Runnin' Blue

This is a tribute to Otis Redding, who died in a plane crash on December 10, 1967 at age 26. The Doors were scheduled to play with Redding at the Winterland Arena in San Francisco on December 28. That show went on, with Chuck Berry taking Redding's place. When the Doors were performing "When The Music's Over" at the show, Jim Morrison interjected the opening lines of this song in honor of Redding: Poor Otis dead and gone Left me here to sing his song

Doors guitarist Robby Krieger wrote this song and sang lead. It is the only Doors song without Jim Morrison as the primary vocalist while he was alive.

This was the fourth single released from The Doors' fourth album, The Soft Parade. All four singles, including the hit "Touch Me," were written by Robby Krieger.