"The Running Free"

"The Running Free" is a song by the American rock band Coheed and Cambria. It is the fifth song and first single on their 2007 album Good Apollo, I'm Burning Star IV - Volume Two: No World For Tomorrow.

Lyrics
[Verse 1] All non-believers, stand aside in fear A new day's marching through the door How could you ever think you'd make it here? Oh, did it bleed? Or was it sore? Through the struggles you've endured?

[Pre-Chorus] You've come so far from innocence Provided all the consequence Only what does it matter now?

[Chorus] Cause you're going home, you're running free As only you would be, if you never owed them anything And now, you've found your way out In the trust you've seen your path on home (Oh, whoa)

[Post-Chorus] (Oh oh oh oh oh-oh oh-oh) Spend your time well before you go (Oh oh oh oh oh-oh oh-oh) Here in Hell

[Verse 2] Your living ends before the engineer What was your motive in this fight? (Did they play you for the weaker of them?) How could you ever think you'd make it here? Was it greed that pushed your heart through the struggles you've endured?

[Pre-Chorus] You've come so far from innocence Provided all the consequence Only what does it matter now

[Chorus] Cause you're going home, you're running free As only you would be, if you never owed them anything And now, you've found your way out In the trust you've seen your path on home (Oh whoa)

[Post-Chorus] (Oh oh oh oh oh-oh oh-oh) Spend your time well before you go (Oh oh oh oh oh-oh oh-oh) Here in Hell

[Bridge] (There's a Hell in all of us) Spend your time well before you go (There's a Hell in all of us) In a loss that's all your own (There's a Hell in all of us) There are no secrets you can hide (There's a Hell in all...) From yourself, in your mind, leave the worst of all behind

[Chorus] Cause you're going home You're running free As only you would be, if you never owed them anything And now, you've found your way out In the trust you've seen your path on home

Cause you're going home You're running free As only you would be, if you never owed them anything And now, you've found your way out In the trust you've seen your path on home (Oh whoa)

[Post-Chorus] (Oh oh oh oh oh-oh oh-oh) Spend your time well before you go (Oh oh oh oh oh-oh oh-oh) Here in Hell

Music Video
An official music video was released for the single on August 7, 2007. It was directed by Nathan "Karma" Cox,.



Story Context
"" '''As the official story has not yet been released, anything in this section is speculation, not fact. More so than usual, of course.'''

There are many fan theories about this song. Some believe this is Claudio's first encounter with Ryan, some believe it's about someone escaping hell and becoming free, some believe its about the general cycle of life, death, and possibly rebirth.

It is this author's opinion that this is where we meet back up with Sirius Amory who has been hanging out in the Keywork all these years. Knowing the secret of the Keywork, he came back to guide his wife's soul from The Mono (a Hell-like place) to the utopia known as The Samaritaine. But rather than join her, as he seem to indicate he would do, he was too coward and stayed behind to play God, deciding who should move on to that utopia, and helping them achieve it, or barring access.

This is why there are lines like, "How could you ever think you'd make it here?" with here being utopia, and the follow up lines ("Oh, did it bleed? Or was it sore? / Through the struggles you've endured?") referring to the difficult things a soul may or may not have gone through. The souls have all been through something, but whether they make peace or not determines if they can cross. Sirius himself may not have been able to cross, to get over his own faults. In the comic, Ryan taunts Claudio saying "Don't tell me the Crowing isn't familiar with what happens after death! The purgatory your parents are no doubt floating in even as we speak?" So this song could indicate that, somehow, he does make contact with the Keywork and meets Sirius. This would also lead directly into the next song and make the last song make sense.

Of course, the fact that Sizer (and Chase) are on on the cover art for the single promos doesn't tie in here. Maybe they will in some other way, or maybe it is them that make the connection to the Keywork, and not Claudio.

Trivia

 * The album art for the promo Vinyl (above) and CD (right) was illustrated by Ken Kelly, the main album's artist who specializes in fantasy/sci-fi work and did many other pieces related to the album.
 * The vinyl included the combined acoustic demo of "Always & Never" and "Welcome Home" as a bonus track.
 * The promo CD included the radio edit of the main song.
 * On both versions of the art, a large, hulking figure is featured. On the CD, a little girl is featured. This leads many people to believe the girl is Chase and her brother, Sizer who transforms into a large, muscular, red figure. Of course, there is also the figure behind the first, which looks suspiciously like Sirius Amory in his space suit especially if you compare to the artwork of the Afterman Albums.
 * Sanchez states on the DVD that accompanies the special edition of the album that he originally wrote this song with two other songwriters for the Transformers movie soundtrack. However, when the track was rejected, he adapted the song for the new record instead.