About the Song
Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me): A Daydream in Soul
Ah, The Temptations. Back in the day, their smooth harmonies and soulful melodies were like sunshine on a porch swing, and “Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me)” was a song that could melt even the coldest winter blues. Released in 1971, it’s a timeless classic, a story woven in silk and sung with a touch of velvet.
Now, I know what you might be thinking: “Just My Imagination”? Sounds like a fluffy daydream, right? Well, yes and no. This ain’t your cotton candy kind of daydream. It’s more like a Technicolor movie playing behind your eyelids, a kaleidoscope of hopes and wishes set to the rhythm of a yearning heart.
The song starts with a familiar scene – a man watching his love interest from afar. Every day, she walks by his window, a vision in passing, and he can’t help but get lost in the fantasy of her being his. “Such a lucky guy, to have a girl like her,” he sings, his voice filled with a wistful longing.
But then, reality sets in. It’s “Just My Imagination, once again runnin’ away with me,” he reminds himself, a gentle chuckle escaping his lips. He knows she doesn’t even know him, but that doesn’t stop him from building castles in the air. He pictures their future together – a cozy little home in the country, children playing in the sun, her arms wrapped around him in a warm embrace.
This song, though, isn’t just about wishful thinking. It’s about the power of hope, the quiet strength that keeps us going even when things seem impossible. “Ev’ry night on my knees I pray, Dear Lord, Hear my plea,” he sings, his voice rising in a soulful plea. He knows he can’t force her love, but he can believe, can hold onto the dream that one day, maybe, just maybe, it could come true.
And that’s the magic of “Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me)”. It’s a song that speaks to the dreamer in all of us, the one who dares to believe in something bigger than themselves. It’s a reminder that even in the face of doubt, hope can be a powerful force, a gentle breeze that keeps our spirits soaring. So, the next time you hear this song, take a moment to close your eyes and let your imagination take flight. You might be surprised at what beautiful things it can create.
Video
Lyrics
Ooh
Each day through my window I watch her as she passes by
I say to myself, “You’re such a lucky guy”
To have a girl like her is truly a dream come true
Out of all the fellows in the world, she belongs to me
But it was just my imagination
Runnin’ away with me
It was just my imagination
Runnin’ away with me
Ooh (soon)
Soon we’ll be married and raise a family (oh yeah)
A cozy little home out in the country with two children, maybe three
I tell you I can visualize it all
This couldn’t be a dream, far too real it all seems
But it was just my imagination, once again
Runnin’ away with me
Tell you, it was just my imagination
Runnin’ away with me
Every night on my knees I pray
Dear Lord, hear my plea
Don’t ever let another take her love from me
Or I would surely die, hmm
(Her love is) Heavenly, when her arms enfold me
I hear a tender rhapsody
But in reality, she doesn’t even know me
Once again
Runnin’ away with me, oh
Tell you it was just my imagination
Runnin’ away with me
I’ve never met her but I can’t forget her
(Just my imagination) Ooh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Runnin’ away with me, ooh
Just my imagination
Runnin’ away with me
Barbara Desetto