Take Me Home by Phil Collins Song Info
Take Me Home is the 10th track on Phil Collins' third solo album, No Jacket Required. The song was released as a single in the UK in July 1985 and in the US in March 1986. It did reasonably well in the UK, peaking there at #19. It wasn't as successful as other singles from the album, like "Sussudio" or "One More Night" in the United States, but managed to peak at #7 there. 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. "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 is very popular at his live shows. Common misconceptions regarding 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. In reality, however, Collins has stated that the song lyrics refer to a patient in a mental institution, and that it is very much based on the novel One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. While recording "Long Long Way to Go", Collins asked Sting to provide backing vocals for this song as well. The song also features Collins' old Genesis band mate, Peter Gabriel, and Helen Terry on backing vocals. The music video features Collins singing in various places around the world, including London, New York, Tokyo, Moscow, Sydney, Paris, St. Louis, Los Angeles (Hollywood) San Francisco, and Memphis (Graceland). At the end of the video, Collins arrives home and hears a woman from inside the house asking him where he has been. He replies by saying he's been to some of the cities mentioned above. The woman replies "You've been down at the pub, haven't you?" 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 Raccine of the Houston Chronicle thought that "Take Me Home" was one of the few songs that "[rose] above the crowd [on the album]." "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 season one opening episode. 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. 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 hit number 19 on the UK charts. The group flew to Geneva, Switzerland in order to feature Collins in the video.
