Sara Evans' 2014 album Slow Me Down features 11 songs, three of which Evans co-wrote. For one of those three, "If I Run," Evans enlisted Karyn Rochelle and Shane Stevens as co-writers.

According to Evans, "If I Run" is a deeply personal track that stems from her childhood in a perhaps surprising way. Keep reading as she shares the story behind the song, in her own words.

We started the song -- I think I was actually talking about my relationship with my dad -- just, you know, wanting to be pursued. And, sometimes, I've chosen relationships or allowed myself to be treated a certain way in relationships based on never being pursued as a little girl, with your daddy. I think that's huge. So that's how this whole conversation came to be with the song.

[The person in the song] has definitely been hurt in her life, and she's saying, "If I run, will you chase me?" And, in fact, she's saying, "I might run, just to test you. I might not be able to handle this love that you're giving me, because it's too much. I don't recognize that as love, so if I run from it, will you chase me, will you pursue me, or are you just gonna be like every other guy?"

This story was originally written by Sterling Whitaker, and revised by Angela Stefano.

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