Another Day in Paradise


"Another Day in Paradise" is a song recorded by English drummer and singer-songwriter Phil Collins. Produced by Collins along with Hugh Padgham, it was released as the first single from his number-one album ...But Seriously. As with his song for Genesis, "Man on the Corner", the track has as its subject the problem of homelessness; as such, the song was a substantial departure from the dance-pop music of his previous album, No Jacket Required.
Collins sings the song from a third-person perspective, as he observes a man crossing the street to ignore a homeless woman, and he implores listeners not to turn a blind eye to homelessness because, by drawing a religious allusion, "it's just another day for you and me in paradise". Collins also appeals directly to God by singing: "Oh Lord, is there nothing more anybody can do? Oh Lord, there must be something you can say."
The song was Collins' seventh and final Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 single, the last No. 1 single of the 1980s and the first No. 1 single of the 1990s. It was also a worldwide success, eventually becoming one of the most successful songs of his solo career. It won Collins and Padgham the Grammy Award for Record of the Year at the 1991 awards ceremony, while it was also nominated for Song of the Year, Best Pop Vocal Performance, Male and Best Music Video, Short Form. "Another Day in Paradise" also won an award for British Single at the 1990 Brit Awards. Despite the awards gained following its release, the song also generated controversy over its subject matter and has received a largely negative reaction from music critics.
The live performance of the song at the 1991 Grammy Awards by Collins and David Crosby, who provided backing vocals on the track, was released on the 1994 album Grammy's Greatest Moments Volume I. In 2009, Collins's version was listed at 86th on Billboards Greatest Songs of All Time. "Another Day in Paradise" has since been covered by several artists, including Brandy, her brother Ray J, Jam Tronik, Axxis, Novecento, and Hank Marvin.

Chart performance

The song was another massive hit for Collins. On 23 December 1989, it became his seventh No. 1 single in the U.S. The song was also the final No. 1 song of the 1980s in the U.S., and remained at No. 1 for four weeks, which classifies the song as a hit from the 1990s as well. This song is notable for keeping Janet Jackson's "Rhythm Nation" from reaching No. 1. It also saw out the 1980s and saw in the 1990s at the top of the German singles chart. The song had already reached No. 2 in the UK in November of that year. The single version is slightly different from the album version in that it uses a shorter intro.

Music video

The song's music video was directed by Jim Yukich and produced by Paul Flattery of FYI The video, shot entirely in black and white, features Collins singing in a dark background, interspersed with images of the homeless, the immigrants and the poverty of the chidrens in the streets. The music video also features many messages about the homeless, to convey the full message of the song. Collins' part was shot in less than an hour in New York.

Reception

Music historian Colin Larkin wrote that "Another Day in Paradise" was "widely criticised", while Sophie Donaldson in the Irish Independent said that Collins was chided for "profiteering off homelessness". Collins challenged the censure from critics who found him unqualified to sing about the poor, saying: "When I drive down the street, I see the same things everyone else sees. It's a misconception that if you have a lot of money you're somehow out of touch with reality."
Singer-songwriter and political activist Billy Bragg was scathing of the song in a 2000 interview, drawing a contrast between Collins and a band he admired, the Clash, stating: "Phil Collins might write a song about the homeless, but if he doesn't have the action to go with it he's just exploiting that for a subject." In 2003, Andrew Collins described the song as a "bland redress" for the subject of homelessness in the New Statesman. Caroline Sullivan of The Guardian dismissed the track in 2007 as "a song that addressed the issue of homelessness with the same insight as Sporty Spice's 'If That Were Me'". Also that year, Blender remarked that "Collins wrote the worst song ever about homelessness". Writing for the BBC in 2010, David Sheppard described the song's lyrics as "cringe-worthy" and gave it as an example of Collins "painting the bull's-eye on his own forehead" when it came to his negative status with music critics.
Writing for MSN in 2013, Hugh Wilson contrasted Collins's concern for the homeless in the song with his concern as a multimillionaire at the prospect of the UK's election of a tax-raising socialist government. Referring to Collins's statement that he would consider leaving the UK with the election of a Labour government, Wilson noted that the song led to further accusations of hypocrisy because Collins had "bemoaned the plight of the homeless" in it. Wilson also said Collins became "an easy target when future elections came round".
On the other hand, Jamie Wales of Gigwise described the song as a "classic" in a 2016 article. Of the hypocrisy allegations levelled at Collins, he said, "The truth is Phil collected money for homeless charities from fans who attended his concerts and then donated double the total takings out of his own money."

Formats and track listings

12" single
  1. "Another Day in Paradise" – 5:22
  2. "Another Day in Paradise" – 4:04
CD maxi single
  1. "Another Day in Paradise" – 5:15
  2. "Saturday Night and Sunday Morning" – 1:25
  3. "Heat on the Street" – 3:59
7" single
  1. "Another Day in Paradise" – 4:48
  2. "Heat on the Street" – 3:59
3" CD single
  1. "Another Day In Paradise" 5:19
  2. "Saturday Night and Sunday Morning" 1:26
  3. "Heat on the Street" 4:00
Virgin - VSCD1233

Personnel

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Chart Position
Austria 26
Belgium 69
Canada Top Singles 23
Canada Adult Contemporary 27
Europe 23
Germany 3
Switzerland 11
US Billboard Hot 1007

All-time charts

Certifications

Jam Tronik version

Less than six months after the release of the original Phil Collins version, a cover version by dance act Jam Tronik was released in the UK. In April 1990, it peaked at number 19 on the UK Singles Chart. Sampled in this version is the drum loop from the 1988 Raze song "Break 4 Love".

Charts

Brandy and Ray J version

In 2001, siblings Brandy and Ray J covered the song for the Phil Collins tribute album Urban Renewal. Produced by Guy Roche and released as the album's lead single, the cover version became a top ten success in Austria, Germany, Sweden, Switzerland, Belgium, Norway, Ireland, the Netherlands, and the UK, receiving gold certifications in Australia, France, Germany and Switzerland. In 2002, this version of the song was included on the European edition of Brandy's Full Moon album.

Music video

The music video follows a homeless woman wandering the streets being chastised by various people, including a waitress, a businessman, and a police officer. The video is intercut with scenes of Brandy and Ray J singing on a fire escape and along alleyways, while also following the woman and taking photographs of each incident with a camera. The homeless woman then walks into a luxurious shoe boutique, and the receptionist calls the police to escort her out. When she is dropped back to her makeshift shelter in an alleyway, one of the policemen comes across a series of Polaroids depicting all of the previous characters, including himself, in the homeless woman's place. At the end of the video, Brandy and Ray J come to pick up the homeless woman and walk off with her into the distance.

Formats and track listings

CD maxi single
  1. "Another Day in Paradise" – 4:32
  2. "Another Day in Paradise" – 4:19
  3. "Another Day in Paradise" – 4:22
  4. "Another Day in Paradise" – 6:28
  5. "Another Day in Paradise" – 7:54

CD single
  1. "Another Day in Paradise" – 4:32
  2. "Another Day in Paradise" – 4:19
The Remixes - 12" maxi
  1. "Another Day in Paradise" – 6:28
  2. "Another Day in Paradise" – 7:54

    Credits and personnel

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

Other covers