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We Trying to Stay Alive

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"We Trying to Stay Alive"
Single by Wyclef Jean featuring John Forté and Pras
from the album The Carnival
B-side"Anything Can Happen"
Released27 May 1997
GenreHip hop
Length3:11
LabelColumbia
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Wyclef Jean 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

"We Trying to Stay Alive" is the first single released from Haitian rapper 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 Singles chart. The track reached number 87 on VH1's "100 Greatest Hip-Hop Songs of All Time".[citation needed]

Reception

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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]

Chart performance

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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 four on the Hot R&B Singles 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 five weeks on the chart.

Music video

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

Track listings

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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)

Charts

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References

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  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. 26 June 1997. Archived from the original on 27 April 2014. Retrieved 26 April 2014.
  3. ^ Garcia, Alex S. "mvdbase.com - Wyclef Jean - "We trying to stay alive"". Music Video DataBase. Retrieved 17 December 2014.
  4. ^ "Wyclef Jean Chart History (Canadian Digital Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 23 January 2023.
  5. ^ "Wyclef Jean feat. Refugee Allstars: We Trying to Stay Alive" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat. Retrieved 5 November 2021.
  6. ^ "Wyclef Jean feat. Refugee Allstars – We Trying to Stay Alive" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 5 November 2021.
  7. ^ "Wyclef Jean feat. Refugee Allstars – We Trying to Stay Alive". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 5 November 2021.
  8. ^ "Wyclef Jean feat. Refugee Allstars – We Trying to Stay Alive". VG-lista. Retrieved 5 November 2021.
  9. ^ "Wyclef Jean feat. Refugee Allstars – We Trying to Stay Alive". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 5 November 2021.
  10. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 5 November 2021.
  11. ^ "Wyclef Jean Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 5 November 2021.
  12. ^ "Wyclef Jean Chart History (Dance Singles Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved 28 May 2025.
  13. ^ "Wyclef Jean Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 5 November 2021.
  14. ^ "Wyclef Jean Chart History (Hot Rap Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 5 November 2021.
  15. ^ "End of Year Top 50 Singles 1997". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 28 May 2025.
  16. ^ "Årslista Singlar, 1997" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved 28 May 2025.
  17. ^ "Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs – Year-End 1997". Billboard. Archived from the original on 3 August 2015. Retrieved 5 November 2021.
  18. ^ "1997 The Year in Music: Hot Rap Singles". Billboard. Vol. 109, no. 52. 27 December 1997. p. YE-42.
  19. ^ "1997 The Year in Music: Hot Dance Maxi-Singles Sales". Billboard. Vol. 109, no. 52. 27 December 1997. p. YE-45.
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