Run Baby Run (Sheryl Crow song)

According to Sheryl Crow, the song was written in 1992 after the results of the presidential election were announced, marking the transition "from conservative George H. W. Bush to young, unconventional, good-looking Bill Clinton."[2] The song describes a young woman born on November 22, 1963, "the day Aldous Huxley died" (whom Crow calls a "literary spokesperson of the 1960s").[3] She grew up in a conservative social structure (where people "talk of better days"), yet her parents are hippies: her mother experiments with drugs while her father is a political activist.[3] As a result, she feels caught between generations and has learned from her parents' example to run away from problems or from people getting too close to her. Crow has stated that, while the song is not autobiographical, she can relate to certain aspects of the character.[3]

In his weekly UK chart commentary in Dotmusic, James Masterton described "Run Baby Run" as an "anthemic track".[4] Alan Jones from Music Week wrote, "An impressive debut for Ms Crow on a track that smacks of the Beatles' "Happiness Is a Warm Gun" and "Old Brown Shoe" in parts. Crow, who is possessed of a throaty and distinctive voice, is more likely to become a successful album artist, but this deserves to be heard."[5]

"Run Baby Run" was originally released in 1993 in North America, the United Kingdom, Europe, and Australia. It did not chart in the United States,[6] but in Canada, it briefly appeared on the RPM 100 ranking, peaking at No. 86 on January 24, 1994.[7] In 1994, the song was re-released in Europe and debuted at No. 83 on the UK Singles Chart, but it dropped out of the top 100 the following week.[8] In late May 1994, it appeared on the Dutch Single Top 100, reaching No. 45 the week after its debut.[9] In Australia, it stalled at No. 156 on the ARIA Singles Chart in June 1994.[10] "Run Baby Run" was again re-issued in Europe in 1995, this time entering the UK top 30 and attaining its peak of No. 24 on July 23.[11] During this charting period, it topped off at No. 95 on the Eurochart Hot 100.[12] In January 1996, the track experienced a surge of popularity on Canadian adult contemporary radio, eventually peaking at No. 44 on the RPM Adult Contemporary chart.[13]