The story behind
A Flock of Seagulls recorded "I Ran (So Far Away)" in a London studio in 1982. The song was released as a single from the band's debut album, *A Flock of Seagulls*. It reached number one in Australia and peaked at number nine in the United States. The music video was featured on MTV, which helped the band gain recognition beyond their home country. The song has a rhythm that shifts between new wave and synth-pop, with vocals that stand out in the verses. It is a track that is featured in several anime series and also appears on the Saint Seiya soundtrack. The shorter, radio-friendly version is just under three and a half minutes long. ↓ Skip to chords
Key
A minor
Capo
0
Text
Auto
Intro 1
Synths
A5 A5 G5 G5
A5 A5 G5 G5
F5 F5 G5 G5
A A A A
A5 A5 G5 G5
A5 A5 G5 G5
F F G G
A A A A
Verse 1
A5
G5
A5
G5
Chorus 1
F
G
F
G
Interlude 1
A5 A5 G5 G5
A5 A5 G5 G5
Verse 2
A5
G5
A5
G5
Chorus 2
F
G
F
G
Interlude 2
C5 C5 C5 C5
Solo 1
A5 A5 G5 G5
A5 A5 G5 G5
F F G G
F F G G
Verse 3
A5
G5
A5
G5
Chorus 3
F
G
F
G
Chorus 4
F
G
F
G
Outro 1
F F G G
F F G G
A A G G
A A G G
A/G
Intro 1
A5 A5 G5 G5
A5 A5 G5 G5
F5 F5 G5 G5
A A A A
A A
E|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| B|-14-------------------------------|-(14)-----------------------------| G|-14-------------------------------|-(14)-----------------------------| D|-14-------------------------------|-(14)-----------------------------| A|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| E|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
G5 G5
E|-15-------------------------------|-(15)-----------------------------| B|-15-------------------------------|-(15)-----------------------------| G|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| D|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| A|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| E|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
A A
E|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| B|-14-------------------------------|-(14)-----------------------------| G|-14-------------------------------|-(14)-----------------------------| D|-14-------------------------------|-(14)-----------------------------| A|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| E|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
G5 G5
E|-15-------------------------------|-(15)-----------------------------| B|-15-------------------------------|-(15)-----------------------------| G|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| D|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| A|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| E|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
F F
E|-1--------------------------------|-(1)------------------------------| B|-1--------------------------------|-(1)------------------------------| G|-2--------------------------------|-(2)------------------------0--0--| D|-3--------------------------------|-(3)------------------------5--5--| A|-3--------------------------------|-(3)------------------------5--5--| E|-1--------------------------------|-(1)------------------------3--3--| 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
G5 G5
E|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| B|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| G|-0--------------------------------|-(0)------------------------------| D|-5--------------------------------|-(5)------------------------------| A|-5--------------------------------|-(5)------------------------------| E|-3--------------------------------|-(3)------------------------------| 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
A A
E|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| B|-14-------------------------------|-(14)-----------------------------| G|-14-------------------------------|-(14)-----------------------------| D|-14-------------------------------|-(14)-----------------------------| A|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| E|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
A A
E|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| B|-(14)-----------------------------|-(14)-----------------------------| G|-(14)-----------------------------|-(14)--------------9--9--9---7----| D|-(14)-----------------------------|-(14)-----------------------------| A|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| E|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
Verse 1
A5
E|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| B|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| G|----------------------------------|---------------------9-9-9---7----| D|-7-------7-------7---0---7---0----|-7-------7-------7----------------| A|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| E|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
G5
E|----------------------------------| B|----------------------------------| G|----------------------------------| D|-5-------5-------5---0---5---0----| A|----------------------------------| E|----------------------------------| 1 2 3 4
A5
G5
G5
E|----------------------------------| B|----------------------------------| G|-----------------7-------9--------| D|-5-------5---5--------------------| A|----------------------------------| E|----------------------------------| 1 2 3 4
Chorus 1
F
E|----------------------------------| B|----------------------------------| G|-7-------5-------------------5----| D|-------------7--------------------| A|----------------------------------| E|----------------------------------| 1 2 3 4
G
E|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| B|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| G|-7-------5-------7-------9--------|-9-------7---7-------5---5---7----| D|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| A|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| E|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
F
E|----------------------------------| B|----------------------------------| G|-7-------5-------------------5----| D|-------------7--------------------| A|----------------------------------| E|----------------------------------| 1 2 3 4
G
E|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| B|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| G|-7-------5-------7-------9--------|-9-------7---7-------5---5---7----| D|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| A|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| E|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
Interlude 1
A A G5 G5
A A G5 G5
Verse 2
A5
G5
A5
G5
Chorus 2
F
G
F
G
Interlude 2
C5 C5
E|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| B|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| G|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| D|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| A|-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3--|-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3--| E|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
C5 C5
E|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| B|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| G|----------------------------------|-------------0---14--14--14--12---| D|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| A|-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3--|-3--------------------------------| E|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
Solo 1
A5 A5
E|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| B|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| G|-14------12--14-------------------|-------------141414--14--14--14---| D|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| A|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| E|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
G5 G5
E|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| B|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| G|-14------12--12--------------12---|---------12--12--14------14-------| D|-------------------------14-------|----------------------------------| A|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| E|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
A5 A5
E|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| B|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| G|-14------14--14----------12--14---|-------------141414--14--14--14---| D|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| A|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| E|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
G5 G5
E|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| B|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| G|-14------12--12--------------12---|----------------------------------| D|-------------------------14-------|-----------------3----------------| A|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| E|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
F F
E|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| B|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| G|-19------17--17-------------------|-17--------------17------19-------| D|-----------------------------19---|-------------19-------------------| A|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| E|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
G G
E|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| B|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| G|-19------19--19----------17--19---|---------19--17--19--19--19-------| D|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| A|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| E|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
F F
E|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| B|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| G|-19------17-----------------------|-17--------------17------19-------| D|-------------19--------------19---|-------------19-------------------| A|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| E|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
G G
E|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| B|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| G|-19------19--19----------17--17---|-19-------------------------------| D|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| A|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| E|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
Verse 3
A5
G5 A5
G5
Chorus 3
F
G
F
G
Chorus 4
F
G
F
G
G
E|----------------------------------| B|-------------------------17-------| G|----------------------------------| D|----------------------------------| A|----------------------------------| E|----------------------------------| 1 2 3 4
Outro 1
F F
E|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| B|-18--18--17--17--15----------17---|-18--18--17--17--15----------17---| G|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| D|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| A|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| E|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
G G
E|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| B|-18--18--17--17--15----------17---|-18--18--17--17--15----------17---| G|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| D|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| A|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| E|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
F F
E|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| B|-18--18--17--17--15----------17---|-18--18--17--17--15----------17---| G|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| D|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| A|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| E|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
G G
E|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| B|-18--18--17--17--15----------17---|-18--18--17--17--15----------17---| G|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| D|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| A|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| E|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
A A
E|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| B|-18--18--17--17--15--15--17--17---|-18--18--17--17--15--15--17--17---| G|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| D|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| A|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| E|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
G G
E|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| B|-18--18--17--17--15--15--17--17---|-18--18--17--17--15--15--17--17---| G|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| D|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| A|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| E|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
A A
E|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| B|-18--18--17--17--15--15--15-------|-15--------------15------17-------| G|-----------------------------17---|---------17-----------------------| D|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| A|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| E|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
G G
E|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| B|-17------15--15-------------------|-15-------------------------------| G|-------------------------17--17---|----------------------------------| D|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| A|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| E|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
A
E|----------------------------------| B|-14-------------------------------| G|-14-------------------------------| D|-14-------------------------------| A|----------------------------------| E|----------------------------------| 1 2 3 4