Songfacts®:

• "Running," the second single released by Pearl Jam from their album Dark Matter, is a two-minute, 19-second adrenaline shot straight to the heart. Sure, the signature grunge riffs are there, but "Running" has a punky snarl and a bass line that burrows deep into your skull. The guitar riff burrows even deeper and then explodes into a face-melting solo midway through.
  
  But it's not all sonic fury. Eddie Vedder dives into the abyss with lyrics that scream anxiety, isolation, and a looming sense of dread. Lines like "Living in the shadows, crossing my fingers, date with the gallows and a reprieve not looking likely" cast a long shadow of despair and inevitable disaster.
• The song takes an unexpected turn with a chant-y, gang vocal chorus. It's a departure from Pearl Jam's usual sound, adding another layer of urgency to the track.
• The final 30 seconds of the song are Eddie Vedder unleashed. His voice cracks with raw emotion as he repeats the lyrics with increasing intensity, building to a powerful, desperate climax. Then, silence.
  
  Just like that, the song implodes. Guitarist Stone Gossard reflected to Spin that Vedder's "vocal dexterity here and on a few other spots on the album is just stunning."
• The riffs originated with bassist Jeff Ament. "Jeff had the main parts for that one, and we worked it over as a band," Gossard told Spin. "I love the bridge. I don't know what the hell those chords are that [guitarist] Mike's [McCready] playing, but it sounds original."
• The song was produced by Andrew Watt, known for working with artists like Ozzy Osbourne and Iggy Pop. "Running" was one of the last songs recorded for Dark Matter at Rick Rubin's Shangri-La Studio in Malibu, California. "It was fun to come up with one more uptempo song," Gossard said.