I ran (so far away) is weirder than you thought

A Flock of Seagulls / dpa Picture Alliance / Alamy Stock Photo

In 1982, New Wave was getting ready to burst out of Liverpool, England. At the front of the pack was A Flock of Seagulls, with their unique track I Ran (So Far Away). 

You probably know the song, but did you know the weird inspiration behind it? I always assumed it was about running away from love or a past relationship - or just running away from emotional pressure - but it turns out the true inspiration is a bit more… extra-terrestrial.

A Flock of Seagulls formed in Liverpool in 1979. Now if you know anything about Liverpool, you’ll know that the city is probably most well known for its vibrant music scene - The Beatles, Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Echo & the Bunnymen, Gerry and the Pacemakers.… They all came from Liverpool. 

It’s something that the city and its people are rightfully very proud of, and it was no different in the early 80s. So when frontman Mike Score ditched hairdressing to form A Flock of Seagulls, he had plenty of inspiration to work with. Although the hairdressing experience paid off - check out his do.

Mike Score from A Flock of Seagulls / dpa picture alliance / Alamy Stock Photo

Now, most of the band weren’t exactly experienced musicians to begin with. However, Score was a constant presence in the Liverpool local scene, and had been part of the post-punk band Tontrix. The band had only released 2 songs, but it had given Score a taste of the music scene and what was going on across the city. He told This Is Not Retro in 2013:

“In the late 70s I was hairdressing and going out seeing bands. I had always been into music so one day I bought a bass guitar and, after a while, joined a band. It was exciting and I felt like this was for me. I can’t say I’m a good player. I’m adequate. But I liked song writing, so when I started my own band it seemed right to do my own thing.”

However Tontrix sadly parted ways, and so he recruited his brother Ali and his friend Frank to form a new band - A Flock of Seagulls. He told Classic Pop in 2019:

“Ali had never played drums, Frank had never played bass, but within an hour they both could. As soon as we started messing around, good things started to happen. Within three hours of first rehearsing, we had a song.”

So it sounds like it was pretty easy for the band to just get going. Plus, they were living through a time of lots of experimental music being made across Liverpool, giving them licence for creativity. The band took on a kinda ‘sci-fi’ vibe which they became known for. Again, the hairstyles helped with that. 

Later, Paul Reynolds joined on guitar - and his unique playing talent really defined the sound of A Flock Of Seagulls - he helped the band stand out among all the other synth bands at the time.

They started to practice, playing gigs at local bars and on the roof of the hall where Score worked. Eventually, they gained traction and got a record deal.

A Flock of Seagulls / dpa picture alliance / Alamy Stock Photo

Now, obviously a condition of a record deal is that you make a record. So that’s what they started to do. 

But it was one song in particular that put A Flock of Seagulls on the map - I ran (so far away). Score says there were two sources of inspiration.

The first was for the title. I’ve already mentioned that Score was very involved with the local scene, and the band were often at the Cavern, a popular venue for emerging bands (and famous for being one of the venues to give The Beatles some of their first gigs!). Another band on that circuit had a song called I Ran and Score liked the name so much he decided to, uh, nick it. With brackets added on of course. 

The second inspiration was a bit weirder. The day after hearing the other band perform I Ran, he saw a poster in a record shop of people running away from a UFO. Score put two and two together and came up with the concept for I ran (so far away). Score told Billboard in 2018:

"We'd just been to the Cavern in Liverpool and saw a band play a song called 'I Ran' and thought, 'What a great name,' although we didn't particularly like the song. And then the next day saw a picture from the 1950s of a flying saucer and two people running away from it. And because we had this sci-fi thing going on, it was like 'look at that! First 'I Ran' and now that!'”

Its worth mentioning that Score mentions the Cavern here, but other sources say it was actually Eric’s Club, another popular venue.

It was clearly meant to be. That night, fueled by inspiration, they got to work on the song.  What they came up with would go on to take the scene by storm. 

From the start, you can hear the sci-fi inspiration; synth-y and futuristic, it's kind of a first look at what the 80s is now known for. 

The lyrics are interesting. It’s basically a song about wanting to get away from  something that feels overwhelming, even if you’re not totally sure what that “something” is. The repeated line “I ran, I ran so far away” says it all —Score is trying to escape, physically or mentally, and it never quite works.

The lyrics are full of slightly strange, dreamy images: a mysterious woman (I never thought I’d meet a girl like you), a sudden cloud, and a feeling of being chased. Nothing is explained clearly, which actually adds to the vibe. It feels a bit like a half-remembered dream where everything is dramatic but also confusing. 

I suppose it makes more sense when you learn about the UFO poster that inspired it, especially the line ‘I'm floating in a beam of light with you.’

A Flock of Seagulls performing live / John Atashian / Alamy Stock Photo

What makes the song interesting is despite the sci-fi story telling inspiration, you can read it in loads of ways. It might be about anxiety, fear of relationships, or just feeling out of place. And even though Score keeps running “all night and day,” he still “couldn’t get away,” which gives the whole song a slightly hopeless edge. 

You could apply that to any life experience where someone feels trapped by their situation. 

When it was released in 1982, it became a major success. It shot to the top of the charts in Australia and New Zealand, and got to No. 9 in the States. Surprisingly, it didn’t do quite as well in the UK, only reaching 43 in the charts. 

The 80s also signalled the age of the music video, which almost became as important as the song itself. Channels like MTV (only a year old at the time) meant that fans weren’t just listening to songs anymore, but watching them. A Flock of Seagulls didn’t cut any corners when it came to the music video for I ran (so far away). 

They captured the futuristic, dream-like vibes perfectly, with a hall of mirrors showing the confusion and reinforcing that idea of not being able to get away. The iconic hairstyles and futuristic outfits did wonders in getting people around the world interested in what A Flock of Seagulls had to offer. 

Some other songs from the album also performed well. For example, Space Age Love Song also broke the top 40 in the US.

So overall, it was a very successful debut for the band. 

However, Score has had a bit of a love-hate relationship with I ran (so far away). Because it did so well, it was kind of hard to step out of its shadow in follow up albums. He told VH1 in 2003:

"Every time I perform live, everyone just wants to hear 'I Ran'... I'm sick of it!"

You can understand the frustration. Imagine going your whole career with people only wanting to hear a song you wrote for your first album.. It must have been quite depressing.

He told Songfacts in 2018:

"I don't think it's the best song we've got, although it was the biggest hit. I have moments where I think 'Space Age' is a lot better, or 'Wishing' is a lot better. It depends on the mood I'm in, or the emotional state I'm in at the time. But I like to play it live, because the crowd loves it. Especially at nostalgia gigs like this tour, you want to give people what they remembered, and they remember 'I Ran,' and they all get into it and have a great time. It puts a big smile on your face."