Lyrics
Verse 1
Oh where, where can I run
Where can I hide
That You're not there?
And You, You know my heart
All of my thoughts
You understand
Pre-Chorus (Repeat)
I can't outrun Your love (x4)
Chorus
You love me when I'm up
You love me when I'm down
Your love, it surrounds me
I can't get away
You love me when I'm lost
You love me till I'm found
Your love, it surrounds me
I can't get away
Verse 2
Oh You, You see my mess
All my mistakes
And You love me still
And though, though I may waver
I am convinced
That You never change
Pre-Chorus (Repeat)
Chorus (Repeat)
Post-Chorus
I can't get away (Oh, I can't get away)
I can't run away (Oh)
Bridge (Repeat x3)
I've been to the bottom, I've been to the top
I can't run away, Your love will never stop
With me in the morning, in the dead of night
You're not leaving
So I'm not leaving
Chorus (Repeat, call and response)
Post-Chorus (Repeat)
Bridge (Repeat x2)
Spontaneous
I could run to the highest high, You're there
If I go down to the lowest low, You're there
Everywhere I go, I find You
Everywhere I run, You're there, God
I can't outrun You (Repeat)
Spontaneous 2
Every time I turn around You're still there
Oh, how grateful I am
That You love me in the middle of my mess
You still love me
Refrain (Repeat)
And nothing catches You off guard
Nothing catches You by surprise
You never leave, You never run out on me
Post-Refrain
I can't get away (Repeat)
Everywhere I go is Your presence
Everywhere I look, there's Your presence
What a wonderful Jesus
What a wonderful Father
Everywhere I turn is Your glory
Everywhere I look is Your goodness
Refrain (Repeat)
Outro
Oh, I can't get away, no
You don't change
We're holding onto Your hand, Your unchanging hand (Repeat)
Video
Meaning & Inspiration
"I Can't Get Away" builds directly on a well-known psalm's meditation on God's inescapable presence, asking where one could run or hide before answering that no such place exists. Its opening verse pairs that inescapability with intimate knowledge, describing a God who understands every thought as well as every location.
The chorus and pre-chorus repeat a central claim from multiple angles, framing God's pursuing love as inescapable regardless of emotional state, whether up, down, lost, or found. A second verse adds honesty about failure and wavering, insisting that God's constancy rather than personal consistency is what makes that inescapable love secure.
The extended bridge and spontaneous sections widen the song's scope further, describing presence at both extremes of experience and insisting that nothing about the singer's condition catches God off guard. Rooted in contemporary worship's extended, exploratory style, the song functions as a sustained meditation on divine presence, repeating its central image of inescapable love until it becomes settled certainty rather than requested comfort.
Related Scripture
- Psalm 139:7-10 Describes the impossibility of fleeing God's presence in any direction, the passage the song directly draws on throughout.
- Romans 8:38-39 Declares that nothing can separate believers from God's love, echoed in the song's repeated claim that God's love cannot be outrun.