Runnin'

Album: Hidden Figures (2016)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This jazz-age tune is from the soundtrack to Hidden Figures, a biopic about the pioneering black NASA mathematician Katherine Johnson. A child prodigy, Johnson faced huge discrimination because of the color of her skin and her gender. The math skills of Johnson and her colleagues Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson eventually enabled them to smash through the obstacles and become black female rocket scientists.
  • Pharrell Williams served as a producer on the movie and also co-ordinated its soundtrack. On this song he sings about the hurdles Johnson faced as an African-American female:

    You and I are not different from each other (other)
    Shut our eyes, when we slumber I see numbers (numbers)
    Black and white, we're computers, I am colored (colored)
    Don't act like you was there when you wasn't


    Williams told Deadline. "When you find out some of these intricate parts were played by women, then it becomes a whole other thing. The picture becomes much more full and you get a real, holistic understanding for how it got done. We know we got there, but the truth behind what specifically happened introduces you to the real pitfalls they faced. And you see, at every turn, there was a woman."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Michael Franti

Michael FrantiSongwriter Interviews

Franti tells the story behind his hit "Say Hey (I Love You)" and explains why yoga is an integral part of his lifestyle and his Soulshine tour.

Queen

QueenFact or Fiction

Scaramouch, a hoople and a superhero soundtrack - see if you can spot the real Queen stories.

Keith Reid of Procol Harum

Keith Reid of Procol HarumSongwriter Interviews

As Procol Harum's lyricist, Keith wrote the words to "A Whiter Shade Of Pale." We delve into that song and find out how you can form a band when you don't sing or play an instrument.

James Williamson of Iggy & the Stooges

James Williamson of Iggy & the StoogesSongwriter Interviews

The Stooges guitarist (and producer of the Kill City album) talks about those early recordings and what really happened with David Bowie.

Commercials

CommercialsFact or Fiction

Was "Ring Of Fire" really used to sell hemorrhoid cream?

Pam Tillis

Pam TillisSongwriter Interviews

The country sweetheart opines about the demands of touring and talks about writing songs with her famous father.