Pursuit of Happiness (song)

"Pursuit of Happiness (Nightmare)"
Single by Kid Cudi featuring MGMT and Ratatat
from the album Man on the Moon: The End of Day
Released	January 25, 2010
Recorded	2009
Genre	Neo-psychedelia alternative hip hop pop-rap psychedelic pop electronic rock
Length	4:55 (album version) 4:03 (radio edit) 6:13 (Steve Aoki Remix) 6:20 (acoustic version)
Label	Dream On GOOD Universal Motown
Songwriter(s)	Scott Mescudi Evan Mast Mike Stroud
Producer(s)	Ratatat
Kid Cudi singles chronology
"Make Her Say" (2009) "Pursuit of Happiness (Nightmare)" (2010) "Memories" (2010)
MGMT singles chronology
"Kids" (2009) "Pursuit of Happiness" (2010) "Flash Delirium" (2010)
Ratatat singles chronology
"Mirando" (2009) "Pursuit of Happiness" (2010) "Party with Children" (2010)
Music video
Slow party version on YouTube
Music video
Megaforce version on YouTube
Audio sample
"Pursuit of Happiness" file help

"Pursuit of Happiness" is a song by American musician Kid Cudi, respectively featuring production and vocals from American electronic rock duo Ratatat and American neo-psychedelic act MGMT. The song was officially released on September 15, 2009, as the third single from Cudi's debut album, Man on the Moon: The End of Day (2009).

The meaning of the song is often misconstrued with being about the positive side of a carefree lifestyle, when rather it tells a dark tale of drinking and driving as well as the regret and pain associated with drug abuse and how it leads to escapism.^[1][2]

The song was certified diamond (10 million units) by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in December 2022.^[3]