The REO Speedwagon Classic That Had Us at the Opening Lines

If great starts make great songs, REO Speedwagon’s “Take It On The Run” has to rank way up there. The opening lines of the 1980 Top 5 hit single immediately pull you into a story of mistrust and doubt that’s familiar to anyone with a jealous streak (or a partner who gives them reason to be jealous).

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Interestingly enough, the guy who penned those lines didn’t think they were all that great. Only when he was convinced by a bandmate that he had a special song did “Take It On The Run” begin its journey to rock history.

Bumps in the Road for Speedwagon

Believe it or not, there was a time in the music world where a band like REO Speedwagon could record eight albums with little chart success to show for it and still be given opportunities. The Illinois-based band had churned out crowd-pleasing rock throughout the 70s that earned them steady touring support, but only a smattering of airplay.

At one point, Kevin Cronin, who’d become the face of the band once they achieved immense popularity, even left for a few years. That should lend you an idea of how rocky it was for this band. In 1980, REO channeled some of the relationship strain that being in a touring rock band engenders into a set of songs for the album Hi Infidelity.

Cronin penned an anguished ballad called “Keep On Loving You” that the record company didn’t even think belonged on the record. Not only did it make the running order, but it shot to No. 1 on the pop charts. The follow-up single mined the same lyrical territory, albeit from the perspective of a different writer.

“Run” Time

Cronin and guitarist Gary Richrath were the twin poles of Speedwagon’s artistic attack, largely splitting the songwriting duties. During the run-up to the making of Hi Infidelity, Cronin visited Richrath to see what kind of material he was devising.

The two men shuffled through a bunch of in-progress rockers that didn’t seem to have much potential. Just when they were going to give it up for the night, Richrath somewhat sheepishly volunteered a slower song.

When Cronin heard the opening lines, his jaw dropped. The song, originally titled “Don’t Let Me Down”, quickly became a priority. It morphed into “Take It On The Run”, and the band, again against the record company’s objections, chose it to follow up “Keep On Loving You”. Wise move, because it landed at No. 5.

Behind the Lyrics of “Take It On The Run”

“Heard it from a friend who/Heard it from a friend who/Heard it from another you’ve been messing around,” Cronin sings at the beginning of “Take It On The Run”. The lines speak to the way gossip travels and how stories can get garbled in the translation from person to person. But as the song progresses, we find out that the narrator might just have reason to believe the warning.

Although the narrator admits that “Tales grow taller on down the line,” he worries about some of the signs he sees. “You’re thinking up your white lies,” he accuses. “You’re puttin’ on your bedroom eyes.” In the chorus, the narrator lays it on the line for her. “You take it on the run, baby,” he protests. “If that’s the way you want it, baby/Then I don’t want you around.”

REO Speedwagon went from journeymen to superstars on a single album. You could argue it doesn’t happen without “Take It On The Run”. And “Take It On The Run” probably doesn’t happen without that iconic intro.

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