REO Speedwagon · 1980 · Behind the Songs
If “Keep On Loving You” is a promise, “Take It on the Run” is a warning, and a thrilling one.
If “Keep On Loving You” is a promise, “Take It on the Run” is a warning, and a thrilling one. Written by guitarist Gary Richrath, it is a fast, sharp rock song about rumors, suspicion, and the feeling that something you trusted is slipping away.
First released on the album Hi Infidelity in 1980 and as a single in 1981, the song became another major hit from that album. Its opening guitar riff is instantly recognizable, and its chorus has the kind of punch that makes a concert crowd shout along. Richrath’s writing gives the band a different energy from Cronin’s ballads: tougher, more restless, and full of rock and roll attitude.
The song’s story is deliberately ambiguous. It is about hearing things, wondering what is true, and deciding what to do about it. That ambiguity is part of its appeal. Listeners can hear their own experiences in it, whether they are thinking about a relationship, a friendship, or simply a time when trust was tested.
Play it loud, as it was meant to be played. It is REO Speedwagon the rock band, at full speed, and it still sounds like a band that knows exactly how to fill an arena.