Where Are We Runnin'?

2004 single by Lenny Kravitz

"Where Are We Runnin'?"

Single by Lenny Kravitz

from the album Baptism

B-side

"Uncharted Terrain"
"Destiny"

Released

April 5, 2004 (2004-04-05)

Genre

Rock^[1]

Length

2:41

Label

Virgin

Composer(s)

Lenny Kravitz
Craig Ross

Lyricist(s)

Lenny Kravitz

Producer(s)

Lenny Kravitz

Lenny Kravitz singles chronology

"Show Me Your Soul"
(2003)

"Where Are We Runnin'?"
(2004)

"Storm"
(2004)

"Where Are We Runnin'?" is a song performed by American rock musician Lenny Kravitz. It was released on April 5, 2004, as the lead single from his seventh studio album, Baptism (2004). Kravitz wrote the song with his long-time collaborator Craig Ross and produced it himself. Following its release, the song reached number 69 in the United States, number 13 in Italy, and number four in Spain.

Composition

"Where Are We Runnin'?" is an uptempo rock song. Kravitz wrote the song inspired by contemporary rock musicians' lives, describing them as busy and worried.

Critical reception

Carla Hay of AXS stated, "'Where Are We Runnin'' is an often-overlooked, high-energy stomper of a song that stands as one of Kravitz's best. It was the first single from his 2004 album, Baptism, and showed that Kravitz wasn't going to be mellowing out anytime soon."^[2]

Chart performance

The song peaked at number 69 on the US Billboard Hot 100, Kravitz's first appearance on that chart since 2001's "Dig In".^[3] It also peaked at number 30 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart and number 40 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart; this is his last song to date to appear on the latter chart.^[4]^[5] It charted in several countries worldwide, reaching number 18 in the Netherlands, number 13 in Italy, and number four in Spain.^[6]^[7]

Music video

The music video for "Where Are We Runnin'?" was directed by Philip Andelman and Lenny Kravitz. Kravitz portrays an amplified version of himself as he wakes up in a hotel room surrounded by nude women and empty bottles of alcohol. Once awoken, he is taken by his team out of the hotel—where he and his entourage are mobbed by innumerable cheering fans—and to the airport via limousine. Inside a private jet, Kravitz, his band and additional women are shown engaging in varying levels of debauchery as they eat, drink and make love. At the concert venue, a fight breaks out in the dressing room and Kravitz passes out from exhaustion and drug use. He is taken care of on the spot by paramedics. On stage, Kravitz and his band deliver an electrifying performance of the final chorus before retreating to the dressing room. Against the sound of filtered radio interference, Kravitz walks for a full minute in a single shot from the stage back to the dressing room, where he collapses in a chair from exhaustion and the chemicals rushing through his system.

Track listings

Canadian and European CD single^[8]^[9]

"Where Are We Runnin'?" – 2:44
"Uncharted Terrain" – 4:20

European and Australian maxi-CD single^[10]

"Where Are We Runnin'?" – 2:44
"Uncharted Terrain" – 4:20
"Destiny" – 4:53

Personnel

Personnel are taken from the US promo CD liner notes.^[11]

Lenny Kravitz – words, music, vocals, electric guitar solo, bass, production, arrangement
Craig Ross – music, electric guitar, drums, tambourine
Henry Hirsch – piano

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (2004)	Peak position
Australia (ARIA)^[12]	52
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)^[13]	27
Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling Under Flanders)^[14]	12
Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling Under Wallonia)^[15]	13
Canada Rock Top 30 (Radio & Records)^[16]	5
Croatia (HRT)^[17]	6
Germany (Official German Charts)^[18]	43
Greece (IFPI)^[19]	48
Italy (FIMI)^[20]	13
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)^[6]	18
Netherlands (Single Top 100)^[21]	33
Spain (PROMUSICAE)^[7]	4
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)^[22]	31
US Billboard Hot 100^[3]	69
US Adult Alternative Songs (Billboard)^[23]	2
US Adult Top 40 (Billboard)^[24]	12
US Alternative Airplay (Billboard)^[5]	40
US Mainstream Rock (Billboard)^[4]	30
US Mainstream Top 40 (Billboard)^[25]	35

Year-end charts

Chart (2004)	Position
US Adult Top 40 (Billboard)^[26]	46
US Triple-A (Billboard)^[27]	17

Release history

Region	Date	Format(s)	Label(s)	Ref.
United States	April 5, 2004	Hot AC mainstream rock active rock triple A alternative radio	Virgin	^[28]
United States	April 12, 2004	Contemporary hit radio		^[29]
Australia	May 3, 2004	CD		^[30]
United Kingdom	May 3, 2004	CD		^[31]

References

^ Kellman, Andy. Now That's What I Call Music 16" (2004): Review at AllMusic. Retrieved December 20, 2023.
^ Hay, Carla (March 2, 2016). "The top 10 best Lenny Kravitz songs". AXS. Retrieved July 14, 2020.
^ ^a ^b "Lenny Kravitz Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
^ ^a ^b "Lenny Kravitz Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard.
^ ^a ^b "Lenny Kravitz Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard.
^ ^a ^b "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 21, 2004" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved February 26, 2019.
^ ^a ^b "Lenny Kravitz – Where Are We Runnin'?" Canciones Top 50.
^ Where Are We Runnin'? (Canadian CD single liner notes). Lenny Kravitz. Virgin Records. 2004. 7243 8 38907 2 9.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^ Where Are We Runnin'? (European CD single liner notes). Lenny Kravitz. Virgin Records. 2004. 7243 8 38906 2 0.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^ Where Are We Runnin'? (European & Australian maxi-CD single liner notes). Lenny Kravitz. Virgin Records. 2004. 7243 8 38905 2 1.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^ Where Are We Runnin'? (US promo CD liner notes). Lenny Kravitz. Virgin Records. 2004. 7087 6 18510 2 1.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^ "Issue 742" ARIA Top 100 Singles. National Library of Australia. Retrieved September 24, 2020.
^ "Lenny Kravitz – Where Are We Runnin'?" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
^ "Lenny Kravitz – Where Are We Runnin'?" (in Dutch). Ultratip.
^ "Lenny Kravitz – Where Are We Runnin'?" (in French). Ultratip.
^ "R&R Canada Rock Top 30" (PDF). Radio & Records. No. 1558. June 4, 2004. p. 64. Retrieved October 6, 2019.
^ "Top Lista Hrvatskog Radija". Croatian Radiotelevision. Archived from the original on June 22, 2004. Retrieved April 14, 2023.
^ "Lenny Kravitz – Where Are We Runnin'?" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts.
^ "Top 50 Singles Eβδομάδα 31/5 –5/6" (in Greek). IFPI. Archived from the original on June 5, 2004. Retrieved September 24, 2020. See Best Position column.
^ "Lenny Kravitz – Where Are We Runnin'?". Top Digital Download.
^ "Lenny Kravitz – Where Are We Runnin'?" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
^ "Lenny Kravitz – Where Are We Runnin'?". Swiss Singles Chart.
^ "Lenny Kravitz Chart History (Adult Alternative Songs)". Billboard.
^ "Lenny Kravitz Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved December 21, 2023.
^ "Lenny Kravitz Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved December 21, 2023.
^ "2004 The Year in Charts: Most-Played Adult Top 40 Songs". Billboard Radio Monitor. Vol. 12, no. 51. December 17, 2004. p. 26.
^ "2004 The Year in Charts: Most-Played Triple-A Songs". Billboard Radio Monitor. Vol. 12, no. 51. December 17, 2004. p. 54.
^ "Going for Adds" (PDF). Radio & Records. No. 1549. April 2, 2004. p. 22. Retrieved May 18, 2021.
^ "Going for Adds" (PDF). Radio & Records. No. 1550. April 9, 2004. p. 20. Retrieved May 18, 2021.
^ "The ARIA Report: New Releases Singles – Week Commencing 03/05/2004" (PDF). ARIA. May 3, 2004. p. 27. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 6, 2004. Retrieved May 18, 2021.
^ "Reviews: Singles". Music Week. April 24, 2004. p. 25.