Runaway Daydreamer

File:Sophie Ellis-Bextor @ Union Chapel (8395678057).jpg

"Runaway Daydreamer", as with the rest of Wanderlust, was co-written by its producer Ed Harcourt along with Ellis-Bextor. It was recorded at the State of the Ark studios, mixed and engineered by Richard Woodcruft, and mastered by Miles Showell.{{cite AV media notes|title=Wanderlust|others=Sophie Ellis-Bextor|publisher=EBGB's|type=Vinyl|year=2014}} It is a chamber pop track which includes string arrangements and "shuffled percussion".{{cite web|publisher=musicOMH|access-date=20 June 2014|title=Sophie Ellis-Bextor – Wanderlust|url=http://www.musicomh.com/reviews/albums/sophie-ellis-bextor-wanderlust|author=Bennett, Kate|date=14 January 2014}} Clare Considine of Time Out compared its sonority to that of a Humphrey Bogart movie soundtrack. AllMusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine described the track as a "girl group homage".{{cite web|publisher=AllMusic. All Media Network.|access-date=21 June 2014|title=Sophie Ellis-Bextor – Wanderlust|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/wanderlust-mw0002587229|author=Thomas Erlewine, Stephen|author-link=Stephen Thomas Erlewine}} Davidf Farrell of PopMatters opined that the song and "Until the Stars Collide" set a "soaring, dreamy" atmosphere for Wanderlust.{{cite web|publisher=PopMatters. Spin Media.|access-date=21 June 2014|title=Sophie Ellis-Bextor: Wanderlust|date=12 May 2014|url=http://www.popmatters.com/review/181002-sophie-ellis-bextor-wanderlust/|author=Farrell, David}} According to the sheet music published by Music Sales Group, the song contains 116 beats per minute in crotchet. Its introduction follows a chord progression of C—F/C—C—F/C—C—F/C—C—F, and transitions into the verse section in which the notes C–F–C are followed. The track is composed in the traditional verse–chorus form. Ellis-Bextor's vocals during the song incorporate the melisma technique and span from G{{sub|3}} to E{{sub|5}}.{{cite AV media notes|title=Runaway Daydreamer Sheet Music|author=Harcourt, Ed; Ellis-Bextor, Sophie (co-writers)|publisher=Music Sales Group|id=118309}}

The song's lyrics, which discuss escapism, are constructed in a way resemblant of nursery rhymes.{{cite news|work=The National|access-date=21 June 2014|url=http://www.thenational.ae/arts-culture/music/album-review-sophie-ellis-bextor-wanderlust|title=Album review: Sophie Ellis-Bextor – Wanderlust|date=27 January 2014|author=Hawkins, Si|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140308150425/http://www.thenational.ae/arts-culture/music/album-review-sophie-ellis-bextor-wanderlust|archive-date=8 March 2014|df=dmy-all}} During the chorus, Ellis-Bextor sings "It's just my imagination / Running away / Girl's gotta have a little daydream / It's a secret escape / It's just my imagination / Running away / Don't worry baby, I'm here to stay". Considine highlighted "I could tie up the bed sheets and slide down the house / Be gone before the morning comes" as lyrics exemplificative of Ellis-Bextor's "artistic freedom" in Wanderlust.{{cite journal|journal=Time Out|access-date=1 June 2014|date=20 January 2014|title=Sophie Ellis-Bextor – 'Wanderlust' album review|url=http://www.timeout.com/london/music/sophie-ellis-bextor-wanderlust-album-review|last=Considine|first=Clare}} Reviewing the song for Loud and Quiet, Stuart Stubbs wrote that it "sees our protagonist pull herself out of squalor and onto a road of self discovery."{{cite journal|journal=Loud and Quiet|access-date=21 June 2014|title=Sophie Ellis-Bextor – Wanderlust|url=http://www.loudandquiet.com/2014/01/wanderlust-by-sophie-ellis-bextor/|author=Stubbs, Stuart|date=January 2014}} The song concludes with a short outro where Ellis-Bextor repeats the line "Don't worry baby, I'm here to stay" twice.

On behalf of Virgin Media, Matthew Horton opined that "Runaway Daydreamer" was the standout of Wanderlust, describing Ellis-Bextor's vocals in it as "prim and gorgeous".{{cite web|publisher=Virgin Media|title=Wanderlust – Sophie Ellis-Bextor|url=http://www.virginmedia.com/music/reviews/sophie-ellis-bextor-wanderlust.php|access-date=17 June 2014|author=Horton, Matthew}} James Fyfe of The 405 echoed his view, praising Ellis-Bextor's vocal performance, as well as highlighting its sonority, despite observing it was not "musically adventurous".{{cite web|work=The 405|access-date=21 June 2014|author=Fyfe, James|url=http://www.thefourohfive.com/review/article/sophie-ellis-bextor-wanderlust|title=Sophie Ellis-Bextor – Wanderlust|date=17 January 2014}} Writing for Digital Spy, Robert Copsey billed the song as beautiful and "shimmering".{{cite web|publisher=Digital Spy. Hearst Magazines UK.|access-date=20 June 2014|date=15 January 2014|title=Sophie Ellis-Bextor: Wanderlust review: 'A brave musical excursion'|url=http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/music/review/a543862/sophie-ellis-bextor-wanderlust-review-a-brave-musical-excursion.html|author=Copsey, Robert}} Thomas Erlewine highlighted the song as a standout, commenting that the album was "at its best when it's slightly dexterous", citing the song as an example. The Irish Times{{'}} Louise Bruton wrote that the song explores "twee danger zones" and called it a "blunder".{{cite news|newspaper=The Irish Times|access-date=21 June 2014|date=17 January 2014|url=http://www.irishtimes.com/culture/music/sophie-ellis-bextor-wanderlust-1.1654914|title=Sophie Ellis-Bextor: Wanderlust|author=Bruton, Louise}}{{-}}

A promotional CD single including "Runaway Daydreamer"'s radio edit, with a length of 3 minutes and 27 seconds, was sent to radio stations in March 2014.{{cite AV media notes|title="Runaway Daydreamer"|type=CD single|year=2014|others=Sophie Ellis-Bextor|publisher=EBGB's; Mallott Media; DR-PW}} The song was released in the United Kingdom on 23 March 2014.{{cite web|access-date=21 June 2014|publisher=Contactmusic.com|title=Sophie Ellis Bextor Announces New Single 'Runaway Daydreamer' Released On 31st March 2014|url=http://www.contactmusic.com/press/sophie-ellis-bextor-announces-new-single-runaway-daydreamer-released-on-31st-march-2014}} The music video for "Runaway Daydreamer" was directed by Sophie Muller, and released on 8 March 2014; it was mostly filmed during the taping of the video for "Young Blood"—Wanderlust{{'}}s previous single. Ellis-Bextor lip-synchs the song's lyrics inside a lounge room, wearing a white lace dress, with her hair gathered into a ponytail; she is also seen walking through an abandoned pier, dining at a restaurant and posing in front of a small white house. The visual's aspect ratio is changed throughout, ranging from windowbox to letterbox.{{cite AV media|type=Music video|title="Runaway Daydreamer"|author=Muller, Sophie (director)|year=2014}}{{cite web|publisher=Digital Spy. Hearst Magazines UK.|access-date=21 June 2014|date=8 March 2014|title=Sophie Ellis-Bextor unveils 'Runaway Daydreamer' music video - watch|author=Rigby, Sam|url=http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/music/news/a556344/sophie-ellis-bextor-unveils-runaway-daydreamer-music-video-watch.html}} Ellis-Bextor performed the song in an acoustic setting, on the morning programme ZDF Morgenmagazin, aired on 23 January 2014 on German channel ZDF.{{cite episode|date=23 January 2014|series=ZDF Morgenmagazin|station=ZDF}} On 17 March of that year, she sang it on ITV's Loose Women.{{cite episode|date=17 March 2014|series=Loose Women|series-link=Loose Women|station=ITV}} The song charted on the UK Indie Singles at number 29.

;Promotional CD single

Details adapted from the credits of the CD single of "Runaway Daydeamer".

1. "Runaway Daydreamer" (Radio edit) – 3:27

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Wanderlust.

• Sophie Ellis-Bextor – lead vocals, songwriting
• Ed Harcourt – songwriting, production, background vocals, samples, synth, keyboards, piano
• Gita Langley – violin
• Richard Woodcraft – engineering, mixing
• Miles Showell – mastering

{{reflist|30em}}

{{Sophie Ellis-Bextor}}

Category:2014 songs

Category:Songs written by Ed Harcourt

Category:Songs written by Sophie Ellis-Bextor

Category:Sophie Ellis-Bextor songs