We Trying to Stay Alive

"We Trying to Stay Alive"
"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	27 May 1997
Genre	Hip hop
Length	3:11
Label	Columbia
Songwriters	Jean, N.W.; Michel, S.P.; Gibb, R.; Gibb, B.; Gibb, M.; Forte, J.;
Producers	Jerry 'Wonder' Duplessis; Wyclef Jean; Pras Michel;
Wyclef Jean singles chronology
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

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

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

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

Track listings

UK CD1 (664681 2)

"We Trying to Stay Alive" (LP Version)
"We Trying to Stay Alive" (Instrumental)
"Anything Can Happen" (LP Version)
"Anything Can Happen" (Instrumental)

UK CD2 (664681 5)

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

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 Dance Singles Sales (Billboard)^[12]	2
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)^[13]	14
US Hot Rap Songs (Billboard)^[14]	3

Year-end charts

Chart (1997)	Position
New Zealand (RIANZ)^[15]	50
Sweden (Topplistan)^[16]	99
US Hot R&B Singles (Billboard)^[17]	79
US Hot Rap Singles (Billboard)^[18]	39
US Maxi-Singles Sales (Billboard)^[19]	15

References

^ Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: "Wyclef Jean - We Trying To Stay Alive (Remix) ft. John Forté, Pras". YouTube. 24 November 2009.
^ "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.
^ Garcia, Alex S. "mvdbase.com - Wyclef Jean - "We trying to stay alive"". Music Video DataBase. Retrieved 17 December 2014.
^ "Wyclef Jean Chart History (Canadian Digital Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 23 January 2023.
^ "Wyclef Jean feat. Refugee Allstars: We Trying to Stay Alive" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat. Retrieved 5 November 2021.
^ "Wyclef Jean feat. Refugee Allstars – We Trying to Stay Alive" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 5 November 2021.
^ "Wyclef Jean feat. Refugee Allstars – We Trying to Stay Alive". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 5 November 2021.
^ "Wyclef Jean feat. Refugee Allstars – We Trying to Stay Alive". VG-lista. Retrieved 5 November 2021.
^ "Wyclef Jean feat. Refugee Allstars – We Trying to Stay Alive". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 5 November 2021.
^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 5 November 2021.
^ "Wyclef Jean Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 5 November 2021.
^ "Wyclef Jean Chart History (Dance Singles Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved 28 May 2025.
^ "Wyclef Jean Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 5 November 2021.
^ "Wyclef Jean Chart History (Hot Rap Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 5 November 2021.
^ "End of Year Top 50 Singles 1997". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 28 May 2025.
^ "Årslista Singlar, 1997" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved 28 May 2025.
^ "Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs – Year-End 1997". Billboard. Archived from the original on 3 August 2015. Retrieved 5 November 2021.
^ "1997 The Year in Music: Hot Rap Singles". Billboard. Vol. 109, no. 52. 27 December 1997. p. YE-42.
^ "1997 The Year in Music: Hot Dance Maxi-Singles Sales". Billboard. Vol. 109, no. 52. 27 December 1997. p. YE-45.

[1] Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: "Wyclef Jean - We Trying To Stay Alive (Remix) ft. John Forté, Pras". YouTube. 24 November 2009.

[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.

[mvd-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.

[sc_Finland_Wyclef_Jean_feat._Refugee_Allstars-5] "Wyclef Jean feat. Refugee Allstars: We Trying to Stay Alive" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat. Retrieved 5 November 2021.

[sc_Germany_Wyclef_Jean_feat._Refugee_Allstars-6] "Wyclef Jean feat. Refugee Allstars – We Trying to Stay Alive" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 5 November 2021.

[sc_New_Zealand_Wyclef_Jean_feat._Refugee_Allstars-7] "Wyclef Jean feat. Refugee Allstars – We Trying to Stay Alive". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 5 November 2021.

[sc_Norway_Wyclef_Jean_feat._Refugee_Allstars-8] "Wyclef Jean feat. Refugee Allstars – We Trying to Stay Alive". VG-lista. Retrieved 5 November 2021.

[sc_Sweden_Wyclef_Jean_feat._Refugee_Allstars-9] "Wyclef Jean feat. Refugee Allstars – We Trying to Stay Alive". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 5 November 2021.

[sc_UK_-10] "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 5 November 2021.

[sc_Billboardhot100_Wyclef_Jean-11] "Wyclef Jean Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 5 November 2021.

[sc_Billboarddancesales_Wyclef_Jean-12] "Wyclef Jean Chart History (Dance Singles Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved 28 May 2025.

[sc_Billboardrandbhiphop_Wyclef_Jean-13] "Wyclef Jean Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 5 November 2021.

[sc_Billboardrapsongs_Wyclef_Jean-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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v t e Wyclef Jean
Discography
Studio albums	The Carnival The Ecleftic: 2 Sides II a Book Masquerade The Preacher's Son Welcome to Haiti: Creole 101 Carnival Vol. II: Memoirs of an Immigrant From the Hut, To the Projects, To the Mansion Carnival III: The Fall and Rise of a Refugee
Compilations	Greatest Hits
EPs	If I Were President: My Haitian Experience J'ouvert
Singles	"We Trying to Stay Alive" "Guantanamera" "Gone till November" "Cheated (To All the Girls)" "Gunpowder" "Another One Bites the Dust (Wyclef Jean Remix)" "New Day" "It Doesn't Matter" "911" "Perfect Gentleman" "Wish You Were Here" "Two Wrongs" "Pussycat" "Party to Damascus" "Sweetest Girl (Dollar Bill)" "Dar um Jeito (We Will Find a Way)" "Divine Sorrow"
Featured singles	"No, No, No" "In the Zone" "Maria Maria" "Loving You (Ole Ole Ole)" "One Nite Stand" "Shape of You (Reshaped)" "Learn Chinese" "Hips Don't Lie" "Nuestro Himno" "Dangerous" "You Know What It Is" "Five-O" "Dimelo" "Dear Future Self (Hands Up)"
Tours	The Carnival Tour
See also	Barikad Crew Jimmy O The Fugees

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