Bryan Adams – Run To You

About The Song

“Run to You” is a song by Canadian singer-songwriter Bryan Adams. It was released in 1984 as the lead single from his fourth album, Reckless (1984). The track deals with the subject of infidelity, and is sung from the perspective of a man who declares that he will continue to “run to” his seductive mistress over his faithful partner; critic Ira Robbins for CMJ called it a “cheating classic”. In the accompanying music video, however, Adams portrays his guitar as the object of desire.

The song topped the Billboard Top Rock Tracks chart and peaked at number six on the Billboard Hot 100. It has appeared on all of his compilation albums. The single was certified Gold in Canada in 1985.

“Run to You” was released worldwide on October 18, 1984, and became one of the most successful songs from Reckless on the American rock charts and arguably one of Bryan Adams’s most recognizable and popular songs. It was his first number one song on the Billboard Top Rock Tracks chart, a position it held for four weeks, and it spent an additional five weeks at number two (all behind Don Henley’s “Boys of Summer”). It also reached number six on the Billboard Hot 100. “Run to You” reached the top 20 on the Canadian singles chart and remained there for seven weeks, peaking at number four. It held the highest Canadian chart position Adams had attained at the time of release and became his third top-20 single in Canada. It was nominated for a Juno award for song of the year in Canada. “Run to You” was released the following month in Ireland and peaked at number eight and reached number 11 on the UK Singles Chart. It was his second single to chart in Europe.

Billboard said it was “Full-blast rock” and that “Adams’ raspy attack wrestles pop hooks into submission.” Stewart Mason from AllMusic said “Run to You” was the first of the album’s six top 30 hits, and in retrospect, “one of the weakest of the lot. Although the song has a thundering chorus, the kind that sounds truly excellent blasting through FM speakers, there is quite literally not much else to the song: of the song’s nearly four-minute length, over half of the song is devoted to repeats of the chorus and an unimaginative instrumental breakdown that leads into a seemingly endless vamp on the chorus to fade.” The long instrumental is indicative of the theme of the music video where the protagonist is serenading his guitar as the object of his affection.

In 1984, the song was promoted heavily in an episode of the NBC sitcom Double Trouble. The song was also featured in the 2002 video game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City.

Video

Lyrics

She says her love for me could never die
But that’d change if she ever found out about you and I

Oh – but her love is cold
It wouldn’t hurt her if she didn’t know, ’cause…

When it gets too much
I need to feel your touch

I’m gonna run to you
I’m gonna run to you
Cause when the feeling’s right I’m gonna run all night
I’m gonna run to you
She’s got a heart of gold she’d never let me down
But you’re the one that always turns me on
You keep me comin’ ’round

I know her love is true
But it’s so damn easy makin’ love to you

I got my mind made up
I need to feel your touch

I’m gonna run to you
Yeah! – I’m gonna run to you
Cause when the feeling’s right I’m gonna stay all night
I’m gonna run to you

Yeah! – I’m gonna run to you
Oh when the feeling’s right I’m gonna run all night
I’m gonna run to you

Oh when the feeling’s right now

Oh! – I’m gonna run to you
Yeah! – I’m gonna run to you
Cause when the feeling’s right I’m gonna stay all night
I’m gonna run to you

Oh! – I’m gonna run to you
Yeah! When the feeling’s right I’m gonna stay all night
Oh when the feeling’s right now

Oh yeah when the feeling’s right now
I’m gonna run to you
Oh, oh

Yeah, I’m gonna run to you
Yeah, I’m gonna
Oh, I’m gonna run to you, run to you
Oh, I’m gonna run to you
Oh
Oh, I’m gonna run now