(I'm A) Road Runner

Album: Road Runner (1966)
Charted: 20
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • In this song, Junior Walker is a man who cannot be tamed. He's always in motion and his life is on the road - fair warning to any woman who thinks she can get him to stay.

    Walker really was a road warrior, constantly touring and performing. When he and his band The Allstars signed with Motown Records, they had a hard time getting him into the studio because he was always out on the road.
  • Junior Walker & the All-Stars were signed to the Motown subsidiary Soul, and had Motown's cadre of writers, producers and musicians at their service. "(I'm a) Road Runner" was written by their ace team of Lamont Dozier, Brian Holland, and Eddie Holland, who were the main writers for The Supremes. Members of Motown's Funk Brothers house band, including bass player James Jamerson, played on the track.
  • Group leader Junior Walker played saxophone and sang, setting them apart from many other R&B groups on the scene. "(I'm a) Road Runner" was a solid hit early in their career; their run of hits started with "Shotgun" in 1965 and lasted into the early '70s when their popularity waned.
  • Bo Diddley also had a song called "Road Runner" with a similar theme. His hit #75 in 1960.
  • The Road Runner cartoons were very popular around this time. Part of the Looney Tunes universe, the clever bird would always outwit his rival, Wile E. Coyote. The Road Runner album showed a cartoon bird, but not the same one.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Gavin Rossdale of Bush

Gavin Rossdale of BushSongwriter Interviews

On the "schizoid element" of his lyrics, and a famous line from "Everything Zen."

Emmylou Harris

Emmylou HarrisSongwriter Interviews

She thinks of herself as a "song interpreter," but back in the '80s another country star convinced Emmylou to take a crack at songwriting.

Mike Campbell

Mike CampbellSongwriter Interviews

Mike is lead guitarist with Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, and co-writer of classic songs like "Boys Of Summer," "Refugee" and "The Heart Of The Matter."

Julian Lennon

Julian LennonSongwriter Interviews

Julian tells the stories behind his hits "Valotte" and "Too Late for Goodbyes," and fills us in on his many non-musical pursuits. Also: what MTV meant to his career.

Name the Character in the Song

Name the Character in the SongMusic Quiz

With a few clues (Works at a diner, dreams of running away), can you name the character in the song?

David Bowie Lyrics Quiz

David Bowie Lyrics QuizMusic Quiz

How well do you know your David Bowie lyrics? Take this quiz to find out.