Lyrics Page
Run Free
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Nov 5, 2026 updated
The Wonderlands: Dawn - EP album
Verified editorial review
Song Meaning
Jon Foreman starts "Run Free" by quoting Isaiah 61 almost directly: "The spirit of the sovereign Lord is on me / To tell the good news to the poor, / To bind up the broken heart in heartache, / To open wide them prison doors." Everything after it reads as the response of someone who has heard that message and can't stay silent.
The second verse describes that urge physically, with a song "inside my skin" that runs "like a river" and "like a second wind." The chorus turns outward as an invitation: "Come on won't you run free? ... Come on won't you dance, / Like a prisoner released?" The image of a freed captive keeps the focus on what has been lifted rather than on effort.
The third verse goes back to the same chapter of Isaiah, trading "ashes" for "a crown of beauty," fear for laughter, and darkness for "a coat of praise." It ends with the plain claim that "Resurrection is the Maker's name" and that God "takes your shame." Foreman keeps the language of the prophet intact and lets the melody carry the celebration.
Lyrics Verified by Editorial Team
The spirit of the sovereign Lord is on me
To tell the good news to the poor,
To bind up the broken heart in heartache,
To open wide them prison doors.
I cannot keep quiet
The song inside my skin.
I feel it run like a river.
I feel it running like a second wind.
Come on won't you run?
come on won't you run free?
Come on won't you run?
come on won't you run free?
Come on won't you dance,
Like a prisoner released?
Come on won't you run?
come on won't you run free?
A crown of beauty for your ashes
Shake with laughter instead of fear
A coat of praise instead of darkness
A God of light gonna meet you here
Lift up your eyes now
It takes your shame
Rebuild the ruins
Resurrection is the Maker's name
Come on won't you run?
come on won't you run free?
Come on won't you dance,
Like a prisoner released?
Come on won't you run?
come on won't you run free?
He takes your shame.
I cannot keep quiet
The song inside my skin.
I feel it run like a river.
I feel it running like a second wind.
Come on won't you run?
come on won't you run free?
Come on won't you dance,
Like a prisoner released?
Come on won't you run?
come on won't you run free?