"Gotta Get Away" was inspired by an early track, "Cogs", written while the band was still named Manic Subsidal.

[3] Although the song was a big hit, it did not reach the heights nor achieve the popularity, success, airplay, or sales of the album's previous singles "Come Out and Play" and "Self Esteem".

The lyrics refer to the pressure that lead singer Dexter Holland was under to finish the album on time.

[4] The music video for the song was directed by Samuel Bayer and filmed at the Fairgrounds Coliseum in Salt Lake City, UT on December 17, 1994.

[5] The video starts with a boy entering a coliseum where a mosh pit breaks out while the band plays.