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About

Genius Annotation

As a voice of guidance, Woodkid uses “Run Boy Run” to help a boy going through his first stages in life. On the surface, this song is fairly straightforward, warning the boy about struggles he will face and giving him hope to meet them.

However, on the other side of the coin, this song is also likely about being gay, and giving hope to a young man who is just starting to discover that he is gay. On January 19, 2014, Woodkid posted on his Facebook page deriding La Manif Pour Tous, a French anti-gay group, for using this song in one of their videos. In his words,

I JUST CANT STOP LAUGHING. The people from LA MANIF POUR TOUS in Roma are so stupid that they are using the most pro-gay music in their promo. Not sure they got time to read the lyrics.

In addition, Woodkid himself is openly gay.

Q&A

Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning

What did Woodkid say about "Run Boy Run"?
Genius Answer

In an interview with Interview Magazine, Woodkid talked in depth about how the song, as well as Woodkid as a project, is almost autobiographical:

So it’s the story of a kid who comes from a very organic, tender environment who slowly turns to marble.
[…]
It’s pretty much what I have experienced. I was a very mellow, soft, and sweet kid when I was young.
[…]
I got tougher, and being in an urban environment doesn’t help. It’s part of the process of being an adult. Suddenly you’re confronted with problems you didn’t have to face as a kid.
[…]
Because I grew up as a gay kid, I wanted to find people like me. It was easier to go to the city.

In an interview with Metro News, he gave some more information about the story behind the song:

The love songs and homoerotic strains are deliberately fragmented. “It’s an incomplete piece; I think people fill in the gaps and make it their own,” says Lemoine. “Although there is a story, about this kid from an organic background who collides with this city as he escapes from home. The vocals are tender, raw and unsophisticated; the music is this mass of emotion and rigour.”

Has this song been used in any media?
Genius Answer

Yes! The song has been used with regards to Divergent, The Umbrella Academy, and Dying Light.

The video game Dying Light used this song as the backing song for its trailer, which debuted at E3 in 2013.

The movie Divergent also utilized an instrumental version of this song in one of the scenes, and it was also included on the movie’s soundtrack.

Lastly, the song was used in an episode of The Umbrella Academy, a Netflix series based on a series of comic books by Gerard Way.

Couldn't the whole song be a metaphor of a boy discovering his homosexuality ?
Genius Answer

Yes, Woodkid has confirmed that the song is about discovering your sexuality calling it “the most pro-gay music”.

Does the track have any certifications?
Credits
Mixing Engineer
Mastering Engineer
Orchestration
Recorded At
Studio RDPC & Studio de la Grande Armée
Release Date
May 21, 2012
Songs That Interpolate Run Boy Run
View Run Boy Run samples
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