Before They Make Me Run Lyrics

"Before They Make Me Run" is a song by the English rock band The Rolling Stones, featured on their 1978 album Some Girls. Written by guitarist Keith Richards, the song is a response to his arrest for heroin possession in Toronto in February 1977. The criminal charges and prospect of a prison sentence loomed over the Some Girls recording sessions and endangered the future of the Rolling Stones. In the lyrics Richards reflects unapologetically on his lifestyle up to that point. The line "it's another goodbye to another good friend" in the first verse can be interpreted as referring to Gram Parsons, Richards's close friend who died in 1973 from a drug overdose, and/or to heroin itself: Richards had sought medical treatment for heroin addiction following his arrest in Toronto, and his resolution to overcome his addiction would be a significant factor in his upcoming trial. Originally entitled "Rotten Roll", the song was recorded in a Paris studio in March 1978 during one of Mick Jagger's absences from the Some Girls sessions.[3] The completed track - "a high-energy rock & roller"- features Richards on lead vocals, acoustic and electric guitars and bass; Ronnie Wood on pedal steel, slide guitar and backup vocals; Charlie Watts on drums and Jagger on backup vocals.