviest.
Every man thinketh his burden is the heaviest.
Ya still mean it: Who feels it knows it, Lord;
Who feels it knows it, Lord;

Ya running and ya running
And ya running away.
Ya running and ya running
But ya can’t run away from yourself.
Could ya run away from yourself?
Can you run away from yourself?
Can’t run away from yourself!
Can’t run away from yourself!
Yeah-eah-eah-eah – from yourself.

You must have done somet’in’ -
Somet’in’ – somet’in’ – somet’in’ -
Somet’in’ ya don’t want nobody to know about:
Ya must have, Lord – somet’in’ wrong,
What ya must have done – ya must have done somet’in’ wrong.
Why you can’t find where you belong?

Well, well, well, well, ya running away, heh, no -
Ya running away, ooh, no, no, no,
I’m not (running away), no, don’t say that – don’t say that,
‘Cause (running away) I’m not running away, ooh! (running away)
I’ve got to protect my life, (running away)
And I don’t want to live with no strife. (running away)
It is better to live on the housetop (running away)
Than to live in a house full of confusion. (running away)
So, I made my decision and I left ya; (running away)
Now you comin’ to tell me that I’m…
I am not runnin’ away.