B-side Submarine Format 7" Genre Pop rock | Released 5 March 1982 Recorded 1981 | |
Length 4:27 (LP version)3:56 (Special-mix)3:40 (U.S. single remix/edit) | ||
"Man on the Corner" is a 1981 song by British band Genesis, released as a single on 5 March 1982. The song was written by Phil Collins. It peaked at No. 41 on the UK Singles Chart and No. 40 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.
Contents
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 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.