EXO’s B-side track “Runaway” (from their 2021 Don’t Fight The Feeling special album) is about escaping a stifling reality, breaking free from emotional entrapment, and seeking a fresh start. The song’s lyrics describe the exhaustion of unconditional endurance and the need for peace and personal freedom.

Song Credits

  • Artist: EXO
  • Album: DON’T FIGHT THE FEELING
  • Released: June 7, 2021
  • Length: 3:27
  • Label: SM Entertainment
  • Lyricists: Seo Jieum
  • Composition: Kevin White, Michael Woods, Andrew Bazzi

EXO “Runaway” Official Audio

EXO “Runaway” Lyrics

Hangul

잠깐 잠깐
우린 지금 잠시
환기가 필요해
무조건 버티는 게
답은 아닐 테니
No no no no

창살
하나 없는 감옥
조금씩 날 서서히
집어삼켜버릴
모든 것들로부터
No no no no

거울에 비친 저 낯선 눈빛
머릿속을 괴롭히는 목소리
나도 몰래 익숙해져가
온몸의 감각마저 점점 무뎌져

So let’s run away run away
어디든 날 데려가
So let’s run away run away
I’m gone I’m gone 벗어나

메마른 땅에 거짓말같이
기적은 꽃을 피우듯이
우린 죽을 힘을 다해
칠흑 같은 어둠을 버텨냈지 Yeah
오늘을 밟고 또 일어설
용기가 필요하다는 것
Let it go oh

차갑게 온몸을 적시는 비
영혼까지 자유로운 이 느낌
난 다시 태어난 것 같아
새롭게 시작하는 거야 너와 나

So let’s run away run away
어디든 날 데려가
So let’s run away run away
I’m gone I’m gone 벗어나

So let’s run away
I’m gone I’m gone I’m gone
Run away

So let’s run away run away
어디든 날 데려가
So let’s run away run away
I’m gone I’m gone 벗어나

아무 흔적도 남기지 않도록
So let’s run away

Romanized

Jamkkan jamkkan
Urin jigeum jamsi
Hwangiga pillyohae
Mujogeon beotineun ge
Dabeun anil teni
No no no no

Changsal
Hana eomneun gamok
Jogeumssik nal seoseohi
Jibeosamkyeobeoril
Modeun geotdeullobuteo
No no no no

Geoure bichin jeo natseon nunbit
Meoritsogeul goeropineun moksori
Nado mollae iksukaejyeoga
Onmomui gamgangmajeo jeomjeom mudyeojyeo

So let’s run away run away
Eodideun nal deryeoga
So let’s run away run away
I’m gone I’m gone beoseona

Memareun ttange geojinmalgachi
Gijeogeun kkocheul piudeusi
Urin jugeul himeul dahae
Chilheuk gateun eodumeul beotyeonaetji Yeah
Oneureul balgo tto ireoseol
Yonggiga pillyohadaneun geot
Let it go oh

Chagapge onmomeul jeoksineun bi
Yeonghonkkaji jayuroun i neukkim
Nan dasi taeeonan geot gata
Saeropge sijakaneun geoya neowa na

So let’s run away run away
Eodideun nal deryeoga
So let’s run away run away
I’m gone I’m gone beoseona

So let’s run away
I’m gone I’m gone I’m gone
Run away

So let’s run away run away
Eodideun nal deryeoga
So let’s run away run away
I’m gone I’m gone beoseona

Amu heunjeokdo namgiji antorok
So let’s run away

Translation

Let’s wait a second
Wait a second now, we need ventilation
Enduring unconditionally isn’t the answer
No no no no
A prison without bars
Little by little, it’ll swallow me completely
Starting from everything
No no no no

The strange eyes reflected in the mirror
The voice that is haunting my mind
I’m secretly getting used to it too
Even the senses in my body are getting dull

So let’s run away run away
Take me anywherе
So let’s run away run away
I’m gone, I’m gone, be free

Like a lie in a dry terrain
Like a flower blooming as a miracle
We endured the pitch-black darkness
With all of our might, yeah
It takes courage to step on today
And stand up again
Let it go, oh oh oh

This cold rain that wets my entire body (here)
This feeling of freedom in my soul
I feel like I’ve been born again
It’s a fresh start for you and I

So let’s run away run away
Take me anywhere
So let’s run away run away
I’m gone, I’m gone, be free

So let’s run away
Oh oh oh
I’m gone I’m gone I’m gone
Run away
Oh oh oh oh oh

So let’s run away run away
Take me anywhere
So let’s run away run away
I’m gone, I’m gone, be free

Won’t leave any trace, no no
So let’s run away

EXO “Runaway” Meaning

EXO’s “Runaway” is a reflective R&B-pop track about breaking free from emotional burdens and searching for a place where you can finally breathe. Featured on the Don’t Fight The Feeling special album, the song explores the desire to escape a reality that feels overwhelming and rediscover a sense of peace and freedom.

At its core, the lyrics portray the feeling of being trapped in a life filled with pressure and exhaustion. The song describes a reality that resembles a prison without visible walls, where responsibilities, worries, and emotional struggles slowly drain a person’s energy and motivation.

A central message of the track is that constant endurance is not always the solution. Rather than forcing yourself to keep suffering in silence, the lyrics encourage taking a step away from what is weighing you down and acknowledging your need for rest, healing, and personal space. The desire to “run away” becomes a symbol of self-preservation rather than avoidance.

Ultimately, “Runaway” is a song about choosing freedom and new beginnings. Through its dreamy atmosphere and emotional lyrics, EXO delivers a comforting reminder that sometimes the bravest thing you can do is leave behind what no longer serves you and move toward a healthier, more peaceful future.