Part II (On the Run)

## Single by Jay-Z featuring Beyoncé

"**Part II (On the Run)**" is a song by Jay-Z, released as the third single and 11th track from his twelfth studio album *Magna Carta... Holy Grail* (2013). It features his wife Beyoncé, the successor to their song "'03 Bonnie and Clyde," where they reprise their roles. It samples the 1985 song "Believe in Me" by American R&B and funk band One Way, and was nominated at the 56th Grammy Awards for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration. The two co-wrote it with James Fauntleroy, Timothy "Timbaland" Mosley, and Jerome "J-Roc" Harmon, with the latter two handling production as well.

## Composition

On November 12, 2019, Fauntleroy shared the demo version called "Take Me" which would eventually be transformed into the single "On the Run," a majority of the lyrics kept.

## Music video

The official Melina Matsoukas-directed music video was released on May 17, 2014 to promote Beyoncé and Jay-Z's On the Run Tour. It was formatted as a movie trailer, where Matsoukas explained, "I feel like in Jay's career he doesn't want to just do a normal music video. So we were trying to come up with a way to visualize the song that wasn't something that we've seen before. So I came up with this whole movie trailer idea and it just kind of progressed from there." Beyoncé loved the idea, though Jay-Z was skeptical, Matsoukas saying "He's always interested in doing something different so I think that part was exciting to him. I think he was hesitant about 'Oh, now I have to be an actor.'"

They were scheduled to film in January 2014, though Jay-Z was finishing his Magna Carter World Tour, where they had to cancel the shoot the day before. She continued, "It came back up last month because the tour [together] was starting and they really wanted a visual for the song. I was excited because I loved the idea and wanted the chance to visualize it. We started shooting and all those cameos came last minute. Once we got one then we got everybody."

## Personnel

Song
* Beyoncé Knowles – featured performer, writer
* Chris Gehringer – mastering engineer
* Demacio "Demo" Castellon – recording engineer, mixing engineer
* Garland "Sebastian" Mosley – writer
* Gregory Greene – writer
* James Fauntleroy – writer
* Jerome "J-Roc" Harmon – writer, producer
* Jonathan Meadows – writer
* Ramon Rivas – assistant recording engineer
* Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter – lead performer, writer
* Stuart White – recording engineer
* Terius Nash – writer
* Timothy "Timbaland" Mosley – writer, producer
* Tina Woods – writer

Video
* Melina Matsoukas – director
* Karl Reid, Inga Veronique, Jonathan Lia, Beyoncé, JAY-Z, Candice Ouaknine, Chaka Pilgrim – producer
* Dave Devlin, Paul Laufer – photography
* Jeff Selis – editor
* Daven Wilson – production design
* Tim Gedemer – sound design
* Mariel Haenn, Rob Zangardi, June Ambrose – costume design
* Kroma Visual FX – visual effects
* Roc Nation, Parkwood Entertainment, Prettybird – companies

## Lyrics

**Lyrics**
[Intro: Beyoncé]

Who wants that perfect love story anyway, anyway?

Cliché, cliché, cliché, cliché

Who wants that hero love that saves the day, anyway?

Cliché, cliché, cliché, cliché

What about the bad guy goes good, yeah?

An innocent love I'm misunderstood, yeah?

Black hour glass, our glass

Toast to clichés in a dark past

Toast to clichés in a dark past

[Verse 1: Jay-Z]

Boy meets girl, girl perfect woman

Girl get to bustin' before the cops come running

Chuck the deuces, chugging D'USSÉ, ugh

Fuck what you say, boys in blue say

[Beyoncé]

I don't care if we on the run

Baby as long I'm next to you

(Uhuu)

And if loving you is a crime

Tell me why do I bring out the best in you

Why

[Bridge: Beyoncé]

I hear sirens while we make love

Loud as hell, but they don't know

They're nowhere near us

I will hold your heart and your gun

I don't care if they come, noooo

I know it's crazy but

[Hook: Beyoncé]

They can take me

Now that I found the places that you

Take me

Without you I got nothing to lose

[Verse 2: Jay-Z]

I'm an outlaw, got an outlaw chick

Bumping 2Pac, on my outlaw shit

Matching tats, this Ink don't come off

Even if rings come off, if things ring off

My nails get dirty, my past ain't pretty

My lady is, my Mercedes is

My baby momma harder than a lot of you n\*\*\*as

Keep it 100, hit the lottery n\*\*\*as

You ain't about that life ain't gotta lie to me, n\*\*\*a

You know it's till the death, I hope it's obvi to n\*\*\*as

Ugh

Cross the line, speak about mine

I'ma wave this TEC, I'm a geek about mine

Touch a n\*\*\*a where his rib at, I click clack

Push your mothafuckin' wig back, I did that

I been wilding since a juvi, she was a good girl

'til she knew me, now she is in the drop bustin' Uey's, screaming

[Hook: Beyoncé]

They can take me

Now that I found the places that you

Take me

Without you I got nothing to lose

[Verse 3: Jay-Z]

Deeper than words, beyond right

Die for your love, beyond life

Sweet as a Jesus piece, beyond ice

Blind me baby with your neon lights

Ray Bans on, police in sight

Oh, what a beautiful death, let's both wear white

If you go to heaven and they bring me to hell

Just sneak out and meet me, bring a box of L's

She fell in love with the bad guy, the bad guy

What you doing with them rap guys, them rap guys

They ain't see potential in me girl, but you see it

If it's me and you against the world, then so be it

[Beyoncé]

I don't care if they give me life

I get all of my life from you

(Uhuu)

And if loving you had a price

I would pay my life for you

[Bridge: Beyoncé]

I hear sirens while we make love

Loud as hell, but they don't know

They're nowhere near us

I will hold your heart and your gun

I don't care if they come, noooo

I know it's crazy but

[Outro: Beyoncé]

I don't care I'll never give it up

Give it up, give it up, give it all away

No I swear I'll never give it up

Give it up, give it up, give it all away

I don't care I'll never give it up

Give it up, give it up, give it all away

No I swear I'll never give it up

Give it up, give it up, give it all away

(Without you I got nothing to lose)

## References

1. ↑ "Jay-Z's 'Part II (On the Run)' Is A Collaboration with Beyonce Off of 'Magna Carta Holy Grail'". *Huffpost*. June 27, 2013.
2. ↑ Hyman, Dan (May 27, 2014). "How Beyoncé and Jay Z's Star-Studded Trailer Got Made". *Elle*.

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