Song Meaning

The lyrics paint a picture of two individuals who, in a moment of misguided action, mistake a man for a dog and shoot him. The opening lines immediately establish a sense of confusion and regret, with the narrator admitting, "We sure didn't see no man in that fog." This sets the stage for a narrative of immediate consequence and a desperate attempt to escape the fallout of their impulsive act. The central tension arises from the shared guilt and the subsequent blame-shifting between the two perpetrators. One narrator declares, "You fired that shot and I simply had to watch," explicitly trying to distance themselves from the deed. This dynamic highlights a desperate need to avoid responsibility, even as the lyrics reveal a shared complicity: "Me and him are outlaws now." The repeated phrase "They are coming to get us now!" underscores the escalating panic and the feeling of being hunted. The imagery of fog and the act of looking away are particularly striking, suggesting a deliberate obscuring of reality and a refusal to confront the gravity of their actions. The "smoking gun" becomes a perverse "token that we could still run away," a symbol of their immediate escape rather than the irreversible act. Later, the narrator's attempt to fabricate a story about finding the man "in a crack" reveals a deep-seated fear of the truth and the consequences it would bring. Ultimately, the lyrics reveal a chilling parallel between the perpetrators and their victim, as the narrator states, "A killer is a cold blooded one / Just like us, he shoots stray cats for fun!" This comparison, however flawed, serves as a desperate attempt to humanize their own actions by finding common ground, suggesting a warped sense of self-preservation. The persistent refrain to "Run, run away" emphasizes a cycle of avoidance rather than genuine remorse or understanding.