run away girl – English Lyrics

• By: Alice Merton
• Album: Heron

Lyrics & Translation

Explore themes of self-discovery and breaking free from expectations with Alice Merton's "run away girl." This introspective yet upbeat track, infused with 80s synth-pop, offers a unique opportunity to delve into questions of identity and purpose, all while enjoying Merton's signature dark-pop sound. Learn how to express your own search for identity and embrace the journey of self-discovery through music.

[English]

Oh-oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh

Oh-oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh

Run away, girl, don't you ever look back

There's a hole in the sky with your name in the cracks

So run away, kid, watch it all unfold

You gotta cut 'em loose to find your home

And the sirens scream down every road

While the signs light up, "This way to gold"

Oh, you've come so far to get lost at sea

Where the hell am I supposed to be?

Oh-oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh

Oh-oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh

So I cut the shackles and changed my name

And I shed my past like skin on a snake

But I came so far to get lost at sea

Oh, where the hell am I supposed to be?

And the sirens scream down every road

While the signs light up, "This way to gold"

But I'm attached to my worst enemy

Oh, who the hell am I supposed to be?

Oh-oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh

Oh-oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh

Run away, girl, don't you ever look back

There's a new world out there, there's a new-found act

Oh, run away, kid, watch the curtains unfold

You gotta cut the strings to find your home

And the sirens scream down every road

While the signs light up, "This way to gold"

Oh, you've come so far to get lost at sea

Where the hell am I supposed to be?

Oh-oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh

Oh-oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh

So I cut the shackles and changed my name

And I shed my past like skin on a snake

But I came so far to get lost at sea

Oh, where the hell am I supposed to be?

And the sirens scream down every road

While the signs light up, "This way to gold"

But I'm attached to my worst enemy

Oh, who the hell am I supposed to be?

Oh-oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh

Oh-oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh

Oh-oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh

Oh-oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh

(Oh-oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh)

(Oh-oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh)

And the sirens scream down every road

While the signs lit up, "This way to gold"

But I'm attached to my worst enemy

Oh, who the hell am I supposed to be?

Who the hell am I supposed to be?

Who the hell am I supposed to be?

So I cut the shackles and changed my name

And I shed my past like skin on a snake

But I came so far to get lost at sea

Oh, where the hell am I supposed to be?

And the sirens scream down every road

While the signs light up, "This way to gold"

But I'm attached to my worst enemy

Oh, who the hell am I supposed to be?

Oh-oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh

Oh-oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh

Oh-oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh

Oh-oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
run /rʌn/ A1	verb - to move quickly on foot verb - to manage or operate (e.g., a business)
girl /ɡɜːrl/ A1	noun - a female child or young woman
hole /hoʊl/ A2	noun - an opening in or through something
sky /skaɪ/ A1	noun - the expanse of air over the earth, appearing blue or cloudy
cracks /kræk/ B1	noun - a line on the surface of something along which it has broken without separating into separate parts verb - to break or cause to break without complete separation of the parts
kid /kɪd/ A2	noun - a child or young person (informal)
unfold /ʌnˈfoʊld/ B2	verb - to open or spread out from a folded position verb - to reveal or be revealed gradually
cut /kʌt/ A2	verb - to divide, separate, or open (something) with a sharp implement verb - to reduce the size or amount of something
loose /luːs/ B1	adjective - not firmly or tightly fixed in place; detached
home /hoʊm/ A1	noun - the place where one lives permanently, especially as a member of a family or household
sirens /ˈsaɪrən/ B2	noun - a device that makes a loud, wailing sound, used as a warning or signal noun - (in Greek mythology) a creature half bird and half woman who lured sailors to their destruction by her sweet singing
scream /skriːm/ B1	verb - to utter a loud, sharp, piercing cry noun - a loud, sharp, piercing cry
gold /ɡoʊld/ A2	noun - a yellow precious metal, used as a monetary standard and for jewelry adjective - made of or colored like gold
lost /lɔːst/ A2	adjective - unable to find one's way; not knowing where one is adjective - no longer possessed or retained
sea /siː/ A1	noun - the expanse of salt water that covers most of the earth's surface and surrounds its landmasses
shackles /ˈʃækəlz/ B2	noun - a pair of fetters connected by a chain, used to fasten a prisoner's wrists or ankles verb - to chain (a prisoner) with shackles; to restrict someone's freedom
shed /ʃɛd/ B2	verb - to get rid of something unwanted, unnecessary, or no longer needed verb - (of a reptile, insect, etc.) to cast off (a skin, shell, or other covering)
snake /sneɪk/ A2	noun - a long, limbless reptile with a scaly body and forked tongue verb - to move in a winding or twisting course
attached /əˈtætʃt/ B1	adjective - joined or connected to something adjective - feeling affection for someone or something
enemy /ˈɛnəmi/ B1	noun - a person who is actively opposed or hostile to someone or something

Key Grammar Structures

• Run away, girl, don't you ever look back

  ➔ Imperative mood (command) and negative imperative with "don't" + base verb.

  ➔ The verb "Run" is a direct command. "don't" introduces a negative command, and "look back" is the verb phrase that is being negated.

• There's a hole in the sky with your name in the cracks

  ➔ Existential "there is/are" construction + prepositional phrase "in the sky" and "with...".

  ➔ "There's" is the contracted form of "there is" used to introduce the existence of "a hole". The prepositional phrases "in the sky" and "with your name in the cracks" give location and additional detail.

• You gotta cut 'em loose to find your home

  ➔ Informal modal "gotta" (= have to) + infinitive of purpose "to find".

  ➔ "gotta" is the colloquial contraction of "got to" meaning "have to". The infinitive "to find" explains the purpose of cutting them loose.

• And the sirens scream down the road

  ➔ Simple present tense for habitual/action description; subject‑verb agreement.

  ➔ "scream" is in the simple present because the sirens regularly make that sound. The subject "the sirens" agrees with the verb "scream".

• While the signs light up, "This way to gold"

  ➔ Subordinating conjunction "while" + present simple; also indirect quotation.

  ➔ "While" introduces a simultaneous action; "the signs light up" is in the simple present to describe an ongoing event. The phrase "This way to gold" is presented as what the signs say.

• So I cut the shackles and changed my name

  ➔ Simple past tense with coordination "and" linking two actions.

  ➔ "cut" and "changed" are both in the simple past, showing completed actions. The conjunction "and" links them as part of a single narrative sequence.

• I shed my past like a snake sheds its skin

  ➔ Simile using "like" + present simple in the subordinate clause.

  ➔ "like" introduces a comparison; the verb "sheds" is in the present simple because it describes a habitual action of a snake.

• Who the hell am I supposed to be?

  ➔ Interrogative sentence with modal passive "am supposed to" + infinitive.

  ➔ "am supposed to" expresses an expectation or duty. The question asks for the identity expected of the speaker, with "who" as the interrogative pronoun.

• But I'm attached to my worst enemy

  ➔ Present simple passive "am attached" + prepositional phrase "to my worst enemy".

  ➔ "am attached" is the passive form of "attach" meaning "to be linked". The prepositional phrase "to my worst enemy" indicates the object of attachment.