No Hi-Lo Club, Shannon e Max Cook tocavam durante uma noite, quando Max fez alguns acordes no seu melotron -instrumento que viria ser, a identidade das bandas psicodélicas e de rock progressivo. Shannon pediu que tocasse novamente, aquela modulação em Lá menor, nasceu assim a composição que seria o maior êxito de 1961, e que projetaria Del Shannon internacionalmente: Runaway. No dia seguinte, Del Shannon escreveu a letra:
"As I walk along, I wonder
A what went wrong whit our love
A love that was so strong
And as I still walk on
I think of the thing's we've done
Together, while our hearts were young
I'm a walkin' in the rain
Tears are fallin' and I feel a pain
A wishin' you were here by me
To end this misery
And I wonder, I wa wa wa wa wonder
Why a why why why why why
She ran away
And I wonder where she will stay
My little runaway
My run run run run runaway
I'm a walking in the rain
Tears are fallin' and I feel a pain
A wishin' you were here by me
To end this misery
And I wonder, I wa wa wa wa wonder
Why a why why why why why
She ran away
And I wonder where she will stay
My little runaway
A run run run run
Runaway
A love that was so strong
And as I still walk on
I think of the thing's we've done
Together, while our hearts were young
I'm a walkin' in the rain
Tears are fallin' and I feel a pain
A wishin' you were here by me
To end this misery
And I wonder, I wa wa wa wa wonder
Why a why why why why why
She ran away
And I wonder where she will stay
My little runaway
My run run run run runaway
I'm a walking in the rain
Tears are fallin' and I feel a pain
A wishin' you were here by me
To end this misery
And I wonder, I wa wa wa wa wonder
Why a why why why why why
She ran away
And I wonder where she will stay
My little runaway
A run run run run
Runaway
