Music Review: OneRepublic "Love Runs Out"
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OneRepublic
Love Runs Out
Album: Native
Year: 2014
Ryan Tedder’s faith gives him a reason to live in the absolute “Love Runs Out.”
Marching synths open the single, setting a strong-minded tone. He has a lot to make up for. There have been people he’s hurt. For one, there’s his girlfriend. At his worst, he pushed her away. Despite it, she stuck by him. Now, he promises to guide her when she needs help., give her motivation and provide her some optimism. He wants to be the one person she can rely on. Their relationship will stay strong. His love will be a constant for her. He’ll be her cheerleader and will always be with her, seeing how she’s doing. He’ll be the most important person in her life. However, if she decides to leave him, he’ll be ok with it. (“I'll be your light, your match, your burning sun/I'll be the bright in black, that's making you run/And we'll feel alright, and we'll feel alright/Cause we'll work it out, yeah we'll work it out/I'll be doin' this, if you had a doubt/Til the love runs out, 'til the love runs out/I'll be your ghost, your game, your stadium/I'll be your fifty thousand clapping like one/And I feel alright, and I feel alright/Cause I worked it out, yeah I worked it out/I'll be doin' this, if you had a doubt/Til the love runs out, 'til the love runs out.”)
He’s going to fix his life. Every chance he gets, he does an act of kindness. Along with his friends, they will still have their fun but not lose control. He has a purpose. As long as it’s there, he’ll be fine. (“I got my mind made up, man I can't let go/I'm killing every second 'til it saves my soul/I'll be running, I'll be running/Til the love runs out, 'til the love runs out/And we'll start a fire, and we'll shut it down/Til the love runs out, 'til the love runs out.”)
There’s the crazy side of his personality, in which he’s capable of anything.. Risk is an invitation which he gladly accepts. Then, there’s a part of him that wants to do the right thing. However, Mephistopheles, which according to Wikipedia is a demon in German folklore, clings to him, begging for affection. His mother is the person who shaped him. Every Sunday, he and his mother would go to church. As he got older, his mom told him to live his life but still to look to God. Every night before he goes to bed, he says “Hail Mary” which he learned as a child and asks for God to take care of his family. (“There's a maniac out in front of me/Got an angel on my shoulder, and Mephistopheles /But mama raised me good, mama raised me right/Mama said "do what you want, say prayers at night"/And I'm saying them, cause I'm so devout/Til the love runs out, 'til the love runs out, yeah.”)
The chorus is sung again.
In the bridge, he says everyone has faith in something. Like him, some people believe in God. Others believe in other mystical forces. Emotion and possessions are what some people live for. (“Ooh, we all want the same thing/Oh, we all run for something/Run for God, for fate/For love, for hate/For gold, for rust/For diamonds, for dust/I'll be your light, your match, your burning sun/I'll be the bright in black that's making you run.”)
The chorus is sung again.
Part of the first verse and chorus are combined together are sung to end the single. (“I'll be your light, your match, your burning sun/I'll be the bright, in black that's making you runAnd we'll feel alright, and we'll feel alright/Cause we'll work it out, yes we'll work it out/And we'll start a fire, and we'll shut it down/Til the love runs out, 'til the love runs out/Til the love runs out.”)
Tedder’s lucent vocals dig out every demon from under his skin, every exclamation as he extracts cleanses him. OneRepublic has been excelling at redemptive, uptempo anthems. Whatever personal crisis that hit, the epiphany has caused them to change for the better.
The persevering “Love Runs Out” finally finds OneRepublic no longer content to give itself away.