About The Song
“Planet Earth” is the debut single by the English new wave band Duran Duran, released on 2 February 1981.
It was an immediate hit in the band’s native UK, reaching number 12 on the UK Singles Chart on 21 February, and did even better in Australia, hitting number 8 to become Duran Duran’s first Top 10 hit anywhere in the world. Along with the track, “Girls on Film”, “Planet Earth” also hit the Top 40 on the US, dance charts.
The song later appeared on the band’s eponymous debut studio album Duran Duran, released in June 1981.
“Planet Earth” begins with a mid-tempo synthesised sweep backed with sequenced electronic rhythm, but the real rhythm section of throbbing bass and crisp drums soon kick in. Muted guitar carries the up-and-down throbbing as the singer joins in.
The sequenced part on this song is a Prophet-5 synth, while a Roland Jupiter-4 and a Crumar Performer were used for strings and other sounds. The flanging intro sound was the Jupiter 4 processed by an MXR flanger.
Record World described the song as being a “simple, catchy cut” with “a flexible bass [that] sets the consistent, throbbing pulse” and “mechanistic keyboard lines.”
The song was the first to explicitly acknowledge the fledgling New Romantic fashion movement, with the line “Like some New Romantic looking for the TV sound”.
The original demo had an extra verse at the end, as can be heard in the Manchester Square Demo version, released in 2009:
“I came outside I saw the nightfall with the rain, Sheet lightning flashes in my brain, Whatever happened to the world we used to know? I’ve got you coming over fear now.”
Video
Lyrics
Only came outside to watch the night fall with the rain
I heard you making patterns rhyme
Like some new romantic looking for the TV sound
You’ll see I’m right some other time, love
Look now, look all around
There’s no sign of life
Voices, another sound
Can you hear me now?
This is planet Earth
You’re looking at planet Earth
(Bop, bop-bop, bop, bop-bop, bop-bop)
This is planet Earth
My head is stuck on something precious
Let me know, if you’re coming down to land
Is there anybody out there trying to get through?
My eyes – so cloudy I can’t see you
Look now, look all around
There’s no sign of life
Voices, another sound
Can you hear me now?
This is planet Earth
You’re looking at planet Earth
(Bop, bop-bop, bop, bop-bop, bop-bop)
This is planet Earth
Look now, look all around
There’s no sign of life
Voices, another sound
Can you hear me now?
This is planet Earth
You’re looking at planet Earth
(Bop, bop-bop, bop, bop-bop, bop-bop)
This is planet Earth
(Bop, bop-bop, bop, bop-bop, bop-bop)
Calling planet Earth
(Bop, bop-bop, bop, bop-bop, bop-bop)
Looking at planet Earth
(Bop, bop-bop, bop, bop-bop, bop-bop)
This is planet Earth