Placebo: Running Up That Hill Meaning

Song Released: 2007

Running Up That Hill Lyrics

Doesn't hurt me
You wanna feel how it feels
You wanna know, know that it doesn't hurt me
You wanna hear about the deal I'm making
You, you and me

CHORUS:
And if I only could make a deal with God
Get him to swap our places
I'd be running...

1. 1TOP RATED

   anonymous

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   Jun 30th, 2008 6:21pm report

   
   

   This song, to me at least, is about the "just friends" scenario that a lot of people are stuck in, where the person they like/love is in a relationship with another person, but the on they like/love knows that they like/love them, and doesn't want to hurt them, and even likes them back. So they keep on being friends, and the tension is always there, until one day, it just breaks, and the "friends" find out that they actually were meant to be together in love. But then, just as always, reality steps in, and the love becomes just another incident to regret. Trust me, I know. This song has a special meaning for me, and anyone who has been in my situation.

   
   
   
   

2. 2TOP RATED

   jgrega27

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   May 15th, 2009 5:08pm report

   
   

   this song is about losing someone you love. them dying, and wishing you could take their place so they could still live and feel for you how you feel for them, after its too late. it all comes together after its too late

   
   
   
   

3.  

   anonymous

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   Feb 1st, 2017 2:43pm report

   
   

   I feel that the song conveys the thoughts and feelings one has during the bargaining stage of the five stages of grief. I personally have wanted to trade places with someone I've lost. That would be the bargaining phase. Desire to let another live whom you feel had more right to live than you. While it does not represent them clearly and outright, it does resemble the thoughts one may have after losing a loved one.

   
   
   
   

4.  

   anonymous

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   Jul 7th, 2016 7:43am report

   
   

   9/11 terrorist attack

   
   
   
   

5.  

   anonymous

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   Mar 28th, 2015 3:23am report

   
   

   Its about someone feeling sorrow for another and how they would be willing to switch places and not feel that way anymore.

   
   
   
   

6.  

   anonymous

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   Nov 28th, 2012 11:35pm report

   
   

   Placebo is Illuminati. "You wanna know, know that it doesn't hurt me
   You wanna hear about the deal I'm making"
   It's the deal he's making with Satan (selling his soul). There leading to the other line, "And if I only could make a deal with God
   Get him to swap our places" he wants to sell his soul in return for money fame and other stuff.

   This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
   
   
   
   

7.  

   anonymous

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   Aug 14th, 2012 8:30pm report

   
   

   i think the first one is right when i first heard the song it reminded be of the fallen book series by lauren kate how daniel is an angel and cant be in love with luce but they are in love but she is a mortal and he scared because she loves him and he loves her too but its forbidden love luce wants to know what its like to be an angel :)

   
   
   
   

8.  

   anonymous

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   Jan 27th, 2012 1:23pm report

   
   

   Bush herself has said,
   
   “ I was trying to say that, really, a man and a woman, can't understand each other because we are a man and a woman. And if we could actually swap each other's roles, if we could actually be in each others place for a while, I think we'd both be very surprised! [Laughs] And I think it would be lead to a greater understanding. And really the only way I could think it could be done was either... you know, I thought a deal with the devil, you know. And I thought, 'well, no, why not a deal with God!' You know, because in a way it's so much more powerful the whole idea of asking God to make a deal with you. You see, for me it is still called "Deal With God", that was its title. But we were told that if we kept this title that it would not be played in any of the religious countries, Italy wouldn't play it, France wouldn't play it, and Australia wouldn't play it! Ireland wouldn't play it, and that generally we might get it blacked purely because it had God in the title

   
   
   
   

9.  

   anonymous

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   Sep 11th, 2011 9:01pm report

   
   

   the song was originally done by kate bush. do yourselves a favor and give a listen to her version, far more haunting and listless and earnest. i like placebo's version for very different reasons. it is a hard song to cover because of the syncopation which is integral to the song's concept. but really, listen it Kate's version, you won't be the same.

   This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
   
   
   
   

10.  

    anonymous

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    Sep 9th, 2011 9:53am report

    
    

    felt this song applies to any relationship in conflict. Trying to understand the other persons point of view using 3rd person (god) and letting go of the ignorant void between us all. The void that creates misunderstanding, conflict and pain in relationships. then again that's how the song hit me and the way id like to interpret it :-). Other than the 'baby' part the song seems it can be applied to anyone or any situation.

    
    
    
    

11.  

    anonymous

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    May 7th, 2011 5:46pm report

    
    

    Beautiful song, at first, I interpreted it as the singer had a loved one who was trying to commit suicide maybe that was just a bit too much of a morbid take on the song!
    But I just read somewhere that Kate Bush said that it was about the conflict between sexes not understanding each other 'women are from venus' thing.

    
    
    
    

12.  

    anonymous

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    Mar 26th, 2011 3:50pm report

    
    

    To me, this song is about a person who wants to help someone he cares about by taking their burden.
    
    "It doesn't hurt me
    you want to feel how it feels
    you want to know, know that it doesn't hurt me
    you want to hear about the deal I'm making"
    This is talking about how he isn't experiencing any problems like the other person is, and she envys this, but she won't tell him whats going on because they want to spare him the pain. He, however, is still trying to figure out what is up.
    
    "And if I only could make a deal with God
    and get him to swap our places
    be running up that road
    running up that hill
    running up that building"
    He is saying that he would rather take the person's burden so they don't have to bear it.
    
    "You don't want to hurt me
    but see how deep the bullet lies"
    The person is trying to shoulder all of, well, whatever it is they don't want to share, to keep him safe. unfortunately, this isn't not the best because their pain is hurting him.
    
    The rest of the song basically reinforces this idea and talks about how the person matters to him and he doesn't want to be shut out from her problems.
    
    Well, that is my interpritation, and what the song means to me. feel free to disagree, though.

    
    
    
    

13.  

    JustinS.

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    Jul 16th, 2010 7:51am report

    
    

    I agree with the first person. I think it's about someone wanting to try and take the place of a dying friend. Possibly a loved one.