Run Like Hell

Hey there, Zoo Freaks, it’s your groovy Zoo Crew spinning some mind-bending vinyl for you tonight, and we’ve got Pink Floyd’s “Run Like Hell” from their epic 1979 album The Wall blasting through the airwaves! This track is a wild ride, and we’ve dug up some far-out trivia to share. Did you know this song was the last original composition co-written by David Gilmour and Roger Waters, marking the final time the classic 1970s lineup of Pink Floyd—Gilmour, Waters, Richard Wright, and Nick Mason—recorded together? It’s got that pulsating, danceable beat, but don’t let the rhythm fool you—the lyrics are dark, sung from the perspective of the album’s antihero, Pink, as he spirals into a fascist dictator fantasy, threatening violence against his audience. The song’s only keyboard solo on The Wall, performed by Richard Wright, adds a haunting layer, and the sound effects—like cruel laughter, skidding tires, and Roger Waters’ piercing scream—crank up the paranoia to eleven. In live performances during the 1980-81 The Wall tour, Waters would riff with the crowd before the song, often as Pink, taunting them with lines like, “Do you like our pig?” or calling them “pathetic” to stay in character. Each show had a unique intro speech, which fans now use to identify specific concert recordings, as noted in fan discussions on sites like the Neptune Pink Floyd forum.

Another cool tidbit comes from the The Wall live shows, where “Run Like Hell” was a centerpiece of the theatrical spectacle. A giant inflatable pig, a nod to Pink Floyd’s earlier Animals album, would loom over the stage, and Waters’ speeches varied nightly, sometimes dedicating the song to “all the paranoids in the audience.” One fan-favorite moment from the 1980 Los Angeles show, shared on the Pink Floyd Fandom site, has Waters saying, “This next song is for all the paranoics in the audience. I’m sure there’s a lot of you out there; it’s called ‘Run Like Hell Piggy’ Go home!” The song’s intensity carried over to the 1982 film Pink Floyd – The Wall, though the movie version was shorter, cutting a guitar refrain and overlaying Wright’s synth solo on the second verse. Posts on X from fans like @TBonesPrimeCuts in April 2025 rank it as a top Pink Floyd track, calling it a “paranoid and drug-fueled riff on the dangers of stardom.” And here’s a freaky fact: the scream at the end echoes earlier Floyd tracks like “Careful with That Axe, Eugene,” a nod to their psychedelic roots, as pointed out on TV Tropes.

Now, let’s rewind to how Pink Floyd got rolling. Formed in London in 1965, the band started as a psychedelic outfit led by Syd Barrett, with Roger Waters on bass, Nick Mason on drums, and Richard Wright on keyboards. They took their name from two blues musicians, Pink Anderson and Floyd Council, a quirky choice Barrett picked to reflect their early bluesy vibe. As shared on their official Facebook, the group gained a cult following in the British underground scene with Barrett’s whimsical, Lewis Carroll-inspired songwriting. Their debut album, The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (1967), is still hailed as a psychedelic masterpiece. But Barrett’s heavy LSD use and mental health struggles led to his departure in 1968, and David Gilmour stepped in on guitar. Waters then took the reins as primary lyricist, steering the band toward the concept-driven, progressive rock sound that defined classics like The Dark Side of the Moon (1973), Wish You Were Here (1975), and, of course, The Wall. Their elaborate live shows, with trippy visuals and massive props like the iconic pig, cemented their legend status, as fans on the r/pinkfloyd Reddit community often rave about.

Pink Floyd’s journey wasn’t all smooth sailing—tensions, especially between Waters and Gilmour, led to Waters leaving in 1985, though the band continued with Gilmour, Mason, and Wright. They’ve sold over 250 million records, making them one of the best-selling artists ever, and their influence still resonates, with fans sharing trippy captions like “Lost in the music” on Instagram. You can keep up with their legacy on their official website, Facebook, Instagram, and X. For deeper dives, check out fan hubs like Pink Floyd Fandom, Neptune Pink Floyd, or join the Pink Floyd Fans Facebook group to connect with fellow Floyd freaks. So, Zoo Freaks, crank up “Run Like Hell” and let Pink Floyd’s cosmic vibes take you to the dark side of the moon!