Miranda Lambert released her long-awaited album Postcards from Texas last Friday (September 13). The 14-track collection contained songs that showcased the influences that Lambert has pulled from over the last two decades of her career. Maybe more importantly, she has writing credits on all but four of the songs on the album. However, “Run” is her only solo write in the tracklist.

Videos by American Songwriter

“Run” also stands out as the most vulnerable moment on Postcards from Texas. However, it isn’t a new song. In a recent interview with Kelliegh Bannen on Today’s Country Radio, Lambert revealed that she wrote the song a decade ago and has been sitting on it since.

Get Miranda Lambert Tickets Here

Miranda Lambert on Waiting to Release “Run”

“I wasn’t ever ready to perform it until now,” Miranda Lambert said of the song. “That’s what songs are for, and you may not be ready at that one time to sing about something really raw or sing about alimony. You might be going through a divorce or whatever,” she added. “At the time it might not be funny or at the time it might feel too raw, but then it can come back around.”

She added that “Run” is “An admission of human error… It’s an apology. But it’s also a resolve.”

“Run” is about the end of a relationship that she saw coming. Some of the lines are very telling. I’m trying to survive in this state of defeat. / Is it you or I that really lost me? / I’m lookin’ for someone I was without you. / We held on for dear life, babe, but both of us knew I was gonna run. 

She also apologizes to her former partner in the final verse. Oh, this freedom I found, baby, sure wasn’t free. / I owe you a lifetime of apologies. / I’m tellin’ the truth now, I love you so much. / I’m sorry for lyin’ about who I was.

Lambert didn’t say what inspired her to write the song. However, she and Blake Shelton divorced in 2015 after four years of marriage. That is not to say that this song is about the end of that relationship. However, the timeline does match up