“Tell me tomorrow, I’ll wait by the window for you.” A poignant lyric from Stephen Fretwell’s song ‘Run’, more widely recognised as the theme song for beloved British sitcom, Gavin & Stacey.
The much-adored series, penned by Ruth Jones and James Corden, makes a highly anticipated return tonight with its final Christmas special. Originally airing from 2007 to 2010 the show captured hearts with its humour and heartfelt moments. It was revived in 2019 for a special holiday episode, and now, fans will say goodbye to the characters one last time.
Earlier this year, Corden hinted at the upcoming special during an interview with Zoe Ball on Radio 2: “When we wrote that last special we never thought we’d make another, but that special ends on such a…its ends so open I think it would be a shame to leave it there. That’s certainly my feeling and I think Ruth feels the same. It doesn’t feel like the end of a book but the end of a chapter. If we did another, that would be the end of it.”
One of the show’s most iconic elements is its theme song, ‘Run’. However, originally Fretwell was reluctant to have the track featured on the sitcom, turning down the request from his publisher friend asking for permission to use the track.
Speaking to the BBC, the English singer-songwriter reflected: “Then about two months later it came out and it had the song on it. I saw Joe a few nights later and I said to him, ‘Hey that song is on that show’ and he said, ‘Yeah, it’s great isn’t it?’ I was like ‘I told you not to put that on the show.’ And he was like, ‘No, you said you wanted it on,‘ and he was smirking at me.”
Despite his initial hesitation, Fretwell now regards the inclusion of his song as “the best thing anyone has ever done” for him. He’s become “incredibly proud to be associated” with ‘Gavin & Stacey’, even though he didn’t watch the sitcom at first.
‘Run’ is a piece known for its emotional depth and simplicity. It weaves themes of love, loss, and longing with a hauntingly simple acoustic guitar melody. Its reflective lyrics make it universally relatable and perfectly complimenting the sitcom which showcases a multitude of relationships.
Fretwell’s music has been featured in other soundtracks, including ‘Darling Don’t’ in the teen drama Skins and ‘Play’ in the 2009 film ‘The Joneses’. However, ‘Run’ remains his most recognisable track, popularised due to its association with the sitcom.
Alongside theme songs, Fretwell has released three studio albums, with his most recent, ‘Busy Guy’ (2021), marking his return after a decade-long hiatus. The album’s raw honesty and introspective themes earned widespread critical acclaim, reaffirming Fretwell’s reputation as a unique and compelling storyteller.
On BBC One tonight at 9pm, as Gavin & Stacey comes to its final chapter, Stephen Fretwell’s ‘Run’ will once again play throughout the nation. For fans of the show and Fretwell’s music alike, it’s a poignant and bittersweet farewell to an iconic pairing.
