The roots of Gene lay in a band called Spin, which featured guitarist Steve Mason and drummer Matt James. Spin disbanded after their career was sidetracked by their bassist's injury in a car crash, yet Mason and James continued playing together, recruiting bassist Kevin Miles through a mutual friend. The trio eventually met Welsh native Martin Rossiter, and the quartet formed Gene in 1993. Over the course of the next few months, the band wrote a batch of songs and had performed a number of concerts by the end of the year. A pair of music journalists, Keith Cameron and Roy Wilkinson, formed the Costermonger label in order to release Gene's debut single, "For the Dead," in April 1994. Nearly every copy of the limited-edition release sold out within the first week, and Gene soon became favorites of the British music weeklies. That July, "Be My Light, Be My Guide" became a number one hit on the indie charts, and Gene had emerged as one of the leading new bands of the burgeoning Britpop movement. Major-label interest beckoned, and the group signed with Polydor, who subsidized Costermonger in the U.K. An acclaimed third single, "Sleep Well Tonight," followed in September, and in January of 1995, Gene was named Best New Act at NME's Brat Awards.
Until the release of the group's debut album, Olympian, in the spring of 1995, Gene had continued to build momentum, partially because Martin Rossiter had adopted Morrissey's technique of giving articulate, outrageous and witty interviews. Olympian, however, was greeted with mixed reviews, and although the group had a sizable fan base -- the album debuted in the Top Ten -- they were soon overshadowed by the legions of groups that popped up in the wake of Blur and Oasis' success. Even so, "Haunted by You" and "Olympian" both became Top 20 hits. Early in 1996, To See the Lights, a collection of B-sides and BBC sessions, was released in England. For the remainder of the year, Gene was quiet, preparing their second album, Drawn to the Deep End. "Fighting Fit" was released as a teaser in the fall and became a Top Ten hit, but Drawn to the Deep End didn't follow through on its success. Although it debuted in the Top Ten upon its release in early 1997, it was greeted with decidedly mixed reviews and quickly fell down the charts, although the group's core audience remained loyal. By the new millennium, the band was without a label. They founded Contra and issued the live set Rising for Sunset: Live at the Troubadour in 2000. The album went almost unnoticed among the indie scene, however a true comeback loomed ahead. In mid-summer 2002, Gene emerged with Libertine, their strongest material since Olympian. A late summer/early fall trek across America coincided with the release.
Bibiography by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
There is another artist ith the same name:
2) GENE (جين) a Syrian neoprogressive rock band, one of the best acts in the Syrian rock scene, they started under the name ZODIAC playing progressive rock songs for bands such as ( Karmakanic ) later on they changed their name to GENE and decide to use Arabic lyrics with the progressive music creating a very unique style of their own, proving again how flexible Arabic language can be.
They are:
Maen rajab: Guitars
Omar harb: Bass guitar (The Hourglass - Anas & Friends)
Shadi Ali: Vocals (Guest in Anas & Friends)
Sahel Zen Eldien: Drums
Hazem Al-Ani: Piano & Keyboards
Anas Abd al-Moumen: Guitars (Anas & Friends)
GENE released their debut self-titled album in August 2008 .
Mayday
Gene Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's staring us in the face
We missed our last chance
Now Bevan spins round in his grave
Time to charge the gates
We're guilty as charged
There's no love left in the left
We're guilty as charged
Slowly moving west
Come play your part
We're crying mayday
Come play your part
Heart like a shark
We're crying mayday
Come play your part
We're guilty as charged
Let Mandelson infiltrate
We're guilty as charged
For calling a bucket a spade
I thought we had it made
Come play your part
We're crying mayday
Come play your part
Heart like a shark
We're crying mayday
Come play your part
Surely now's the time
You can see it in the eyes
Of all those left behind
The right must be denied
Surely now's the time
Come and join with me
People need to see
The new enemy
The lyrics in Gene's song Mayday are a mix of political frustration and personal accountability. The lyrics "We're guilty as charged, it's staring us in the face" express a sense of collective guilt, acknowledging that the current state of affairs is not just due to external circumstances, but also due to our own choices and complacency. The song seems to be a rallying cry for action and change, with the lines "Time to charge the gates" and "Surely now's the time" urging the listener to take action.
The mention of Bevan spinning in his grave refers to Nye Bevan, a British Labour politician who was instrumental in the creation of the National Health Service. The line "There's no love left in the left" suggests a disillusionment with leftist politics, perhaps due to a perceived lack of effectiveness or cohesion. The mention of Mandelson infiltrating and calling a bucket a spade are both references to individuals and events within British politics, adding a layer of specificity to the song's political critique.
Overall, Mayday seems to be a call for action, urging the listener to take responsibility for their role in the current political climate and to work towards change. The urgent, repetitive chorus "We're crying mayday, come play your part" adds to the song's sense of urgency and importance.
Line by Line Meaning
We're guilty as charged
We must take responsibility for our actions and accept the consequences.
It's staring us in the face
The evidence of our shortcomings is too obvious to be ignored.
We missed our last chance
We failed to take advantage of the opportunity that was presented to us.
Now Bevan spins round in his grave
Our actions would disapprove the noble sacrifice of Bevan's legacy.
Time to charge the gates
We must take aggressive action to achieve our goals.
There's no love left in the left
The liberal ideology is losing its appeal and support.
The party is close to its death
The political movement we believe in is almost extinct.
Slowly moving west
The political landscape is changing and becoming more conservative.
Come play your part
We need your help and involvement to make a difference.
We're crying mayday
We are in a state of emergency and need urgent assistance.
Heart like a shark
We must be ruthless and focused to achieve our goals.
Let Mandelson infiltrate
We must be willing to compromise our principles to achieve our objectives.
For calling a bucket a spade
We must be honest and straightforward in our communication, even if it is uncomfortable.
I thought we had it made
I believed that we were destined for success and prosperity.
Surely now's the time
This is the perfect opportunity to take advantage and make progress.
You can see it in the eyes
The evidence that we are on the cusp of a breakthrough is clear to see and feel.
Of all those left behind
Those who fail to embrace the change will be left behind and become irrelevant.
The right must be denied
We must resist and oppose the conservative agenda at all costs.
Come and join with me
We must unite and work together to achieve our goals.
People need to see
The public must be made aware of the urgency and importance of our cause.
The new enemy
Our struggle is against the forces of conservatism and complacency.
Contributed by Nathaniel A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.