"Take Me Home" is a song written and performed by British drummer singer-songwriter Phil Collins. It is the tenth and final track on Collins' third solo album, No Jacket Required. Collins co-produced the song with Hugh Padgham and released it as a single in the UK in July 1985 and the U.S. in March 1986. It did moderately well in the UK, peaking at No. 19. While it was not as successful as other singles from the album, such as "Sussudio" or "One More Night" in the US, it still reached the top 10, peaking at No. 7. The "extended mix" of "Take Me Home", released on the 12" single was one of the six songs to be included on Collins' 12"ers album. Remixer John "Tokes" Potoker created an edited extended mix of the song for the Japanese release of 12"ers, removing around one and half minutes from the full length mix. This version remains exclusive to this release to this day.
Background
"Take Me Home" is considered one of Collins' more well known songs, and has been in all of his tours since the No Jacket Required Tour. The song has remained popular among fans and remains the song of choice for encores at the majority of Collins' solo concerts.
Meaning
Common interpretations of the song's topic are that it is about a man returning home, or that it is about the psychological manipulations of the totalitarian government from George Orwell's novel 1984. However, many believe the song lyrics refer to a patient in a mental institution and that it is very much based on the novelOne Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.
Guest appearances
While recording "Long Long Way to Go," Collins asked Sting to provide backing vocals for this song as well. The song also features Collins' former Genesis bandmate Peter Gabriel, as well as Helen Terry on backing vocals.
Music video
The music video directed by Jim Yukich and produced by Paul Flattery, features Collins getting into a Ford Popular and singing in various places around the world, including London, Paris, Tokyo, New York City, Sydney, Bremen, Memphis, Los Angeles, Stockholm, San Francisco, Kamakura, Chicago, St. Louis and Houston. Filming was completed on location when Collins' subsequent No Jacket RequiredWorld Tour was staged at the corresponding locale. At the conclusion, Collins arrives home and hears his then wife, Jill Tavelman, from inside the house, ask him where he has been. He replies by saying he has been to several of the cities seen throughout the video. His wife replies "You've been down at the pub, haven't you?". Collins glances at the camera and smirks before entering the house.
Reception
Reception for the song was mostly positive. Jan DeKnock of the Chicago Tribune said that the song was "hypnotic". Geoff Orens of AllMusic said that the song was an AMG Track Pick, and that the "pulsating 'Take Me Home' utilizes the drama of 'In the Air Tonight' on a more wistful track". David Fricke of Rolling Stone said that the song had "engaging, circular rhythm and languid melodic texture". Marty Racine of the Houston Chronicle thought that "Take Me Home" was one of the few songs that " above the crowd ".
Covers, remakes, and usage in media
"Take Me Home" appeared on the opening episode of the second season of popular Miami-based crime show Miami Vice, much like Collins' own "In the Air Tonight" appeared in the series premiere a year earlier. The song was included on the Miami Vice II soundtrack album. The song was also the closing theme song for the World Wrestling Federation's television show, Saturday Night's Main Event for several years in the late 1980s. "Take Me Home" appeared on the Phil Collins tribute albumUrban Renewal, as performed by Malik Pendleton. In 2003, the hip-hop group Bone Thugs-n-Harmony based their song "Home" on this single. That version of the song featured the original song's chorus, and reached No. 19 in the UK. Collins appeared in the music video to sing the chorus. In 2014, R&B singer JoJo included her own revamped interpretation of "Take Me Home" on her three-track Valentine's Day EP, #LoveJo. The cover, which features production from Da Internz, has seen great acclaim for JoJo's vocals and its incorporation of Trap and 808 beats. "The clear standout is her version of Phil Collins’ 'Take Me Home,' all militant stomp buried under ambient noise," said Sam Lansky of Time magazine. "Her voice soars and crashes over the glitchy, stuttering beat." In 2016, the extended mix was prominently used in a scene from the season 2 premiere episode of USA's television series Mr. Robot, in which an executive of the show's villainous corporation is blackmailed into publicly burning $5.9 million of his own company's money.
Track listings
All songs were written by Phil Collins, except where noted.
