Escape (The Piña Colada Song)

"Escape (The Piña Colada Song)" is a song written and performed by British-American singer-songwriter Rupert Holmes taken from his fifth studio album Partners in Crime (1979). As the lead single for the album, the pop song was recommended by Billboard for radio broadcasters on September 29, 1979, then added to prominent US radio playlists during October–November. Rising in popularity, the song peaked at the end of December to become the final US number-one song of the 1970s.

Content

The song follows a three-act narrative with three verses and choruses.

It is told from the perspective of a man bored with his partner. While she sleeps, he reads the personals column in the newspaper and sees an ad from a woman seeking a carefree man who, among other things, enjoys piña coladas. Planning to cheat on his partner, he replies and arranges a secret meeting—only to discover the woman is his current partner, who had also planned to cheat on him.

The song's theme highlights how a lack of communication can lead to infidelity, and that open, honest dialogue can avoid heartbreak and boredom.

Background and writing

Initially, the chorus started with the line "If you like Humphrey Bogart", which Holmes changed at the last minute, replacing the actor with the name of the first exotic cocktail that came to mind and fit the music.

As I was getting on mic I thought to myself, I've done so many movie references to Bogart and wide-screen cinema on my earlier albums, maybe I shouldn't do one here.I thought, What can I substitute? Well, this woman wants an escape, like she wants to go on vacation to the islands. When you go on vacation to the islands, when you sit on the beach and someone asks you if you'd like a drink, you never order a Budweiser, you don't have a beer. You're on vacation, you want a drink in a hollowed-out pineapple with the flags of all nations and a parasol. If the drink is blue you'd be very happy. And a long straw. I thought, What are those escape drinks? Let's see, there's daiquiri, mai tai, piña colada... I wonder what a piña colada tastes like? I've never even had one.I thought that instead of singing, "If you like Humphrey Bogart," with the emphasis on like, I could start it a syllable earlier and go, "If you like piña-a coladas."

— Rupert Holmes

Holmes said in 2019 that he still does not drink piña coladas.

Reception and legacy

The song shot up through the US charts, becoming the country's last number-one Billboard Hot 100 hit of 1979 and of the 1970s. "Escape" was knocked out of the top spot but returned to number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart during the second week of 1980, having been displaced for a week by KC and the Sunshine Band's "Please Don't Go". It is the first pop song to ascend to No. 1 on the Billboard pop chart in two different decades. The song was the 11th best-selling single of 1980 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.

In a 2016 episode of the TV show Better Call Saul, the show's protagonist, Jimmy McGill (a.k.a. Saul Goodman), while filming an ad for his fledgling legal practice, claims he is making a documentary about Rupert Holmes and sings part of "Escape".

The Goldbergs' "The Piña Colada Episode" in 2019 is based on an incident that Adam F. Goldberg said really happened to his family. Goldberg said his family had to listen to "Escape" over and over when a cassette tape got stuck in the car's tape deck.

Credits and personnel

• Rupert Holmes – vocals, keyboards, synthesizer
• Dean Bailin – guitar
• Frank Gravis – bass
• Leo Adamian – drums
• Steve Jordan – "double drumming" with Adamian

Charts

Certifications

See also

• List of Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles of 1979
• List of Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles of 1980