CHILDREN NEED TO BE PROTECTED! First Time Hearing Soul Asylum - Runaway Train Reaction!

[@johnn.4412]

This song turned into an anthem for missing kids and most of them have been found. The lead singer was battling depression and made the song then the head of Missing and Exploited Kids came to him and asked if they could use song for this purpose and the rest is history.

[@barbaracollins385]

Still can't listen to this song without tearing up. Makes me very thankful I had parents that always supported us kids.

[@deandavies9576]

Watching that lady in a panic at the end makes me wanna burst out in tears 😭

[@xScooterAZx]

This was the recollection of the director, Tony Kaye: In 2022 he told the Guardian that, of the 36 kids featured in the U.S. version , “we eventually found 21.” He added, “I'd argue it was the single most important thing that happened in the history of MTV, because it saved young people's lives.”

[@dirkbogarde44]

Never knew he directed it.............know him from American History X.

[@ghostlee6434]

The song is about spiraling depression but it doesn't matter if they didn't originally intended for runaways. The 36 real life children seen in the video 21 were found as of 2022. If they didn't feature them it's no telling if any of them would've been found.

[@johnrobinson6112]

That's amazing.

[@TucBroder]

Exactly. The lead singer has stated that the song is about depression.

[@barsandbarbells2022]

👏

[@vanessarupe2039]

I was gonna say this exact same thing. There is a documentary about this song and it is fascinating.

[@timjames9963]

@@vanessarupe2039 I didnt know about a documentary- will do a search for it. Thanks!

[@anon17472]

It's been 30 years and Soul Asylum still gets me. Misery is another

[@3DJapan]

🎶 Frustrated incorporated 🎶

[@mitchellbeston1033]

I was 19, i had just had a big argument with my dad and had left home. I was on a bus with my girlfriend, as i was going to stay with her family for a few days whilst i sorted out what to do next, and this song came over the radio as i sat there on the bus, deep in thought. That was a long time ago now but certain moments never leave you, and every time i hear this song i am sitting on that bus again.

[@JaquelineGoodspeed]

Hope it all worked out.

[@rickeyjohnson4701]

As I understand it he wrote this song about depression from when he was younger and it ties into the reason most kids runaway along with the ones that are taken, a lot of runaways heard this and got help, I love this song I can relate to a lot of it

[@jonathanlocke6404]

This was their first single embarking upon a new era of their career, where they were clearly on the cusp of breaking mainstream big and I'm sure there was a lot of pressure to do something commercially successful. Rather than focus on what the song could do for them they decided to focus the attention on an issue they cared about. I think that was a very noble and good thing to do...

[@williamyates694]

Soul Asylum, to me, was the most underrated band of the 90s. Most people started listening to them when this album came out. But they had a few before this. Most notably And The Horse They Rode In On, and Hang Time. Great albums that preceded Grave Dancers Union with this song, Black Gold, Somebody To Shove, and Without A Trace. Let Your Dim Light Shine album came out after this and was excellent, but the alternative movement was slowing down. Love the reaction guys!!! GO BOSTON BRUINS!!! 🍻👏🤟

[@asgeirosnes3850]

This song is about someone who is depressed and suicidal. The singer Dave Pirner was severly depressed when he wrote this song. "It seems no one can help me now, I'm in too deep, There's no way out", "Can you help me remember how to smile? Make it somehow all seem worthwhile?", "A little out of touch, little insane. It's just easier than dealing with the pain". Very hard to listen to these lyrics. It was the director of the video, Tony Kaye, who came up with the idea to make the music video about missing children. That turned out to be a pretty good idea.

[@albertdenardo2777]

Dave Pernir wrote this song about his battle with depression but wanted it to be a bigger statement than just that.Its a great song and meaningful at any rate.Great job too the whole band.

[@pattaccone]

Many children were found after this ! So incredible Still so emotional every time

[@morningmoon5296]

At 69 near 70 this allways make me cry.

[@becca030894]

This song always makes me tear up

[@tonycg9952]

me to

[@RockinMamaT]

Apparently a big percentage of these kids ended up returning home❤

[@daz97]

But most got sent home to abusive houses and it didn't help This song was amazing with great intentions But it hurt the missing kids instead of helping them

[@chrismalik1579]

​@daz97 you can't blame the band for something like that

[@DonnyDonowitzzz]

Powerful song, great choice

[@3DJapan]

They're whole album, Gave Dancers Union, is great.

[@bearcatsteve9792]

Music Died after the year 2000. Just not the same anymore. and this is a Powerful message about what our country should face immediately, and be more outraged about. thanks, great Reaction.

[@S.erwinsdottir]

The first time I heard this song and lyrics I immediately think to depression and suicide thought... I can relate to this. I losen a friend for suicide. And I suffer my self from depression. And when you make that choice and take this "train", this is a "runaway train never going back... it's just easier than dealing with the pain..." I think they use the song in a second moment with this video to help on the problem.

[@betsybabf748]

Today, Valentine's Day, is the anniversary of my husband's death. I really request Far Behind by Candlebox, our favorite song, which has a whole new meaning for me now.

[@MikeSmith-ry8hi]

Great reaction! Love your stuff! MORE QUEEN LIVE stuff please!!!

[@anglosaxon5874]

They had different pictures [missing children] for different regions/countries. A lot were found [and sadly some dead].

[@John_Locke_108]

Saw these guys at Riverside Park back 1993. The video for this song helped rescue a number of missing children.

[@chasestreet8082]

This is a very good song about a very sad yet extremely important subject. It did a very good job of bringing people's attention to the missing children in our country, and as has been mentioned by others... It might well have helped in the successful recovery of several missing persons. I'd love to see you react to the song 'Misery,' also by Soul Asylum. There aren't very many reactions to the song on KZbin which is a shame because its a great song.

[@barsandbarbells2022]

If it saved even one child that, that's a win!

[@ray-eq6jl]

the song is about depression and since there's a double meaning from the depression and missing kids I don't know the name of the group but I do remember growing up to this and just look it up and I found another video with the singer talking about going around on tour and started having trouble hearing and fell in depression but alot of others thought he was talking about missing kids youth so atleast for me this is a double meaning song one of my favorite still today this song is 🔥but watching the music video for the song is sad

[@cclmpr]

the 90’s music was awesome

[@chrislogan5228]

I recently saw the lead singer on a talk show and he said that several of the children featured in the video returned home and that the group might release a new video of this song with new missing children !!

[@TheNotedHero]

The Smashing Pumpkins' song "Disarm" from 1994 is one the lead singer Billy Corgan wrote about his rough upbringing. You haven't reacted to them yet, I think you'll like their style.

[@Christopher-Baltimore]

Yeah. Gotta do Disarm. Pumpkins were a huge 90’s alternative band. There’s several songs by them that would be good to do. 1979 is a great one, Cherub Rock, Today, and Rocket are a few other really good ones.

[@Cvvgrr.]

There a new version of this song where you are show missing people in your area. They found a lot kids through the original.

[@Budini67]

OK.. cool fact about this video. They updated it over time. You will find versions of it that have different pictures of missing people. It lead to some being found, including one girl that confronted the band years later because being found (for her) was being returned to an abusive situation that she had told no one about. Along the same lines, and again, very emotional (warning!!), react to one called "Alyssa lies" by Jason Michael Carroll (2006)

[@andersgranstrom7128]

Great song, still!😍

[@dragonfly3475]

This video actually found a few of the missing children and this was back in the MTV days, impressive, no social media. Now with all the tools we have, awareness should be everywhere.

[@3DJapan]

There were different versions of the video, they changed it when people were found to add more and there had different people when the video asked in different countries.

[@michaelsweat9044]

I heard this song convinced alot of runaway street kids to go back home.

[@Bekka_Noyb]

Great song. Technically the lyrics are bout depression & not missing children, but still the video is moving

[@allendixon7700]

S this THI s song that's so anxious. It's gonna what they'd be doing so rocking ROCKI. N ma b o I t rock it's rock in the boat

[@liviumarila5200]

An amazing song with a deep message that's somehow similar to this is "White Lion - When The Children Cry". It's kind of a rock ballad from 1987, similar in presentation and message with 'Scorpions - Wind Of Change" that you already covered. I don't see reactors covering this.

[@0821pirate]

I recently discovered your channel, really enjoy watching your reactions to these videos!

[@TrevorJamesMcNeil]

I have always thought it was about that particularity with lines like "so many secrets I couldn't keep" and "it seems no one can help me now, I'm in too deep, there's no way out."

[@hotrod7868]

There’s 36 kids featured in this video of them 21 were found. 1 came back home after seeing their pic on the video.

[@sconner6822]

This is played on the radio station I listen to every day only recently found out why😢 But should be on tv with modern missing people

[@jaymilstriegler2510]

And that was late 80’s and early 90’s 🙏❤️

[@daveborder7751]

They also did video versions for Europe & Australia-2 of the missing girls in the UK video turned up about a half hour walk from my house. The guy was a serial killer who is suspected in many murders over many decades-he confessed to around 50 to a psychologist & had been sent to prison for abusing two young girls & then tried to gas them to death. After he got out he murdered a woman in a church they both worked at-the sickest part is even though he had stabbed her 16 times in the chest, evidence showed she was still alive when he buried her under the floorboards

[@ThirteenthDiget-lg3in]

No good mother would just leave her baby outside a store while she went in shopping. Anyone who does that shouldn't be a mother in the first place.

[@sharmullins3894]

FYI, there were different versions of this video with different missing children.

[@Pton_reaction_addict]

Love the song.

[@jonfazzone5125]

Wonderful & Powerful Reaction. Great Song on its own , but Amplified an Issue to another level. The power of Video on MTV. Such a Terrible Issue that needs more attention. Wonderful Reaction to this Conversation Starter Video Tear Jerker of a Video especially the last scene. Tears Me Up Every Time.

[@DJDOGG31]

Agree that last scene is terrifying.

[@KalaBearer]

I want to watch that movie too. I hear that it will hit ya where your deepest heart lives.

[@tonycampbell4982]

Great song. From the 90s. I do tjis song at Karaoke

[@dawnpenny264]

The song was originally sang by Roseanne Cash, and was addressing a spiraling depression. Good instincts! As someone mentioned 21 out of the over 30 (36?) pictured children in the original video were found as a result of the video. This version of the song released when I was 16, and it has always been a fave of mine. It, especially the video format, was on heavy rotation, and thank the lord it was, seeing as it brought so many youth out of the darkness they were lost/trapped in!

[@m_christine1070]

I just listened to Roseanne Cash "Runaway Train". Its also a really good song , but it is not the same song.Different music, and 💯% different lyrics. 🙂

[@DawnSuttonfabfour]

Different song.

[@dawnpenny264]

@@m_christine1070 I hadn’t heard the song in forever, but I had read a long time ago that Soul Asylum referenced Roseanne Cash when discussing the song. I must have mistakenly understood that it was a cover. I do remember Cash’s song being wonderful…thanks for the correction!

[@dawnpenny264]

@@DawnSuttonfabfour Yeah, if you notice someone right above you said the exact same thing. I replied to their message explaining my mistake and thanking them for correcting my misconception.

[@DawnSuttonfabfour]

@@dawnpenny264 I beg your pardon, I didn't see that. Apologies Fellow Dawn.

[@HRConsultant_Jeff]

There were other versions with kids in different regions and they did an update version to the song a few years back.

[@ShadowRyu]

There was an epidemic of runway children in the early 90s. They made the video to highlight troubled youth and being driven to runaway from home. It worked, as the video helped dozens of families be reunited with their missing children

[@Pomdownuder]

If there's something you are concerned about, do not become complacent. That's why it continues, complacency breeds contept. You need to listen and learn not yack and procrastinate.

[@papapeeps85]

I always thought about this song could be related to addiction. You runaway with it.

[@jonfazzone5125]

The Song itself is Great all on its own. Heard it 1st on the radio and immediately loved it. So much so I purchased tickets to see them in Concert. Soul Asylum were Absolutely Amazing Live. Top 5 Live Show for me and the Absolute Loudest Outdoor. Concert I’ve ever been to As Loud as an indoor Van Halen Concert in 1980 Soul Asylum has some other Wonderful Songs. Black Gold , Misery, Somebody to Shove all very good songs. Great Vocals Lyrics & Musicianship

[@tracynorman1455]

I introduced my 15 yo daughter to this several months ago. She started crying her eyes out. She loves the song and then looked into them further and likes several of their other songs.

[@ghostshirt1984]

Their most powerful song ever 😮😢

[@stephanethivierge6568]

because of this video 26 kids came back home.

[@MikeLastt]

When I was a kid hearing this many times on the radio but never understood the meaning till I got older and really listened to the lyric I was shock

[@keetahbrough]

Hot Child in the City, Runaway, Runaway Train, Rocket Queen; all these songs describe my youth in CAS. The part with the under-aged female on the street and she went into a van, which is a common knowledge no-no, hazard of the trade if you're on the stroll; that was me. I can still remember the first one; i threw up.. but discreetly. And there were MANY under-aged girls out there, with me, doing the same things i was doing. That was the late 80's.

[@thomasgrover3223]

Great reaction ❤

[@JohnKWelsh]

Glad to hear some got home

[@tonyhaynes9080]

Some of us never wanted to be found. A little out of touch, a little insane, just easier than dealing with the pain, this is so true, and so hard for many to believe.

[@Trifler500]

When I was in school, I didn't know this song was written about missing children. I never saw the video. I felt the lyrics represented my emotional state. :)

[@johnethridge2816]

Listening to your thoughts and commentary, I felt like while one part of this puzzle of children being taken or trafficked to was understood. The lyrics deal with the depression, hopelessness that a lost generation of children were trying to express. Sadly many ran away from their homes, families and friends feeling like they had no other option. Great song that truly to me captures that sentiment of our teens in that era.

[@jimg1787]

I'd never seen the video to this song either and I used to listen to it frequently. had I known I might have thought differently about it.

[@PW6805]

I´ve been waiting for an reaction on this one. Cheers from Sweden.

[@MissErikaHeart]

I first heard this song in an Uber like 5-6 years ago and I remember listening to it and really liking. Looked it up and seen what it was about and was taken aback of course. Before I looked up the video the visuals in my head was just someone on a wrong path on a train track or life basically. I can see that easily applied to kids running away or going missing but I was imagining an adult doing. The video does make the song powerful but it is a great song on its own merit imo.

[@acc9091]

This song is absolutely about depression.

[@removethedinosaurs]

Somebody to Shove!

[@jayson1979]

I heard the singer talk about a few years ago saying the song is more about depression

[@michelle88960]

It’s actually about the lead singer’s battle with depression. But since the video came out a lot of the photos of kids and people that were missing were found, some didn’t even know they were missing.

[@johncrocker-nh7ey]

I'm a great fan of this group I am so sorry they didn't make it any bigger than they did I expected them to when they came out glad you all found them and I hope to hear more of them and your reactions

[@darkmotherproduction]

Sound of Freedom was heartbreaking to watch. I highly recommend it. It tells the raw truth of our children being trafficked. And only a few people are actually willing to go the distance to bring them home. Celebrities such as Ashton Kutcher, Chris Pratt, Keanu Reeves, and others help people like Tim Ballard try and retrieve these children.

[@GiannaEmme]

I can't listen to this song and watching this video without crying 😢...after all these years it's still and always the same extremely sad feeling...

[@Lexi-l4x]

This song makes me very sad because my neighbour picks kids up all the time does terrible things and the police don't do anything about it I have to listen to them cry for their mum while been hurt our legal system sucks I live in Australia 😞😥

[@JaquelineGoodspeed]

Most important video ever along with Jeramy. The last scene gets me every time, as a mother, i cant even imagine it. I am so against all the scenarios presented.

[@stevetanner3019]

"Misery" is a fantastic song by them.

[@kevinhennessy1615]

Love This Song, 100% Agree You Would Never Get a Sense Just From Listening To This Song It Connects To Missing Children 😢 This Is The First Time I've Ever Seen This Video? It's Hard To Watch In Parts.

[@richardp.228]

The song is written from the perspective of the missing child/teen crying out for help.

[@SunShine-qk4rb]

It hurts my heart every time.great reaction

[@brettwillard8892]

There were 3 videos, 1 for the USA, 1 for Britain, and 1 for Australia. All witb kids missing from that country. The US version had the biggest impact on finding, hearing from the kids, sadly the other 2 had more tragic results.

[@kenharness1417]

Great reaction as always guys. Another song you need to check out is "the Way" by Fastball. Without giving anything away, its based on a true story that the singer had heard about. At the time of recording it, the story hadnt come to a conclusion yet, so the singer cane up with his own happy ending.

[@tonycg9952]

sound of freedom I thought was extremely good

[@vinniedixon1140]

I'd never heard of Soul Asylum until I saw them as one of the warm-up acts when I went to see Guns N Roses in Milton Keynes, England 1993 and they played this song. Didn't see the video until a number of years later.

[@miles1264]

I am a rock drummer. This is the first song I ever played live!

[@TonyBoell]

Also zufälligerweise, habe ich 1995 mit meiner Mum zusammen ein Interview von der Band im TV gesehen, dort hat der Liedsänger erklärt worum es in dem Lied geht, beziehungsweise wie er auf den Text des Liedes gekommen ist, daraufhin antwortete der Liedsänger, dass er mit dem Song auf etwas Aufmerksam machen wollte, was damals zu dieser Zeit versucht wurde zu verschweigen beziehungsweise es zu vertuschen!!! Damals wie auch Teilweise Heute noch, verschwinden Personen auf unerklärliche weise einfach, Niemand weiß wer Sie entführt und wohin diese Personen gebracht wurden, manche von ihnen tauchten nach Jahren wieder auf und manche bleiben bis Heute Spurlos verschwunden!!! Und damals Kursierte das Gerücht, dass es einen Zug gibt, in dem Die Verschwunden Personen eingeladen werden und irgendwohin gebracht werden, warum und weshalb das weiß keiner daher der Name RunnawayTrain und deshalb auch die Einblendungen im Video, welche Personen damals auf Mysteriöse Weise einfach Spurlos Verschwunden sind!!! Das soll die eigentliche Bedeutung des Songs sein, erklärte die Band damals im TV Interview und zusätzlich kamen dann noch die Depressionen des Liedsängers hinzu, die er wegen dieser Gerüchte hatte, denn eine ihm nahe stehende Person, verschwand damals auch auf unerklärliche weise, dies alles wollte er in diesem Song zum Ausdruck bringen und auf das Problem in Amerika Aufmerksam machen!!! Daraufhin gab es dann noch Verschiedene Versionen aus anderen Ländern, denn dieses Mysterium ereignet sich nicht nur in Amerika sondern Weltweit, verschwinden Personen auf unerklärliche Weise und niemand weis so recht, wer dahinter steckt, einige vermuten die Regierung wieder andere vermuten Aliens, wieder andere vermuten ein Geheimbund usw.

[@clintonkaster6534]

As an old punk who LOVED this bands lyricism and ragged Minneapolis-scene glory (check out "Sometime To Return" for a real feel) this is just crap, albeit heartfelt. I'm not sure we really did a good thing by putting a dagger in the heart of the record biz. THIS, however, is why we did it. Take a scrappy band with great writing, polish them up and tone them down to make them acceptable to the "mass market". Ugh. If I didn't know the band as a wild live show in the late-80's, this wouldn't be so offensive to me.

[@lowellhuesers5366]

Soul Asylums best album was their second one, the amazing Made to be Broken from 1985. The song "Never Really Been" contains the line "And where will you be in 1993." The band performed the song on their 1993 appearance on MTV Unplugged, by which time they'd seen their first platinum-selling album and number one single.

[@CJConnor620]

Another great band to come out of Minnesota.

[@paulsonj72]

Minneapolis has always had a great but somewhat unknown music scene with many great bands.

[@kieranobrien7342]

Brings back so many memories

[@kinjiru731]

Man, I listened to this song a lot in the 90's.

[@RKOENT]

Soul Asylum has a few good songs…check out “Black Gold” and “Misery”

[@55montypython]

Soul Asylum is a Minneapolis band

[@elizabethfyffe5377]

Heartbreaking!

[@georgethompson5459]

This song isn't about missing chilren when it was produced it was about his journey with depression.

[@xScooterAZx]

Written by Soul Asylum frontman Dave Pirner.

[@StephenDouthart-f8r]

God, that's a blast from the past!

[@paulastephens2968]

You both should listen to Marie osmonds pi Jesu she sang for her 18 year old son that passed away. You will be amazed.

[@ericgaudet5488]

This song should be on the list of one time wounders Runaway Train from Soul Asylum .It's a great song with amazing Vocals and instruments . & . It's a hard video to watch do to the subject matter. But half of the missing persons shown on the video where found since it release.

[@jeremeywilson2318]

Y’all should check out… 10 Years ~ Wasteland Faster Pussycat ~ House of Pain