We Trying to Stay Alive

"We Trying to Stay Alive" is the first single released from Wyclef Jean's debut solo album, The Carnival. The song features raps by John Forté and Pras (of the Fugees) and samples the 1977 Bee Gees hit "Stayin' Alive" and Audio Two's "Top Billin'" (1987). The video version also contains an interpolation of the main melody of "Trans-Europe Express" by "Kraftwerk".^[1] In the US, it reached number 45 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Additionally, it reached number three on the Hot Rap Songs chart and number 14 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. The track reached number 87 on VH1's "100 Greatest Hip-Hop Songs of All Time".^{[citation needed]}

"We Trying to Stay Alive"
Single by Wyclef Jean featuring John Forté and Pras
from the album The Carnival
B-side	"Anything Can Happen"
Released	May 27, 1997
Recorded	1996
Genre	Hip hop
Length	3:11
Label	Columbia
Songwriter(s)	Jean, N.W./Michel, S.P./Gibb, R./Gibb, B./Gibb, M./Forte, J.
Producer(s)	Jerry 'Wonder' Duplessis, Wyclef Jean, Pras Michel
Wyclef Jean featuring John Forté and Pras singles chronology
"We Trying to Stay Alive" (1997) "Guantanamera" (1997)
Music video
"Wyclef Jean - We Trying To Stay Alive (Official Video) ft. John Forté, Pras" on YouTube

Reception

While the sampling of the Bee Gees hit "Stayin' Alive" was greenlit by the Bee Gee's management, the final song was not warmly received by the Bee Gees themselves. "I have to say I do not like anyone sampling our voices." Barry Gibb told MTV News in regards to the song. "Don't like it. Don't approve of it. Don't like it."^[2]

Music video

The official music video for the song was directed by Roman Coppola.^[3]

Track listing

UK CD1 (664681 2)

1. "We Trying to Stay Alive" (LP Version)
2. "We Trying to Stay Alive" (Instrumental)
3. "Anything Can Happen" (LP Version)
4. "Anything Can Happen" (Instrumental)

UK CD2 (664681 5)

1. "We Trying to Stay Alive" (LP Version)
2. "We Trying to Stay Alive" (Salaam Remi Remix)
3. "Imagino" (Creole Version)
4. "Flavor from the Carnival" (LP Snippets)

Chart performance

We Trying to Stay Alive peaked at number 45 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and spent a total of 12 weeks on the chart. It also peaked at number 4 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and number three on the Hot Rap Songs chart. In the UK, the song peaked at number 13 on the UK Singles Chart and spent a total of 5 weeks on the chart.

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (1997) Peak position Canada (Nielsen SoundScan)[4] 6 Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[5] 12 Germany (GfK)[6] 72 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[7] 5 Norway (VG-lista)[8] 10 Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[9] 18 UK Singles (OCC)[10] 13 US Billboard Hot 100[11] 45 US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[12] 14 US Hot Rap Songs (Billboard)[13] 3

Year-end charts Chart (1997) Position New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[14] 50 US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[15] 79

References

1. Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: "Wyclef Jean - We Trying To Stay Alive (Remix) ft. John Forté, Pras". YouTube.
2. "Bee Gees Don't Dig Wyclef's Sample". mtv.com. June 26, 1997. Archived from the original on 2014-04-27. Retrieved April 26, 2014.
3. Garcia, Alex S. "mvdbase.com - Wyclef Jean - "We trying to stay alive"". Music Video DataBase. Retrieved December 17, 2014.
4. "Wyclef Jean Chart History (Canadian Digital Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved January 23, 2023.
5. "Wyclef Jean feat. Refugee Allstars: We Trying to Stay Alive" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat. Retrieved November 5, 2021.
6. "Wyclef Jean feat. Refugee Allstars – We Trying to Stay Alive" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved November 5, 2021.
7. "Wyclef Jean feat. Refugee Allstars – We Trying to Stay Alive". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved November 5, 2021.
8. "Wyclef Jean feat. Refugee Allstars – We Trying to Stay Alive". VG-lista. Retrieved November 5, 2021.
9. "Wyclef Jean feat. Refugee Allstars – We Trying to Stay Alive". Singles Top 100. Retrieved November 5, 2021.
10. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 5, 2021.
11. "Wyclef Jean Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved November 5, 2021.
12. "Wyclef Jean Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved November 5, 2021.
13. "Wyclef Jean Chart History (Hot Rap Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved November 5, 2021.
14. "End of Year Charts 1997". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved December 4, 2017.
15. "Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs – Year-End 1997". Billboard. Archived from the original on August 3, 2015. Retrieved November 5, 2021.