Runaway

song by Shannon and Crook

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Last updated

July 19, 2026

Quick Summary

"Runaway" is a 1961 pop music classic by American singer, songwriter, and guitarist Del Shannon. This song, an ode to lost love, was Shannon's first single and topped the charts. It is characterized by Shannon's signature falsetto cries and simple, ringing chord changes. Shannon was one of the first white rock and rollers to write his own material. He is best known for "Runaway," which became a pop music standard.1

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Del Shannon
…released his first single, “Runaway,” in 1961. Punctuated by his trademark falsetto cries, this ode to lost love (a common theme in Shannon’s songs) topped the charts. A series of hits quickly followed: “Hats Off to Larry,” “So Long Baby,” “Hey! Little Girl” (all 1961), “Little Town Flirt” (1963),…
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…released his first single, “Runaway,” in 1961. Punctuated by his trademark falsetto cries, this ode to lost love (a common theme in Shannon’s songs) topped the charts. A series of hits quickly followed: “Hats Off to Larry,” “So Long Baby,” “Hey! Little Girl” (all 1961), “Little Town Flirt” (1963),…
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Bonnie Raitt
…reworking of Del Shannon’s “Runaway.” Raitt toured extensively and remained politically active, often performing at high-profile charity concerts, such as the 1979 antinuclear benefit sponsored by Musicians United for Safe Energy, an organization she cofounded.
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…reworking of Del Shannon’s “Runaway.” Raitt toured extensively and remained politically active, often performing at high-profile charity concerts, such as the 1979 antinuclear benefit sponsored by Musicians United for Safe Energy, an organization she cofounded.
Read More