Sade - Paradise (lyrics)

Details

Description

2nd track from "Stronger Than Pride" (1988). The beautiful siren of Yacht Rock—namely, Sade Adu—along with her jazzy pop English band deliver yet again with this timeless classic from their third studio album. It reached #1 on the Billboard R&B chart and #16 on the US Hot 100.

By the way, "timeless classic" is a good description because the Yacht Rock party was officially over half a decade earlier. Yet here it is, everything a smooth lover could ask for—up to and including a tropical island theme!

At least I think it's a tropical island theme. With only the single phrase "sand off the shore" to go by in the lyrics and a photo of a beach in the background on the cover, listeners are left to conjure up their own visions of paradise. But wherever that may be, for most fans it probably includes Ms Adu (YEE-OWW!!).

Oddly enough, however, the official video, which was reportedly filmed in the Tlalpan area of Mexico City, has Sade looking more like a small fisherman in oversized clothes than an exotic beauty (okay, it probably has something to do with that story about the Mexican fisherman and the Harvard MBA). But fortunately, the band's next big hit would return her shapely form as a "Splash"-styled mermaid...

~thatMimosaGrove

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Songwriters – Sade Adu, Andrew Hale, Stuart Matthewman, Paul S. Denman

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Album Personnel

Sade

Sade – arrangement, production
Sade Adu – vocals
Andrew Hale – keyboards
Stuart Matthewman – guitar, saxophone
Paul S. Denman – bass

Additional personnel

Olivier de Bosson – assistant engineering
Martin Ditcham – drums, percussion
Gordon Hunte – guitar ("Paradise", "Give It Up")
Nick Ingman – string arrangements ("Haunt Me", "I Never Thought I'd See the Day")
Jake Jacas – trombone
Alain Lubrano – assistant engineering
Vince McCartney – assistant engineering
James McMillan – trumpet
Leroy Osbourne – vocals
Levon Parian – cover photograph
Mike Pela – co-production, engineering
Herb Powers, Jr. – mastering
Ben Rogan – co-production, engineering
Franck Segarra – assistant engineering
Graham Smith – artwork, design
Jean-Christophe Vareille – assistant engineering
Melanie West – assistant engineering
Gavyn Wright – solo violin ("Haunt Me")
Toshi Yajima – inlay photograph