"Running Scared" is a song written by
Roy Orbison and
Joe Melson and sung by Orbison. An
operatic rock ballad,[3] the recording of the song was overseen by audio engineer
Bill Porter and released as a
45 rpm single by
Monument Records in March 1961 and went to number one on the
Billboard Hot 100 chart. "Running Scared" also reached No.9 in the
UK Singles Chart. It sold over one million copies in the US alone.[4] The song was included on Orbison's 1962 album
Crying as the final track on the album.
Background
Noted for being a song written without a
chorus, the song builds in the lyrics, arrangement, and vocals to a climax that, without
vibrato, demonstrates the power of Orbison's clear, full voice. It is written in the
bolero style; Orbison is credited with bringing this to the rock genre. Fred Foster, producer of the session and of Monument Records, did not want the powerful high note that ends the song to end in falsetto but in full or natural voice. According to Foster, the last note that ends the song is G above (G5) High C (C5) in full natural voice. The note is actually
tenor high A (A4), over Middle C (C4).[5]
While "Running Scared" was an international hit, the B-side "
Love Hurts" also picked up significant airplay in Australia. Consequently, chart figures for Australia show "Running Scared"/"Love Hurts" as a double A-side, both sides peaking at number five. This makes Orbison's recording of "Love Hurts" the first version to be a hit. "Love Hurts" later became better known in a version by rock band
Nazareth, who had an international hit with it in 1975.[6]
Jack Scott, a Canadian-born
rockabilly singer from the same era, also had a minor 1962 hit with "Running Scared". He later re-recorded it in 1990 for one of his compilation albums, Jack Scott's Greatest Hits.
Bob Luman released a version of the song as a single in 1967. It did not chart.
Del Shannon recorded the song for his 1965 album 1,661 Seconds with Del Shannon and sang the finale "with me" just as Orbison had, in full voice, not falsetto.
The song was used for the trailer for the 2017 horror film,
Jigsaw