‘Just Like Paradise’ is a song by American rock singer David Lee Roth. Released after he left Van Halen, it was produced by Roth and guitarist Steve Vai. The lead single from Roth's second solo album, 1988's Skyscraper, it reached the top 10 in the United States and Canada. in America it charted higher than any of his other solo tracks except his cover of ‘California Girls,’ which was released fresh off his departure from Van Halen. ‘Paradise’ gave the Van Halen fans what they wanted from Roth: A song about living the good life with cars, girls and rock and roll - very similar to what he delivered with ‘Panama.’
Roth wrote this song with Brett Tuggle, who also played keyboards and sang backup on the album. Tuggle toured with Rick Springfield for a few years before hooking up with Roth, and he later became a member of Mick Fleetwood's band The Zoo, which led to tours with Fleetwood Mac and Stevie Nicks.
Released in 1987, ‘Just Like Paradise’ entered the Billboard Hot 100 in January 1988 and peaked at number six in March. It reached number four on the Singles Sales chart and eight on the Hot 100 Airplay chart. It also spent four weeks atop the Mainstream Rock chart. The song peaked at eight in Canada, number 27 in the United Kingdom, number 13 in New Zealand, and number 77 in the Netherlands. Music critic Charles Bottomley called the song "a polished ode to decadence, with a chorus you would be unashamed to punch the air to". AllMusic's Eduardo Rivadavia described it as an "ultra-saccharine" single that tries "too hard to achieve an exaggerated pop sheen".
The video for the single was released in January 1988. Like other Roth videos, it heavily featured live stage performance. Between are clips of Roth rock climbing at Half Dome shot by Emmy Award-winning mountain climbing photographer David Breashears. "I started climbing when I was 11, in the Boy Scouts," he recalled. "It was a natural thing, plus you add in the books and comics and the movies. I'd say, 'Aw, I don't want to be the actor, I want to go to Arabia!" The video concludes with Roth on a 28-foot surfboard gliding across a concert crowd. "You ask four different people their impression of [the surfboard], you get six different responses," he observed. "I had a driver called Cowboy, a chopper pilot during the Tet Offensive. He said to me one day at rehearsal, 'Goddamn Dave: that reminds me of 'Nam… contour-flying over a hostile landing zone!' Then again, everything reminded Cowboy of 'Nam!" Noisecreep ranked the video 10th on their list of the best David Lee Roth videos.
Label – Warner Bros.
Songwriters – David Lee Roth, Brett Tuggle
Producers – David Lee Roth, Steve Vai
SONG LYRICS
Rockin' steady in her daddy's carShe got the stereo with the big guitars
And that's all right
Yeah (all right)
I got the itch and a restless soul
She gone with the wind, gonna go for broke tonight, yeah
And that's (all night)
Girl, we've been meant for this since we were born
(Since we were born)
No problems now, the coast is clear (ooh)
It's just the calm (ooh) before the storm
This must be just like livin' in paradise (just like paradise)
And I don't wanna go home (and I never wanna go)
This must be just like livin' in paradise
And I don't wanna go home
Dig it, dig it
Suzy, Suzy, girl, for cryin' out loud
You got all the right moves
You make me eat my heart out nightly
Aw (that's all right with me) yeah
No special favors, make it out to cash
We'll spend it later, got to make this romance last
And (last)
That's it, that's it
Some folks say easy come is easy go
(And some folks say)
But one night ain't enough for me
Girl, hang on tight and don't let go
This must be just like livin' in paradise (it's just like paradise, hey)
And I don't wanna go home (and I ain't never goin' home)
This must be just like livin' in paradise (just like, just like paradise)
And I don't wanna go home, wow
Ho ho, ho
Aw yeah
Whoo
This must be just like livin' in paradise (in paradise, paradise)
And I don't wanna go home (and I don't, I don't wanna go)
This must be just like livin' in paradise (never , I'm never goin' home)
And I don't wanna go home (wow, 1-800-SEE-YA, ho)
This must be just like livin' in paradise (just like paradise)
And I don't wanna go home (wow, hey hey)
(Just like paradise)
This must be just like livin' in (just like) paradise