"Man on the Corner" is a song by British band Genesis

Genesis (band)

Genesis are an English rock band that formed in 1967. The band currently comprises the longest-tenured members Tony Banks , Mike Rutherford and Phil Collins . Past members Peter Gabriel , Steve Hackett and Anthony Phillips , also played major roles in the band in its early years...

, released on March 5, 1982. The song was written by Phil Collins

Phil Collins

Philip David Charles "Phil" Collins, LVO is an English singer-songwriter, drummer, pianist and actor best known as a drummer and vocalist for British progressive rock group Genesis and as a solo artist....

.

Lyrics

The lyrics describe a man who spends his days on a street corner, shouting at passersby. According to the radio show In the Studio with Redbeard

In the Studio with Redbeard

In the Studio with Redbeard is a North American radio program, produced and hosted by Dallas, Texas based rock and roll disc jockey Redbeard....

 (which spotlighted the making of the Abacab album), the song was composer Collins' first song about the homeless epidemic and society's reluctance to help the homeless or find a resolution. Backed by a simple drum machine beat, the song takes a musically dark tone. Near the end of the 1980s, Collins would revisit the theme of homelessness in "Another Day in Paradise

Another Day in Paradise

"Another Day in Paradise" is a song by Phil Collins released as the first single from his number-one album But Seriously . As with his song from Genesis, "Man on the Corner" "Another Day in Paradise" was written to bring attention to the problem of homelessness; as such, the song was a substantial...

".

Music video

The music video used to promote the song features Collins, Banks, and Rutherford, along with Daryl Stuermer and Chester Thompson playing on stage together, using different colours to illuminate the band. It was filmed during a performance at the Savoy Theatre in New York City.