Miranda Lambert Reveals Why She Held Onto Her Vulnerable Song ‘Run’ For 10 Years

Miranda Lambert recently dropped her ninth solo studio project, Postcards From Texas, a collection of 14 songs that captures milestones, lessons and memories made over the past two decades of her life. While each song on the album marks an important part of Lambert’s journey, the track titled “Run,” is one that has helped the songstress find freedom in a narrative she has been holding onto for 10 years. 

The sitting at track No. 7 is a solo write that Lambert penned a decade ago. During a recent conversation with Kelleigh Bannen on Today’s Country Radio, she revealed she wasn’t ready to sing it for several years…until now.

“I wasn’t ever ready to perform it until now… That’s what songs are for, and you may not be ready at that one time to sing about something really raw or sing about alimony. You might be going through divorce or whatever, you know what I mean? At the time it might not be funny or at the time it might feel too raw, but then it can come back around,” she shared. “And it’s an admission of human error too. It’s an apology… But it’s also a resolve.”

The Song Finds Lambert Opening Up About Past Regrets

The triple GRAMMY winner doesn’t go into detail as to what inspired her to write this song, but the lyrics offer a clear depiction of a woman who knew her relationship was over, before they made the official decision to part ways. She doesn’t place blame on her partner, but instead opens up about the deep regret she carried with her for not being honest with how she was really feeling. 

“I’m trying to survive in/ This state of defeat/ Is it you or I that really lose me/ I’m lookin’ for someone/ I wasn’t with you/ We held on for dear life baby/ But both of us knew/ I was gonna run,” Lambert sings with a rawness in her voice. 

At the end of the soulful tune, she lets her former partner know that she owes him “a lifetime of apologies” and even though there was so much love between them, her escape was inevitable. 

Lambert’s Husband Brendan Encouraged Her To Be Vulnerable

Lambert went on the admit to Bannen that “Run” was one of the more vulnerable songs that her husband, Brendan, encouraged her to release on this record. She says he was present “the whole time” and served as a valuable part of the creative process. 

“He loves it. He’s just so in it… He loves music in general and he loves the process and he has been now part of three albums and he just loves because it’s been with three different teams of production and musicians, and so he’s just intrigued by the whole thing. It gets boring and then he goes to play golf, but he came to Austin with me and was there for a lot of it, and he was the one that was pushing for the ones that I was a little on the fence about as far as vulnerable and raw… Like, ‘Run,’ for example. He was like, “You have to cut that song.’”

Finding A New Sense Of Freedom

This song, as well as the album as a whole, was Lambert’s chance to explore her newfound freedom.  She explained that with this feeling of a weight being lifted off her shoulders, her only desire was to return to her home state of Texas, reset, and come back stronger than ever. This album did just that and more. It holds great significance for the “Actin’ Up” singer as it was recorded in the Lone Star State at Austin’s legendary Arlyn Studios and also marks her first project with her new label home, Republic Records. 

“This record, because I have had so much full circle happen lately, just like I said, with turning 40 and a new record label, and I felt new freedom, and with that freedom, all I wanted to do was go home to reset so I could get strong to take on a whole new journey,” she explained before adding, “And so I think this record is a snapshot of more like two decades versus the last two years… There’s emotions that I’ve felt for the last two decades as a woman, as an artist in this album.”

Honing In On The Reality Of Life

Postcards from Texas emphasizes Miranda Lambert’s ability to speak from the heart, while maintaining her fierceness. Fans will truly get to know the artist on a deeper level as they listen to this collection because every step was intentional and carefully thought out, including the sequencing. She opens with the clever upbeat tune of “Armadillo” and ends with her take on David Allen Coe’s “Living On The Run,” bringing the storyline full circle.
 
“The beginning and ending were on purpose,” she admits via press release. “We’re gonna start out and end in the same level of brokenness. ‘Living on the Run,’ because of what it says, makes you feel like you’re about to get in the car with that armadillo again, and start it all over. I feel like it’s the signal to start the journey all over again, because that’s what life is.”

Fans were hooked on the project with previously released tracks including “Wranglers” and “Dammit Randy,” and “Alimony,” but now they can fill in the gaps with the remainder of the project that tell Lambert’s story in a way unlike she’s ever done before.