Living in America (song)

"Living in America" is a 1985 song composed by Dan Hartman and Charlie Midnight, and performed by James Brown. It was released as a single in 1985 and reached number 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The song entered the Billboard Top 40 on January 11, 1986, and remained on the chart for 11 weeks.

It also became a top five hit in the United Kingdom, peaking at number five on the UK Singles Chart; it was his only top 10 single in the UK. It was his first Top 40 hit in ten years in the US, and it would also be his last.

The song was prominently featured in the film Rocky IV. In the film, Brown sings the song before Apollo Creed enters the boxing ring, in reference to the character's patriotism. It appeared on the Rocky IV soundtrack album. The full version of the song (nearly six minutes long) was included on Brown's 1986 album, Gravity, and on various compilations throughout the 1990s.

In 1986, "Living in America" was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best R&B Song, and James Brown won a Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance. The vocal version by co-writer Dan Hartman is included on his Greatest Hits album "Keep The Fire Burnin'".

Towards the end of the album track, Brown yells out, "Eddie Murphy eat your heart out." Murphy is known for his impression of Brown.

Music video

The plot of the music video consists of some scenes cut together. One scene features James Brown giving a concert, and in another, features photographs of the United States. The video also features scenes from Rocky IV.^[1]

Track listings

12" release

• A. Living In America (R & B Dance Version) - 6:30
• B1. Living In America (Instrumental) - 4:33
• B2. Living In America (LP Version) - 4:40

7" release

• A. Living In America - 4:08
• B. Farewell (Vince DiCola) - 2:58

Parody

"Weird Al" Yankovic parodied "Living in America" on his 1986 album Polka Party! in a song entitled "Living with a Hernia", describing various kinds of hernias where Brown originally listed several American cities.

Paul Shanklin also parodied "Living in America" on his 1999 album Bill Clinton: The Comeback Kid Tour in a song entitled "Sneaking in America", as a reference to illegal immigration to America.

The song was also parodied in TV advertisements for the TV series Daisy Does America, substituting the show's title for the song's.

Other appearances/versions

• WWE's Lilian Garcia sang "Living in America" at the 75th Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade while on the WWE's (at the time WWF) parade float.
• The song was used in the "How I Met Your Mother" episode "The Slutty Pumpkin Returns" as "Barney Stinson" makes his entrance to a "Halloween" party.
• It was also featured in an episode of The Simpsons aired on February 6, 2000, titled "Saddlesore Galactica", in which the elementary school band play the song at a state fair.
• The song was used as the opening sequence to the 1st hour of The Radio Factor with Bill O'Reilly.
• The song was used on Soccer AM when the fans of the weeks attempt to score into the "O" of the hollywood sign during season 07/08.
• It is the theme song for Sports Radio WEEI's afternoon drive-time show, The Big Show.
• On an episode of the hit American sitcom Amen, Deacon Ernest Frye (Sherman Hemsley) and other cast members performed their own version of "Living in America".
• Former TNA Wrestler Consequences Creed often used the song during his entrance in house shows.
• An altered version of this song was the theme song for the T.V. series Daisy Does America.
• Heard in an episode of Everybody Hates Chris, in a Rocky parody.
• Paul Di'Anno covered this song on the 1997 album, The World's First Iron Man.
• A eurodance cover version of the song titled Livin' in America appeared on Dancemania Speed 8 released in 2002.

References

1. ^ Music video on YouTube

External links

• Review at Allmusic