"Silent Running (On Dangerous Ground)" is a song performed by Mike + The Mechanics. Written by Mike Rutherford and B. A. Robertson, it was the first track on the band's 1985 self-titled debut album. The song was also released as the b…
"Silent Running (On Dangerous Ground)" is a song performed by Mike + The Mechanics. Written by Mike Rutherford and B. A. Robertson, it was the first track on the band's 1985 self-titled debut album. The song was also released as the band's first single, peaking at number 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart on **March 8, 1986. It also reached number 1 on Billboard's Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, where it stayed for five weeks. In the band's native United Kingdom, it reached No. 21.
Paul Carrack provided lead vocals on the song, and Alan Murphy played lead guitar. The song's original title was simply "Silent Running," but the name extension was given when the song was chosen to appear in the 1986 movie *On Dangerous Ground, which was titled Choke Canyon in the United States.
The song's lyrics tell the story of a man who has traveled light-years away in space. He knows what will happen to his wife and kids back on Earth—society breaking down, anarchy. He tries to get a message to them, urging them to be prepared. The title was inspired by the film Silent Running, which had a spacey feel that resonated with the song.
Here's a snippet from the lyrics:
> "Take the children and yourself
> And hide out in the cellar
> By now, the fighting will be close at hand
> Don't believe the church and state
> And everything they tell you
> Believe in me, I'm with the high command"
The song's video features clips from the film Choke Canyon, although it primarily reflects the unrelated story conveyed by the lyrics. The BBC banned the song during the Gulf War due to its themes of war, nationalism, and religion, as well as a direct reference to weaponry².
