KIA - WOMAN ON THE RUN
Artist: Kia Johnson
Length: 4:12
Genre: R&B
Written By: Kia Johnson, Cherry Blossom, Emile Harris
Brief Description: The song is about a woman [Kia] who is on the run from the law as she has killed her abusive boyfriend.
Track Description
The song starts with 4 ticks of a clock, followed by heavy breathing. At 8 seconds in, a gunshot is heard. The ticking of the clock plays for another 3 seconds then a quiet but heavy drum starts to play. Almost, sounding like a heart beat, the drums become louder and then start to play into a normal rhythm when Kia starts to sing and a smooth synth also comes into action. This whole formula plays throughout the entire song, and Kia's voice is constantly very sultry yet filled with sadness as she sings about being a killer woman. The songs laid back but powerfulness can be compared to Rihanna's 'Russian Roulette'. The song is about Kia shooting and killing her abusive partner and tries to flee the country on a train. She feels so confused, a part of her is so happy that she is finally free but another side of her feels guilty for taking away a life. Kia also sings that she is so ashamed of herself that she no longer deserves any attention or an identity, she is now just known as a 'Woman On The Run', so dangerous and volatile.
Songwriter's Comments
"Finally after many delays I get to release my debut single! Woo. And although it only seems like a few months of delay for my small fan base, it feels like it has been forever and a day for me. However, it has arrived and I'm sure you will all love it. I came up with the song after I had this really horrid and vivid dream that I killed my sister's boyfriend for hurting her, which by the way he didn't in real life cos' he is an angel, anyway I was sitting in some place in the dream which resembled a train station or some sort and I had my sister's boyfriend body in a coffin that I was carrying around and I was looking to get on a train to London to bury the body outside Buckingham Palace. Yeah, I have a really weird imagination! Anyway, I adapted a few things and turn it into a story about a woman in a rotten relationship with a guy who beats up on her and she has just finally snapped and killed him. The single shows elements of her happiness as she is finally free but she also feels guilty for taking a life. It is very different to everything out there at the moment and is a bit risky to release a song about shooting someone but I'll risk it, I'll risk it all!"
LYRICS
Staring at the clock on the station's wall.
Look at my phone, 10 missed calls.
They're trynna get a hold of me now
Since I went and shot him down.
All of my life stashed in a rucksack,
Heading on the train, and will never look back.
With blood on my hands and tears on my face,
No longer myself, just a big old disgrace.
There's no going back, as soon as I move along the track,
For now it's goodbye because...
I am a woman on the run,
So dangerous and volatile,
A woman with a gun,
Keep your distance from me.
Bang Bang! They all fall down!
Damn Damn! They're onto me now
I am a woman on the run.
I hear the sirens from a far,
They gon' put me behind prison bars.
Got my finger on the trigger,
ready to blow and bust a cap.
Passengers starin' right at me,
Wondering; "What's this crazy bitch gon' do?"
With blood on my hands and tears on my face,
No longer myself, just a big old disgrace.
There's no going back, as soon as I move along the track,
For now it's goodbye because...
I am a woman on the run,
So dangerous and volatile,
A woman with a gun,
Keep your distance from me.
Bang Bang! They all fall down!
Damn Damn! They're onto me now
I am a woman on the run.
As the train pulls away, I see the cops trynna enter,
As we rolled down the tunnel, thought "should I surrender?",
A woman on the run, can't do this, gonna pull out the gun.....
..............Bang Bang! I fell down,
Damn Damn! Right to the ground,
I was a woman on the run.
I was a woman on the run,
So dangerous and volatile,
A woman with a gun,
Keep your distance from me.
Bang Bang! I fell down!
Damn Damn! Right to the ground!
I was a woman on the run.
I was a woman on the run,
So dangerous and volatile,
A woman with a gun,
Keep your distance from me.
Bang Bang! I fell down!
Damn Damn! Right to the ground!
I was a woman on the run.
I was a woman on the run
(sounds of police sirens, and people screaming)
The Video
During the 11 second intro with the gunshot and the heavy breathing, Kia is seen walking towards the camera with a blank emotionless face. When the gunshot is heard, she winces her face a little then looks at the camera again. As she starts to sing the first verse, rain falls over her but she continues to stand and still sings on. However, a look of sadness is now on her face.
We then see Kia sitting in the train station singing to herself during the pre-chorus. No one seems to notice her singing and they walk on by. She then walks into the toilets as the chorus begins, she looks in the mirror and sings to herself. Whilst singing, she takes off her make up and puts her hair up in a ponytail. She then takes out a grey hoody from her bag and puts it on. Kia then walks slowly walks out into the station again and continues to do so as the instrumental before verse 2 plays.
During verse 2 and the pre-chorus, she is seen behind glass with red and pink ribbons behind her. This resembles some sort of imprisonment and Kia is constantly clawing at the ribbons and glass and tries to escape. She is wearing the same grey hooded top from the previous verse. Lots of people are on the other side of the glass taunting her.
Then during the chorus, middle 8, and second last chorus; Kia is slowly taking off the hooded top and covers her body with the ribbons whilst changing clothes. Everyone on the other side of the glass is in shock as she strips and gives a cheeky wink to one of the elderly gentlemen observers. Then, after letting her hair back down and putting on a dark red high fashion leotard, she smashes the glass and runs out of the prison.
During the last chorus, she is seen as she was at the start of the video; in an alleyway being rained down on. She is also crying during the chorus. As she sings the final line, she closes her eyes and walks backwards. She is then consumed by the rain and mist.
