‘Run it (From Sonic the Hedgehog 3)’ by Jelly Roll - Lyrics & Meaning

Arriving like a bolt from the blue on November 22nd, 2024, hot on the heels of Jelly Roll's spell-binding performance of ‘Believe’ at the CMA Awards with Brooks & Dunn, ‘Run It’ is Jelly's high-profile contribution to the official Sonic the Hedgehog 3 soundtrack.

The electric track features production from EDM legend, David Guetta, who infuses a club-ready, Avicii-esque sound into the mix, while prolific pop producers Ryan Tedder and Sean Cook also help to mould this song into a certified crossover anthem.

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 was released across the US on Wednesday, November 20th, with the UK getting to experience the hotly anticipated motion picture in theatres the following day.

For ‘Run It’, Jelly Roll largely eschews his contemporary country blueprint and leans back into his earlier rap style for the verses, giving the feel-good, uptempo song an extra jolt of intensity. The hook is a soaring, caffeinated anthem, followed by a surging, enlivening EDM breakdown that has David Guetta written all over it.

“Days like these don't get much better
Top down, good fam, good weather
Days like these, we don't miss never
Yeah, yeah
Last night things got a little bit crazy
Pulled up doin' 'bout 180
Life goes fast, so there ain't no maybes
Yeah, yeah”

The core message of ‘Run It’ is that, despite the challenges we all face, on the whole, life is pretty darn awesome. Jelly Roll sets an idyllic scene as he cruises down the road with his convertible roof down, before reflecting fondly on the wild night he's just enjoyed.

“Just give me that sunset, give me that ride
Give me them stars out four-wheel drive
Takin' that backroad, yeah, no lie
Man, that sure feels nice
Give me thеm real ones, ones I know
Do a littlе two-step, do-si-do
Turn it up loud, bringin' that crowd
Takin' it high then droppin' low”

‘Run It’ is pervaded by car-related imagery, which helps to build the feeling of zooming down the highway without a care in the world. This aligns seamlessly with Sonic the Hedgehog's super-speed, with Jelly Roll toasting the euphoria of feeling the wind in his hair.

“We do this everywhere we go
I think you know
This ain't no one horse rodeo
I think you know
When we pull up, green lights, I show
I think you know
That we gon' run it, run it, run it
'Til we runnin' outta road (Oh, yeah)”

The ‘Need a Favor’ singer-songwriter accentuates the levity and joyful atmosphere of ‘Run It’ by celebrating how he keeps hitting green lights, with Jelly Roll underlining that he has no plans to slow down - he'll “run it” until he can run it no longer.

“Wastin' time ain't overrated
Not when you're celebrated
Raise that glass, we're all here waitin'
Yeah, yeah”

Although he starts the song by recalling the crazy night of partying from the previous evening, Jelly Roll concludes by shrugging his shoulders and deciding to do it all again this evening. Despite acknowledging that naysayers might call this worldview ‘unproductive’, Jelly assures the listener that it's never wasted time if you're having fun.

“Days like these don't get much better
Top down, good fam, good weather
Days like these, we don't miss never
Yeah, yeah
Last night things got a little bit crazy
Pulled up doin' 'bout 180
Life goes fast, so there ain't no maybes
Yeah, yeah

-

Just give me that sunset, give me that ride
Give me them stars out four-wheel drive
Takin' that backroad, yeah, no lie
Man, that sure feels nice
Give me thеm real ones, ones I know
Do a littlе two-step, do-si-do
Turn it up loud, bringin' that crowd
Takin' it high then droppin' low

-

We do this everywhere we go
I think you know
This ain't no one horse rodeo
I think you know
When we pull up, green lights, I show
I think you know
That we gon' run it, run it, run it
'Til we runnin' outta road (Oh, yeah)

-

Run it, run it, run it
'Til we runnin' outta road (Oh, yeah)
(Oh, yeah)
Run it, run it, run it
'Til we runnin' outta road

-

Wastin' time ain't overrated
Not when you're celebrated
Raise that glass, we're all here waitin'
Yeah, yeah

-

Just give me that sunset, give me that ride
Give me that truck, that four-wheel drive
Takin' that backroad, yeah, no lie
Man, that sure feels nice
Give me them real ones, ones I know
Do a little two-step, do-si-do
Turn it up loud, bringin' that crowd
Takin' it high then droppin' low

-

We do this everywhere we go
I think you know
This ain't no one horse rodeo
I think you know
When we pull up, green lights, I show
I think you know
That we gon' run it, run it, run it
'Til we runnin' outta road (Oh, yeah)

-

Run it, run it, run it
'Til we runnin' outta road (Oh, yeah)
(Oh, yeah)
Run it, run it, run it
'Til we runnin' outta road (Oh, yeah)”

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