Ghetto Heaven

Album: Chain (1990)
Charted: 10
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This is all about finding inner peace, or "ghetto heaven," after a long and strenuous day.
  • The Family Stand were unable to break into the US mainstream but they had significant international success with this song, which cracked the UK's Top 10. Songfacts asked The Family Stand's Peter Lord why this song was so successful over the pond: "I have no idea why the UK audience loved it... The Jazzy B remix? The fact that it was a very different and poignant song within the grooving beat. They got a fair chance to hear it. It went to #3 on the urban charts in America. The executive decision made was NOT to cross it over to the pop charts in America."
  • Lord is an accomplished songwriter best known for his work on Paula Abdul's second album, Spellbound. Stevie Wonder played harmonica on that album, meaning Lord was able to meet his idol, who just so happened to love this song. "He knew our hit 'Ghetto Heaven,' so we were amped," said Lord. "It was one of the highlights of my music career to work with my hero."
  • This is lifted from The Family Stand's second album, Chain, the predecessor to Moon in Scorpio, a cult classic which made The New York Times' "Top 10 Albums of 1992" list and which Lord called "the Family Stand's greatest artistic achievement... so far."
  • The tune was revived in 2000 by the rap artist Common as "Geto Heaven Part 2" on his Like Water For Chocolate album as a duet with D'Angelo. Macy Gray featured as the female vocalist on the European remix video for the song.

Comments: 1

  • Petr Šíp from PrahaWhat a beautiful masterpiece.
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Jethro Tull

Jethro TullFact or Fiction

Stage urinals, flute devices, and the real Aqualung in this Fact or Fiction.

Daryl Hall

Daryl HallSongwriter Interviews

Daryl Hall's TV show is a hit, and he's been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame - only one of these developments excites him.

Don Brewer of Grand Funk

Don Brewer of Grand FunkSongwriter Interviews

The drummer and one of the primary songwriters in Grand Funk talks rock stardom and Todd Rundgren.

Name the Character in the Song

Name the Character in the SongMusic Quiz

With a few clues (Works at a diner, dreams of running away), can you name the character in the song?

Danny Kortchmar

Danny KortchmarSongwriter Interviews

Danny played guitar on Sweet Baby James, Tapestry, and Running On Empty. He also co-wrote many hit songs, including "Dirty Laundry," "Sunset Grill" and "Tender Is The Night."

Charlie Daniels

Charlie DanielsSongwriter Interviews

Charlie discusses the songs that made him a Southern Rock icon, and settles the Devil vs. Johnny argument once and for all.