I've been a fan of the band Genesis since about the mid-eighties (which makes me a latecomer -- they first started in the late 60's). It pretty much matches when I started getting interested in politics.
And that's turning into quite the odd coincidence, as I've started to notice that some of their songs are a bit more political than they probably intended. In fact, it seems that they actually wrote "theme songs" for the last two Democratic presidential nominees.
Back when John Kerry was getting ready to crash and burn, I was listening to "The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway" and noticed that "The Grand Parade Of Lifeless Packaging" was eerily reminiscent of the lantern-jawed Bay Stater.
Then, the other day, I was listening once again to "Duke" (in my opinion, one of their best albums -- as long as you ditch the incredibly whiny "Misunderstanding" and "Please Don't Ask") when the second track came on. And as I listened to the sad tale of the rise and fall of a female pop star, I couldn't help but see the parallels between the unnamed singer and our current president:
Genesis
Duchess
"Duke," Track 2
Times were good,
She never thought about the future, she just did what she would
Oh but she really cared
About her music, it all seemed so important then,
And she dreamed that every time that she performed
Everyone would cry for more,
That all she had to do was step into the light,
And everyone would start to roar.
And on the road,
Where all but a few fall by the wayside on the grassier verge,
She battled through
Against the others in her world, and the sleep, and the odds.
But now every time that she performed
Oh everybody cried for more,
Soon all she had to do was step into the light,
For everyone to start to roar.
And all the people cried, you're the one we've waited for.
Oh but time went by
It wasn't so easy now, all uphill, and not feeling so strong.
Yes times were hard,
Too much thinking 'bout the future and what people might want.
And then there was the time that she performed
When nobody called for more
And soon every time she stepped into the light,
They really let her know the score.
But she dreamed of the times when she sang all her songs
And everybody cried for more,
When all she had to do was step into the light
For everyone to start to roar.
And all the people cried, you're the one we've waited for.
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Comments (7)
The Duke reference is excel... (Below threshold)1. Posted by BPG | January 8, 2010 6:51 AM | Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
The Duke reference is excellent, sir. Unfortunately most people won't get it.
1. Posted by BPG | January 8, 2010 6:51 AM |
Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
Posted on January 8, 2010 06:51
2. Posted by SCSIwuzzy | January 8, 2010 10:05 AM | Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
I was out shopping with the wife on New Years day, and we stopped in a chain restaraunt, one with movie posters and license plates on the walls, for lunch and a beer.
Solsbury Hill came on. I was tapping my hand and singinging along under my breath without realizing it, got caught, she asked what the song was. Told her, opined it was a great Peter Gabriel song. She said she thought it was Genesis. I said it was a song about his choice to leave Genesis and go solo. She said "Peter Gabriel was in Genesis? I thought it was Phil Collins that went solo..."
And once again, I felt so old...
2. Posted by SCSIwuzzy | January 8, 2010 10:05 AM |
Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
Posted on January 8, 2010 10:05
3. Posted by bryanD | January 8, 2010 2:38 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
My favorite Genesis album is "Trick of the Tail" though the FOLLOWING albums are good as well. Genesis' Moddish upper class Victorianisms on TOTT is pretty darned inspired. Too bad the "remastered" CDs are a bit sonically botched compared to the LP.
A typically good cut from the album.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3W-uOQ41n8U
3. Posted by bryanD | January 8, 2010 2:38 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on January 8, 2010 14:38
4. Posted by Jay Tea | January 8, 2010 4:32 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Typically, BryanD.
"Trick Of The Tail" is far, far inferior to "Selling England By The Pound." Further, Collins didn't really find his footing until the Duke/Abacab/Genesis trilogy.
Well, he did fine on the live albums -- "Seconds Out" and "Three Sides Live." But "Trick" -- like "Wind And Wuthering" and "...And Then There Were Three" always left me cold.
J.
4. Posted by Jay Tea | January 8, 2010 4:32 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on January 8, 2010 16:32
5. Posted by Ralph | January 8, 2010 6:49 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Lets get a few things straight. Gabriel is so much better than Phil.
With that said, the lyrics to "Feeding the Fire" from 1986 are very powerful. Especially as we enter this Stanley Baldwin/Neville Chamberlain period in our history.
http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/g/genesis/feeding_the_fire.html
Ralph
P.S. Steve Hackett rocks!
5. Posted by Ralph | January 8, 2010 6:49 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on January 8, 2010 18:49
6. Posted by Brad | January 9, 2010 4:09 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Ha ha--reading this, I picture Jay Tea as Christian Bale in "American Psycho"! Remember his character's zany breakdown of Phil Collins (and I think Genesis, too?--hahaha). Love your blog, Jay.
6. Posted by Brad | January 9, 2010 4:09 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on January 9, 2010 16:09
7. Posted by Brian Richard Allen
| January 10, 2010 3:09 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Expecting everyone to start to roar, 0zero mewled, "I'm one you've waited for."
Soon every time that he appeared - nobody called out for more.
And no one has begun the roar that 0zero is still waiting for.
And all the people cry, "You're not the one we've waited for!"
But soon as Sarah stepped into the light and let them know she knew the score, everybody cried for more!
Now all MS Palin has to do, is step back in the light.
And everyone will start to roar, "You're the one we're waiting for!"
PALIN/BOLTON/2012!
7. Posted by Brian Richard Allen
| January 10, 2010 3:09 AM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on January 10, 2010 03:09