"When Am I Going to Make a Living"
Single by Sade
from the album Diamond Life
B-side
Released14 May 1984 (1984-05-14)
Recorded1983–1984
StudioPower Plant, London
GenreSoul[1]
Length3:27
LabelEpic
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Robin Millar
Sade singles chronology
"Your Love Is King"
(1984) 		"When Am I Going to Make a Living"
(1984) 		"Smooth Operator"
(1984)
Music video
"When Am I Going to Make a Living" on YouTube

"When Am I Going to Make a Living" is a song by English band Sade from their debut studio album, Diamond Life (1984). It was released on 14 May 1984 as the album's second single. It was written by Sade Adu & Stuart Matthewman, and produced by Robin Millar.

Music Video

The music video was directed by Stuart Orme, and takes place with Sade in Power Plant, London.

Reception

Frank Guan of Vulture commented, "Few songs capture the sense of living amidst dealers and liars in a precarious economy better than this early single, nor better express the cheeky optimism that things will get better once we both take individual responsibility and see ourselves collectively. Written during the Thatcher years, it's only gained in relevance in the three decades since."[2]

Track listings

Charts

Chart performance for "When Am I Going to Make a Living"
Chart (1984) Peak
position
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[3] 29
Ireland (IRMA)[4] 28
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[5] 12
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[6] 12
UK Singles (OCC)[7] 36

References

  1. ^ Kellman, Andy. "Sade - Diamond Life album review". Allmusic. Retrieved 1 November 2023.
  2. ^ Guan, Frank (26 October 2017). "All 73 Sade Songs, Ranked From Worst to Best". Vulture. Retrieved 21 June 2019.
  3. ^ "Sade – When Am I Going to Make a Living" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 6 October 2019.
  4. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – When Am I Going to Make a Living". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 6 October 2019.
  5. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Sade" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 6 October 2019.
  6. ^ "Sade – When Am I Going to Make a Living" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 6 October 2019.
  7. ^ "Sade: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2 September 2017.
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