Run for Your Life (Matt Cardle song)

Background

"Run for Your Life" was written by the Take That frontman Gary Barlow after he took over the role of head judge on The X Factor, of which Cardle won the seventh series. During an interview with The Sun, Cardle discussed the track. "I'm really, really happy to have had Gary Barlow write a song for me. We had 90% of the album written, and then really late in the process, Gary sent the song through. I really related to it. I've been in that position many times, you know, that the song is talking about. It's about not being good enough for the person you're with and not being able to give enough, I was nearly in tears recording the vocals. I've actually been trying to write that kind of song for a long time – it's putting yourself down in a clever way. Gary nailed it, and then he let me have a go at singing it, I couldn't pass it up, so I'm really happy about that."

On 19 August 2011, a 30-second snippet was posted by Cardle on his Facebook page. On 5 September 2011, the song received its first radio airplay by Chris Moyles on BBC Radio 1. The video for the song was premiered on the same day on Cardle's YouTube channel. The song was officially released via digital download on 9 October 2011, with a CD single release following the next day.

Critical reception

"Run for Your Life" was met with generally negative reviews. Robert Copsey of Digital Spy rated it 3/5, stating: "X Factor winners of the male variety have never had it easy. Steve Brookstein and Leon Jackson barely made it past a second single, while Shayne Ward and Joe McElderry were more recently banished from the Syco clique after failing to match the bar set by Leona and Alexandra. Fortunately for Matt Cardle, his anti-talent show image during last year's competition gave him a more promising outlook – but is it enough to buck the boys' worrying trend? Judging by 'Run For Your Life', it looks like he's finally succumbed to the peer pressure. Over an anaemic guitar-pop melody, he confesses he's not worthy of his kindly lass, admitting: 'You need someone to walk you back/ Someone to love you too before you ask – before launching into the arm-waving, Gary Barlow-penned chorus. While Matt's famous falsetto manages a brief appearance, it's about the only distinguishable feature that remains from his once-rebellious nature." Copsey also called the single a "disappointing start".

The BBC described the single as "plodding" and "try-hard", while The Guardian said it "sounds like a song Barlow was happy for Take That to pass up." Pop Ledge said it "was probably a Take That D-side cast off – not much to get excited about." WhatCulture gave "Run for Your Life" a positive review, commenting that it "shows off Cardle’s stunning vocal range".

Music video

The music video was directed by Tom Watson, and was premiered on 5 September 2011 on Cardle's YouTube channel. The video shows Cardle performing in front of a video screen, watching images of a woman running along a beach, staring back at him. The video ends when the woman jumps out of the screen, hugs Cardle, and the pair walk off into the distance.

Live performances

Cardle performed the song live for the first time on 9 October 2011 during the live results show of The X Factor, in front of the song's writer, Gary Barlow. On 13 October 2011, he recorded a performance for The Album Chart Show along with a few other tracks from the album. On 19 November 2011, he performed the song live on Children In Need. For each performance Cardle had a live backing band.

Track listing

1. "Run for Your Life" – 4:08
2. "Lost & Found" (Richard Lobb) – 4:13
3. "Chemical" (Cardle, Stannard, Howes, Sneddon, Bauer-Mein) – 3:12