Ready to Run (song)
Encyclopedia
"Ready to Run" is the title of a single released in 1999 by the Dixie Chicks
, an American country music
group. It was co-written by the group's fiddler, Martie Seidel (now Martie Maguire) along with Marcus Hummon
. The song was the lead-off single to the band's fifth studio album, 1999's Fly, and their sixth entry on the Billboard
Hot Country Singles & Tracks
chart, reaching number two. This song was featured on the film soundtrack for Runaway Bride
, starring Richard Gere
and Julia Roberts
.
, with an intro played by fiddle
and penny whistle, before electric guitar
and banjo
join in as well. The song describes a female who is "ready this time"; specifically, that she is "ready to run" away from her wedding because she does not feel that she is ready to fall in love.
magazine gave the song a favorable mention, saying that it "sets the emotional and musiccal tone of the album, revving up the guitars to a graceful Celtic motif".
In 1999, "Ready to Run" won the Grammy Award
for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal
.
The song has been a staple of the group's concerts, appearing on the 2000 Fly Tour
as the show opener, on the 2003 Top of the World Tour
near the end of the main set, and on the 2006 Accidents & Accusations Tour
as the final encore.
for the song was a visually comic one that portrayed the Chicks as brides at a triple wedding. Before the ceremony is over, they decide to run away, jumping on the back of a garbage truck and then pedalling away on bicycles. The jilted grooms chase them through the neighborhood, and they all end up back at the wedding site, engaging in a friendly food fight
before joining in circle dance
. At the conclusion, the still-unmarried Chicks are seen collapsing to the grass by themselves in exhaustion.
The video placed at #26 on CMT
's 2004 ranking of the 100 Greatest Videos.
Dixie Chicks
The Dixie Chicks are an American country band which has also successfully crossed over into other genres. The band is composed of founding members Martie Erwin Maguire and Emily Erwin Robison, and lead singer Natalie Maines...
, an American country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
group. It was co-written by the group's fiddler, Martie Seidel (now Martie Maguire) along with Marcus Hummon
Marcus Hummon
Marcus Spencer Hummon is an American country music artist. After several years of playing in various bands, he eventually found his way to Nashville, Tennessee, where he was signed to a songwriting contract, and subsequently a record deal with Columbia Records, which released his debut album All...
. The song was the lead-off single to the band's fifth studio album, 1999's Fly, and their sixth entry on the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Hot Country Singles & Tracks
Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales...
chart, reaching number two. This song was featured on the film soundtrack for Runaway Bride
Runaway Bride (1999 film)
Runaway Bride is a 1999 American romantic comedy film starring Julia Roberts and Richard Gere and directed by Garry Marshall. The screenplay was written by Josann McGibbon, Audrey Wells and Sara Parriott.-Plot:...
, starring Richard Gere
Richard Gere
Richard Tiffany Gere is an American actor. He began acting in the 1970s, playing a supporting role in Looking for Mr. Goodbar, and a starring role in Days of Heaven. He came to prominence in 1980 for his role in the film American Gigolo, which established him as a leading man and a sex symbol...
and Julia Roberts
Julia Roberts
Julia Fiona Roberts is an American actress. She became a Hollywood star after headlining the romantic comedy Pretty Woman , which grossed $464 million worldwide...
.
Content
"Ready to Run" is a moderate up-tempo in the key of G majorG major
G major is a major scale based on G, with the pitches G, A, B, C, D, E, and F. Its key signature has one sharp, F; in treble-clef key signatures, the sharp-symbol for F is usually placed on the first line from the top, though in some Baroque music it is placed on the first space from the bottom...
, with an intro played by fiddle
Fiddle
The term fiddle may refer to any bowed string musical instrument, most often the violin. It is also a colloquial term for the instrument used by players in all genres, including classical music...
and penny whistle, before electric guitar
Electric guitar
An electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
and banjo
Banjo
In the 1830s Sweeney became the first white man to play the banjo on stage. His version of the instrument replaced the gourd with a drum-like sound box and included four full-length strings alongside a short fifth-string. There is no proof, however, that Sweeney invented either innovation. This new...
join in as well. The song describes a female who is "ready this time"; specifically, that she is "ready to run" away from her wedding because she does not feel that she is ready to fall in love.
Reception
Rick Anderson gave the song a mixed review for Allmusic. Although he made note of the "musical non sequitur" (i.e., the fiddle and penny whistle intro) and the "greasy, countrified funk" that followed, he called its lyrics "pretty much pop-country fluff. But you don't realize that until halfway through, at least." Rob Sheffield of Rolling StoneRolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
magazine gave the song a favorable mention, saying that it "sets the emotional and musiccal tone of the album, revving up the guitars to a graceful Celtic motif".
In 1999, "Ready to Run" won the Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal
Grammy Award for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal
The Grammy Award for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal was awarded from 1970 to 2011. The award has had several minor name changes:*In 1970 the award was known as Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group...
.
The song has been a staple of the group's concerts, appearing on the 2000 Fly Tour
Fly Tour
The Fly Tour was the Dixie Chicks' 2000 concert tour in over 80 cities in North America in support of their album Fly.-History:Announced in mid-April 2000, this was the Dixie Chicks' first headlining tour. Moreover, the group was jumping directly to playing mostly in arenas...
as the show opener, on the 2003 Top of the World Tour
Top of the World Tour
Top of the World Tour was the 2003 concert tour by American country music trio Dixie Chicks. It was in support of their album Home, and named after the song "Top of the World" on that album.-History:...
near the end of the main set, and on the 2006 Accidents & Accusations Tour
Accidents & Accusations Tour
The Accidents & Accusations Tour was a 2006 concert tour by the Dixie Chicks. It was their first tour where tickets were sold after the scandal which ensued in 2003 when lead singer Natalie Maines publicly criticized President George W. Bush at Shepherds Bush Empire in London during the Top of the...
as the final encore.
Music video
The music videoMusic video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
for the song was a visually comic one that portrayed the Chicks as brides at a triple wedding. Before the ceremony is over, they decide to run away, jumping on the back of a garbage truck and then pedalling away on bicycles. The jilted grooms chase them through the neighborhood, and they all end up back at the wedding site, engaging in a friendly food fight
Food fight
A food fight is a form of chaotic collective behavior, in which food is thrown at others in the manner of projectiles. These projectiles are not made to harm or damage others, but to simply ignite a fight filled with spontaneous food throwing. Food fights may be impromptu examples of rebellion or...
before joining in circle dance
Circle dance
"Circle dance" is the most common name for a style of traditional dance usually done in a circle without partners to musical accompaniment.-Description:...
. At the conclusion, the still-unmarried Chicks are seen collapsing to the grass by themselves in exhaustion.
The video placed at #26 on CMT
CMT
- Medicine :* California mastitis test* Certified Massage Therapist* Cervical motion tenderness, a sign of pelvic inflammatory disease* Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease* Chemically modified tetracyclines* Circus Movement Tachycardia...
's 2004 ranking of the 100 Greatest Videos.
Chart performance
| Chart (1999) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks | 2 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 39 |
| Canadian RPM Country Tracks | 3 |
| UK Singles Chart | 53 |