Run (Snow Patrol song)

"Run" is a song by alternative rock band Snow Patrol, released as the second single from their third album, Final Straw on 26 February 2004.^[1] It brought the band its first taste of mainstream success, reaching #5 on the UK charts. The song has also been covered by Tre Lux, Three Graces, and Leona Lewis.

Track listing

• 10" ^[2]

Limited to 500 pressings only.

A: "Run" (Jackknife Lee Remix) – 7:27

B: "Run" (Freelance Hellraiser Remix) – 3:59

The following two formats were released later, on 26 February 2004.

• CD

1. "Run" (video)
2. "Post Punk Progression" – 3:23
3. "Spitting Games" (2001 Country Version) – 4:18

• 7"

A: "Run" – 5:55

B: "Post Punk Progression" – 3:23

• iTunes digital download ^[3]

1. "Run" (Live From Edinburgh) – 6:01

• UK Promo CD

1. "Run" (Radio Edit) – 4:18

• US Promo CD

1. "Run" (Radio Edit) – 4:18
2. "Run" (Album Version) – 5:55

Appearances in other media

Snow Patrol's original song appeared on the Top Gear: The Ultimate Driving Experience album, as well as the 2005 compilation album Acoustic 05. It is also featured in the movie The Chumscrubber as well as the tenth episode of season two of Rescue Me, the trailer to The Guardian, an episode of Doctor Who Confidential, an episode of Cold Case, the closing scene of the pilot episode of CBS' 2006 series Jericho, an episode of Life As We Know It, the BBC television adaptation of Wide Sargasso Sea and the closing scene of the season 1 finale of One Tree Hill. The song was also used in the trailers for the HBO miniseries Empire Falls. "Run" also appeared on Hear the Year 05, a compilation by Josten's released with the company's yearbooks, containing what they said they thought were the songs of the year. The song is also heard during the final scenes of the British series Mad Dogs. The song is also used in the trailer of Charlie St. Cloud.

Music video

The video was filmed between dusk and dawn in the Essex countryside.^[4] It was directed by Paul Gore, produced by Suzie Morton and photographed by Ben Smithard. The video first aired in 2003 and is published by the production company Flynn Productions.^[5]

As the video starts, we see Gary Lightbody sing as he pushes an old motorcycle across a farmer's field at dusk. As darkness falls, he abandons the motorcycle and enters a wood. As he begins the refrain "Light up, light up", Lightbody lights a red distress flare and the darkness is suddenly illuminated with its bright light. As the firelight and smoke surrounds him, his fellow band members also light flares whilst overlooking Lightbody from a bridge above the shallow stream he is standing in. Following this, we see a young man riding the motorcycle through the trees before sitting on the woodland floor, looking anxious through the hood of his jumper. At the video's end, Nathan Connolly pushes the bike down a hill away into a pond, where it sinks.

Accolades

Charts

The song re-entered the UK Singles Chart in 2008, after Leona Lewis' performance on The X Factor.^[7]

Personnel

Leona Lewis version

"Run" is a cover of the Snow Patrol song by Leona Lewis on BBC Radio 1's Live Lounge on 31 October 2007. She later released the song as a single from Spirit: The Deluxe Edition in November 2008. At the time, "Run" was the UK's fastest-selling digital only release ever, selling 69,244 copies in just two days.^[14] The song was released as the final single from her album in the United Kingdom.

Background

Lewis first performed "Run" on the Live Lounge section of The Jo Whiley Show, where artists perform two songs: one song of their own and one by another artist, in an acoustic format. The performance was recorded at the BBC Maida Vale Studios, where Lewis was backed by a 14-piece band. The show's host Jo Whiley said that "people did cry".^[15][16] She referred to it as "the most famous cover" (from her show), stating that it's "always in demand and developed a life of its own."^[17] The day after Lewis' version appeared on the Live Lounge, it was requested over 8,000 times in the first 2 minutes of The Chris Moyles Show.^[18] As a result, her version was added to Radio 1's A List. Due to its popularity, Lewis recorded a studio version of the song in September 2008 for the re-release of her album Spirit.^[19] It was made available digitally in Ireland on 17 November 2008 and on 30 November 2008 in the United Kingdom.^[20][21][22]

"Run" was expected to be released as a single following Lewis' performance on The X Factor, but the single didn't appear on any online music stores.^[21] It was believed that Lewis' record label, Sony, wanted to shift the sales towards the reissue of Spirit,^[23] which did return the album to number one.^[24] A spokesman for Lewis reported that the song "has never been scheduled for release as a single",^[21] but due to "overwhelming public demand", Lewis' management and record label decided to release it in the UK on the 30 November.^[25] In the U.S, a radio edit of "Run" was released as a digital download on 16 December 2008.^[26]

Live Peformances

Lewis performed "Run" on the fifth series of The X Factor on 15 November, after which Simon Cowell commented that her performance was "absolutely incredible".^[27] She also performed the song live on Divas II which aired on ITV1 in the UK on 23 November 2008. Lewis performed the song on the Royal Variety Performance, which aired on 17 December and the Top of the Pops Christmas Special which aired on Christmas Day. Lewis later performed "Run" on The X Factor U.S. season one final results show on December 22, 2011 alongside a video montage of the season highlights.

Reception

The song has been critically acclaimed among many although Snow Patrol guitarist Nathan Connolly admitted in November 2008 that he still hadn't heard the song: "Nothing against her, but I don't know if I'm going to endorse it either. It is what it is."^[28] The following month, Snow Patrol frontman Gary Lightbody described Lewis' version of the song as "phenomenal". He told the Scottish newspaper The Daily Record: "She obviously studied the song and thought long and hard about how to interpret it. She's stripped it to its bare core. I think she sounds absolutely phenomenal. I'm not a big fan of shows like The X Factor, but when talent like this comes along, I can't slate it. She's going to be around in 20 years. She's the next Whitney. She takes my breath away."^[29] Music Radar said that "The two versions couldn't be more different. Snow Patrol's rendering is dark and moody, while Leona Lewis's is big-time pop", and quoted Gary Lightbody as saying "That's what you want a song to do ... Different interpretations and meanings. Songs aren't monolithic, at least the good ones aren't. What Leona Lewis has done has touched hearts."^[30] Newsround highly praised Lewis' cover version, stating that "the full gospel choir and orchestra easily match Leona's powerful pipes - and remind listeners why the song made people cry when she first performed it on Radio 1's Live Lounge last year".^[31]

"Run" received three stars out of five from Digital Spy, who said that Lewis "wrings every last drop of emotion out of Gary Lightbody's lyrics, channeling her inner Mariah for some almighty warbling at the crescendo".^[32] The Sentinel described the single as "so much better" than Snow Patrol's original song. "It's powerful, painful and the choir behind it takes it on to another level."^[33] Radio presenter James Daniels concurred, saying "Leona just takes it to a whole new level, which is a phrase I hate to use – but it's true".^[34]

Leona's version of "Run" was featured in "Fool Me Once", the fourteenth episode of the first season of The Vampire Diaries.

Chart performance

The song reached number one on the Irish Singles Chart in its first week of release, due to download sales alone.^[35] "Run" remained on the top position the four weeks in total.^[36][37] On 7 December 2008, it entered the UK Singles Chart at number one, also on downloads alone, making it her 3rd number one. It had become the fastest-selling UK download ever after it sold 69,244 in just two days,^[38] a record it held until December 2009. By the end of the first week, download sales had reached 131,593, some eight thousand below the first week sales of "A Moment Like This".^[39][40], except for the fact that her debut single sold over 500,000 in its first week. The single spent a second week at number one in the United Kingdom,^[41] before 2008's The X Factor winner Alexandra Burke charted with "Hallelujah". "Run" re-entered The Official UK Top 40 at 32 on 15 March 2009.^[42]

The single has reached number one in Austria,^[43] Ireland^[44] and UK.^[42] Also, peaked at 45 at the year-end charts in the UK.^[45] On 8 October 2010 "Run" reached the German Top100 again, after having been performed by a 14-years-old contestant on Das Supertalent. It placed at #9, its highest position so far.^[46] After another 4 weeks, the song reached an even higher position, jumping from No. 27 to No. 3.^[47] In March 2011, the single spent its 52nd week at No. 49 on the German Singles Chart, making it her first single to be on that chart for one year or longer, and the 41st single in general to do so.^[48][49]

Music video

The music video for "Run" was filmed in South Africa and was directed by Jake Nava.^[50] Lewis herself described the setting of the video as "an enchanted, haunted forest. It's picking up on different elements of the song."^[51] The video starts out with Lewis alone on a dusty trail, seemingly lost. She enters a dark forest and appears to be stalked by the viewer. In the final chorus, Lewis draws in the sun and the forest literally lights up, matching the lyrics of the song.

Charts and certifications

Procession and succession

Personnel

Release history

Other versions

• The song was covered by Jennylyn Mercado in 2010 and appears on the album Love Is....
• The song was covered by Tre Lux in 2006 and appears on the album A Strange Gathering.
• The song was covered by the pop classical group the Three Graces in Italian underneath the title "Si Accendera" on their 2008 self titled debut album.
• The song was covered by Sarah Engels in 2011 and appears on the album Heartbeat.

References

External links

• Music video for "Run" on YouTube