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

Did They Really Sing In That Movie?

Did They Really Sing In That Movie?Fact or Fiction

Bradley Cooper, Michael J. Fox, Rami Malek, Reese Witherspoon, Gwyneth Paltrow and George Clooney: Which actors really sang in their movies?

Richie McDonald of Lonestar

Richie McDonald of LonestarSongwriter Interviews

Richie talks about the impact of "Amazed," and how his 4-year-old son inspired another Lonestar hit.

The Evolution of "Ophelia"

The Evolution of "Ophelia"Song Writing

How five songs portray Shakespeare's character Ophelia.

Shaun Morgan of Seether

Shaun Morgan of SeetherSongwriter Interviews

Shaun breaks down the Seether songs, including the one about his brother, the one about Ozzy, and the one that may or may not be about his ex-girlfriend Amy Lee.

Curt Kirkwood of Meat Puppets

Curt Kirkwood of Meat PuppetsSongwriter Interviews

The (Meat)puppetmaster takes us through songs like "Lake Of Fire" and "Backwater," and talks about performing with Kurt Cobain on MTV Unplugged.

Sam Phillips

Sam PhillipsSongwriter Interviews

Collaborating with T Bone Burnett, Leslie Phillips changed her name and left her Christian label behind - Robert Plant, who recorded one of her songs on Raising Sand, is a fan.