RunDog Lyrics

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Some of you who come along to the gigs are curious as to what we're actually singing about. If you've got the C.D. you will probably have discovered that the lyrics are printed on the inside cover (and some of you won't), but either way here's a selection of a few of the songs to date, and also a brief insight into what inspired them.

button Bleach my bones
button Dance in the dark
button Driving Song
button Gwynt yn y gwallt
button Harpers Store
button Lovers Cry
button Morfa Frenhinas (trad)
button Ten o'clock turnaround
button Tri deg un, Tri deg dau
button What's it matter to you?

Look out for ' *' Non-Welsh speakers may find the following information useful

Bleach my bones

Yet another tune which was arrived at fairly quickly. I'd just found this nice sounding run on the guitar based on D C G and it felt like the rest of the music just fell into place! When this happens you usually don't have to struggle over the lyrics, and they tend to suggest themselves to you. In this case even though I was totally skint (nothing new) I felt very optimistic as though my life was turning up something new, and a day or two after the lyrics were completed I felt quite content with my life (though still broke!) I hope this helps other people feel the same way.

Everyday I somehow seem to sell a piece of my soul,
And never ever get much by return,
I don't need to apologize to you my friend
I'm going to take you with me when it's time to run.

I never really had too much money to burn,
I couldn't afford a light when it got to my turn.

I need to lie upon a beach and bleach my bones until they burn,
And get away, so far away, but closer to the point of no return.

Everyday I somehow get much closer to my goal,
It makes me nervous, makes my heart beat fast,
I never realized I had travelled so far,
And never stopped to think how far I'd come at last.

Now everything just feels so good,
It gives me comfort like I knew it would,
And everything will turn out right-given time!

I need to lie upon a beach and bleach my bones until they burn,
And get away, so far away, but closer to the point of no return.

Now everything just feels so good,
It gives me comfort like I knew it would,
And everything will turn out right-given time!
Now everything just feels so good,
It gives me comfort like I knew it would,
And everything will turn out right-given time!
Now everything just feels so good,
It gives me comfort like I knew it would,
And everything will turn out right, in your world, in your life,
in good time!

Words & Music -R. Chester.
© 2001. R. Chester.© 2003 Rundogrun.

Dance in the dark

This was originally written in 1997 but never got used because Andy couldn't play the rhythm to the original version. The lyrics were written at the time when my marriage was in turmoil. Jennie (my wife) and I, felt like we were growing apart and didn't really understand each other any more, so we decided to do something about it and so arranged to meet each other on a date in Beddgelert. I took the camper van along and parked up next to the school ground and park. The rest is in the lyrics (sorry kids!) and yes, 20 years later…we're still married…Oh…nearly forgot, I changed the rhythm of the tune.

I hear your footsteps, across the yard,
I hear the rain falling, it's coming down oh so hard,
Hey you look just like a pretty mess,
But you couldn't care less because you're laughing so hard.

One, two, three, five-seven minutes more together
Not much time to change our clothes,
Or change the weather in the dark.

Come inside do you want to dance?
Or take a chance; go on the swings up in the park?
Do you want to eat some ice cream?
Do you want to watch some TV?
Or do you want to fuck me?
Or do you want to say goodbye tonight?
Don't say goodnight.

Do you want to touch things, do you want to go fast?
Do you like singing? do you like romance?
Do you like thunder? do you like lightning?
Do you find it frightening? Exiting?
Afraid of heights? Do you want to go higher?
Fight elation? Feel desire?
Couldn't get closer, couldn't get wilder,
Couldn't get hotter, hearts on fire!

High, high, fly by,
Low, low, don't go

High, high, on a swing in the park,
We're getting low, low, shall we dance in the dark.

High, high fly by, no no don't go

Words & Music -R. Chester. Opening guitar riff & arrangement
R. Chester. Additional guitar 'hook' after chorus' & chord pick 'break' -A. Jones. © 1996. R. Chester. © 2001. Rundogrun.

Driving Song

A song about cold mornings, cold starts & freezing to death while waiting for the AA to turn up…Which is why I called the RAC…actually I called the AA…but AA don't rhyme with the word 'Me'…anyway…it goes like this…....Andy

Its damn cold so I get in my car
Aint' so bad cus' I aint' going far
Elementary checks to see it's ok,
Turn the key, then I'm on my way

(Chorus)
I love my wheels
I love the speed
Couldn't go without….yes indeed
Gonna' drive fast, get there quick
Hit the pedal hard & be real slick

So I'm on my way through snow & ice
If I get any place, it would be nice
Shifting gears, up & down
Was right then, heard a sound

(Chorus)

My cars all broke, now am sad
What can I do, looks so bad
Made a call to the RAC
Said "Im stuck", can you help me

They came right out, fixed me up
Sent me away, wished me luck
I got to the place I wanna' be
My cars alright, same as me

(Chorus)

Words, Music & Arrangement -A. Jones.
Guitar melody, mid 'Em chops' & introduction of 'C7's - R Chester.
© 2003. A. Jones. Rundogrun.

Gwynt yn y gwallt

(Wind in the hair) *Pronounced 'Gwint un uh gwatht'.
We were looking around for some new material for the set, and decided that it would be best to write something new rather than do an arrangement of a traditional tune. I picked the key of 'A' because I wanted to try something different on the accordion, and after a couple of days had the basics. The drop down to E happened because I got bored playing in A for two days.
It took about two weeks to decide on the final arrangement (after about 5 variations) and the tune title came to me while out walking during a break in recording...Hope you like it!

Music & Arrangement -R. Chester. © 2003. Russ Chester

Harpers Store

This is the second song I ever wrote on the accordion. At the time I was listening to a lot of Cajun & Tex Mex music, the simplicity of the driving rhythm and 2-chord structure (evident in much of this music) appealed to my talents. The lyrics just emphasise the culture that, once the weeks work is done, "it's time to party!" This song lay forgotten for several years but was revived when we realised just how enjoyable it was to play and, although it's only two chords G & D (plus a single C at the end which Andy came up with) the tune drives along nicely, people can relate to the song and have a bit of fun......Russ.

Many were the times
I would come down from the station,
To stand beside the crossroads
Outside Harpers general store,
I'd press my nose against his window,
Watch the people going to and fro,
They bought what they liked,
If they liked what they saw.

Some bought the household goods
and some liked fancy trinkets,
And some bought the kind of things
I'd never seen before,
They bought the things that came in handy
While others liked their candy
But the thing I like the best
Was when old Harper shut his store.

Well come on Friday night
Harper closed on down and then,
The folks all went to Henri's bar,
out off the interstate 10,
They'd Shuffle in and shuffle out
Two stepping it about
They loved dancing to his music
They loved dancing to his band.

Shuffle in shuffle out
Shuffle in and shuffle out
Two stepping it about
Shuffle in and shuffle out

Words & Music -R. Chester. Guitar arrangement & introduction of 'C' at end -A. Jones. © 1988. R. Chester © 2001 Rundogrun

lovers Cry

I'm not too sure about the origins/reasons for writing this one as it was written quite a long time ago. I think I'll have to do a little bit of research and rummage around for my original notes, let you know if I find them!

There's a light in my life and it keeps on shining,
And it shows me the way -sometimes it's almost blinding,
And I know that I'll feel things that I won't recall,
And I'm told things to dream that I don't want to dream at all

Now I lie on my bed chasing wild things through my head,
I'm tossing and turning, they end up chasing me instead,
All those demons, dragons and devils get some good use out of me,
They dance before my very eyes, so I can hardly see.

And you've seen me,
When my heart's turned cold,
How will you see me,
When I've grown old?

Will I rest there in your eyes, singing love's sweet lullaby's?
Will I be the one you turn to, or the one you most despise?

It's so hard to be strong,
When you don't know your right from wrong,
It's so hard to reveal to you,
The words without the song
And I know that I'll see things just flashing by,
But summers pass, seasons turn,
And lovers cry

Words & Music -R. Chester. © 1996. R. Chester. © 2001. Rundogrun.

What's it matter to you?

This is basically a song about how we can all get pissed off with our lives (from couch potato to petty tyrant) and really would like our lives to be just a little easier and a bit nicer. I'd just learned a new open E chord from Andy and by playing it in various positions and shapes, came up with the music very quickly and the lyrics even quicker.

Someone outside's got a gun in their hand,
Expressing some views which you don't understand
But anyway - what does it matter to you?
You're tucked up nice all cosy and warm
Doors locked tight against the raging storm
But anyway - what does it matter to you?

No voice in your head to keep driving you mad
Don't you know that it says - Oh yeah yeah
If my life - could be oh so fine

Sometimes feels that I'm slightly deranged
Revolutions in my heart but it won't take the strain
But anyway - what does it matter to you?
You live a simple life compared to mine
Doing 9 till 5 my body's doing overtime
But anyway - what does it matter to you?

Got a voice in your head is it driving you mad
You don't know that it says - Oh yeah yeah
If my life - could be oh so fine

I've got inspirations, aspirations
Want the world at my feet, be the leader of nations
But anyway - what does it matter to you?
Settle down get chilled in front of your TV
Put your feet up friend you make it look too easy
But anyway - what does it matter to you?

Got a buzz in your head and it's driving you mad
Don't you know that it says - oh yeah yeah
If my life - could just be - oh so fine

Words & Music R. Chester. Additional guitar arrangement/lead -
A. Jones. © 1993 R. Chester. © 2001. Rundogrun.

Ten o'clock turnaround

While waiting for Andy and a friend to call round before going to the pub one night, I was mucking about on the accordion from 9.30 until they arrived (10 o'clock) this tune just came to me. The unfortunate thing was that later, playing in the pub, I ripped the ligaments in my left wrist and was unable to play the tune or accordion again for 8 months (lucky I recorded it at the time!)

Music -R. Chester.
© 2001. R. Chester.© 2003 Rundogrun.

Morfa Frenhinas

This is a traditional Welsh tune which Andy & I picked up in the pub from a fiddle player (and maker) Dafydd Roberts…'Pops' of Penrhyndeudraeth. We've re-arranged it to suit our needs…hope we haven't done too much damage to it!

Arrangement -A.Jones & R. Chester.
© 2001. Rundogrun.

Tri deg un, tri deg dau

(Thirty one, thirty two.) *Pronounced 'tree deg een, tree deg dye
I'd been working on this tune for a few days, and had just put the finishing touches to it with the title 'Can't be sad all day long'. Time to relax! I settled down to watch England v Wales rugby game, best game I've ever seen, the result 31 - 32 to Wales…Da iawn Gymru! …Change the title!!!

Music & arrangement -R. Chester.
Guitar arrangement & mid section lead -A. Jones.
© 1998. R. Chester. Rundogrun.

Our music is not designed to be played quietly...For best results...Crank it up!