RUN FOR YOUR LIFE

Matt Cardle

If any song title acted as a warning, this is it. "Matt Cardle’s got a new song out. Run For Your Life." You see? What’s more, if you listen to what Mr Cardle’s singing, he AGREES with what I’m saying, disturbingly so in fact. Actually, this isn’t so much a song, more a cry for help. Forget the tune, because I already have. The few fading memories I have regarding the melody are that it was plodding, boring and that Blue would have sung something to it about ten years ago. So, the words. Now don’t get me wrong, his singing’s fine, the problem’s with what he’s singing. "You need somebody who likes themself, who lives for life and never calls for help," begins the story. Yeah, a start like that ought to put a smile on the faces of his adoring fans. "You’re worth more than this," he continues, hopefully taking this particular line on board in a personal capacity rather than simply singing the words off the page, but the chorus is where my theory seems to be confirmed. "Run for your life, if you leave me behind you’ll get there in time," Cardle warbles, and I don’t know about you but to me that says "I’m a rubbish boyfriend, so go off and find someone better before you end up marrying me." He then continues with the doom and gloom; "You need... somebody with confidence, who’s strong enough to be hit more than once-" STOP RIGHT THERE, SUNSHINE. Who is making him sing this tripe? Why are they making him sing this tripe? Did he voluntarily agree to sing this tripe? You can’t tell me that Matt Cardle was given this song and seriously thought, "Yes, this is just the right song to lay out a statement of intent for my post-X-Factor career," can you? As if that’s not enough, he then sings "Run, one day you’ll understand, I’m not who you think I am." Great, so now our humble narrator’s leading a double life, is he? Not sinister at all. This is one of the most miserable, gloomy and depressing songs I’ve ever listened to, and if it doesn’t have the Samaritans’ phone number printed on the cover (for the benefit of its listeners) then it ought to. NEVER has a song been so aptly titled.