Man on the Corner

"Man on the Corner"
Single by Genesis
from the album Abacab
B-side "Submarine"
Released 5 March 1982
Format 7"
Recorded 1981
Length 4:27 (LP version)
3:56 (Special-mix)
3:40 (U.S. single remix/edit)
Label Charisma/Virgin (UK)
Atlantic (U.S.)
Songwriter(s) Phil Collins
Producer(s) Genesis
Genesis singles chronology
"Keep It Dark"
(1981)		 "Man on the Corner"
(1982)		 "Paperlate"
(1982)

"Keep It Dark"
(1981)		 "Man on the Corner"
(1982)		 "Paperlate"
(1982)

"Man on the Corner" is a 1981 song by British band Genesis, released as a single on 5 March 1982. The song was written and sung by drummer Phil Collins. It peaked at No. 41 on the UK Singles Chart[1] and No. 40 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.

Lyrics

The lyrics describe a man who spends his days on a street corner, shouting at passersby. According to the radio show In the Studio with Redbeard (which spotlighted the making of the Abacab album), the song was composer Collins' first song about the homeless epidemic and society's reluctance to help the homeless or find a resolution. Near the end of the 1980s, Collins would revisit the theme of homelessness in "Another Day in Paradise".

Music

Backed by a simple drum machine beat, the song takes a musically dark tone. This song makes a prominent feature of the Roland CR-78[2] drum machine at the beginning, then switches to a drum set during the bridge while the drum machine continues to run in the background throughout the entire song.

Music video

The music video used to promote the song features Collins, Banks, and Rutherford, along with Daryl Stuermer and Chester Thompson playing on stage together, using different colours to illuminate the band. It was filmed during a performance at the Savoy Theatre in New York City, and uses the audio taken from this performance rather than the studio recording.

References

  1. ↑ Genesis UK chart history, The Official Charts Company. Retrieved 18 May 2012.
  2. ↑ http://www.musicalbrick.com/roland-bisexual-drum-machine/
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