The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner

Only recently aku dapat tau yang ianya adalah adaptasi dari sebuah buku yang kemudiannya diadaptasi kepada filem. Nota kepada diri sendiri: IRON MAIDEN memang banyak buat lirik adaptasi dari buku/filem. Antaranya Wickerman, Lord of the Flies, Paschendale, Flight Of Icarus etc.

• “The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner is a story by the British writer Alan Sillitoe published in 1958, and it is contained in a collection of short stories published under the same title. The main character is a young man confined in a youth prison for delinquent young people, which is called a borstal institution. He seeks solace in long distance running.” -wikipedia

Lagu ini dinukilkan oleh Steve Harris di dalam album Somewhere in Time dan seperti yang kukatakan tadi, ia sangat menarik. Dari intro riffs yang gradually increasing the intensity, seolah-olah menghayati seorang pelari. Aku fahami dari lirik ini seolah-olah, karektornya seorang pelari marathon. Malah, sebelum ini memang aku fahami ianya mengenai pelari marathon.

And for the first time I now know that IRON MAIDEN is not only the band who adapted the movie/book into a song, there are few others. Tapi aku tak fikir ianya akan dapat menandingi adaptasi IRON MAIDEN ni (komen bias hahaha…). Unfortunately, IRON MAIDEN sendiri tidak memainkan lagu ini ketika Somewhere On Tour 86/87 maupun yang versi 2008. It’s the most underrated song in the album! Play this song, Harris!

• Tough of the track,
  With the wind,
  And the rain that’s beating down on your back.
  Your heart’s beating loud
  And goes on getting louder
  And goes on even more till the sound
  Is ringing in your head,
  With every step you tread,
  And every breath you take,
  Determination makes
  You run,
  Never stop,
  Gotta win, gotta run till you drop,
  Keep the pace,
  Hold the race,
  Your mind is getting clearer,
  You’re over halfway there but the miles
  Just never seem to end
  As if you’re in a dream,
  Not getting anywhere.
  It seems so futile.

  Chorus:
  Run, on and on,
  Run, on and on,
  The loneliness of the long distance runner.

  I’ve got to keep running the course,
  I’ve got to keep running and win at all costs,
  I’ve got to keep going, be strong,
  Must be so determined and push myself on.

  Run over stiles, across fields,
  Turn to look at who’s on your heels,
  Way ahead of the field,
  The line is getting nearer but do
  You want the glory that goes,
  You reach the final stretch,
  Ideals are just a trace,
  You feel like throwing the race,
  It’s all so futile.

  Chorus:
  Run, on and on,
  Run, on and on,
  The loneliness of the long distance runner.

Timbul masalah baru. Aku kena cari filem ni tengok. Lirik/lagu dah best, movienya probably even better. Buku aku tak larat nak baca hehehe…