This AppleScript tests to see if iTunes is running before getting the  
track name:

tell application "System Events"
	if (exists process "iTunes") then tell application "iTunes" to if  
player state is playing then get name of current track
end tell

returns

tell application "System Events"
	exists process "iTunes"
		false
end tell

if iTunes isn't running. But the same script wrapped inside osascript  
always launches iTunes:

print `osascript -e 'tell application "System Events"
if (exists process "iTunes") then tell application "iTunes" to if  
player state is playing then get name of current track
end tell'`

Why should this be? And is there a way of doing it?