1. Genesis formed in 1967 in Go… Read Full Bio ↴There are three bands named Genesis.
1. Genesis formed in 1967 in Godalming, Surrey (United Kingdom) and was one of the most popular progressive rock bands in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. During the 1970s, Peter Gabriel was the lead singer until his departure, when drummer Phil Collins stepped up to the mic and replaced him.
Starting as an amalgam of two bands formed by schoolboys attending Charterhouse School in Godalming, England, the original lineup consisted of Peter Gabriel, Anthony Phillips, Tony Banks, Mike Rutherford, and Chris Stewart, though Stewart was soon replaced as drummer by John Silver and then John Mayhew. By the end of 1970, Phillips and Mayhew had left the band, with Collins joining as drummer, and by early 1971, guitarist Steve Hackett had filled the gap left by Phillips. The lineup of Gabriel, Banks, Hackett, Rutherford, and Collins remained in place until Gabriel's departure in 1975.
During the period of 1970-1975, the band produced some of the most widely-acclaimed albums of the progressive rock era, including "Nursery Cryme", "Foxtrot" (featuring the side-long epic "Supper's Ready") and the seminal album "Selling England by the Pound", which generated Genesis' first foray into the charts with "I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe)". This lineup culminated with the band's magnum opus "The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway" in 1974. Following the tour promoting the album, frontman Peter Gabriel left the group in mid 1975.
Genesis decided to continue on as a four-piece, producing two albums, "A Trick of the Tail" and "Wind & Wuthering", which found the band proving to themselves and to the world that they could move on after Gabriel's departure. Collins stepped up to fill the role of lead vocalist after countless auditions for a new singer proved fruitless by the completion of recording for "A Trick of the Tail". Hackett quietly departed after the "Wind & Wuthering" tour in 1977, feeling that his creative input for the band was being repressed.
In 1978, Tony Banks and Mike Rutherford contributed music to a British movie called "The Shout" based on a short story by Robert Graves, directed by Jerzy Skomilowski and produced by Jeremy Thomas. (More credits and info here http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0078259/combined)
Genesis then became a trio which began to move away from the dying embers of progressive rock. They established themselves as a more commercially-friendly outfit with the release of their 1978 album "...And Then There Were Three...", finding their first US hit with the single "Follow You Follow Me".
Banks, Rutherford, and Collins became more adept at writing radio-friendly songs in the 1980s. This reached a peak with the release of 1986's "Invisible Touch", in which more than half of the album's eight songs made it to the singles chart, including the title track, "Land of Confusion" and "In Too Deep". All three band members produced solo albums during Genesis' downtime in the 80s and 90s - most notably Collins' increasingly successful solo work, and Rutherford's sideline group "Mike and the Mechanics" which found moderate success - with evolving styles reflected both when going solo and when recording together as Genesis.
Collins left the group in 1996, and was replaced vocally by Ray Wilson, the former lead singer of Scottish band "Stiltskin". Israeli born drummer Nir Zidkyahu and "Spock's Beard" drummer Nick D'Virgilio stepped in to fill the drumming role. Their 1997 album "Calling All Stations" was unable to find worldwide success, and despite scoring a minor U.K. hit with "Congo", the group slowly faded out of public consciousness. In 1998, after the "Calling All Stations" tour (the US leg of which was cut short due to poor album sales), Wilson was released from the band, and Zidkyahu and D'Virgilio, having never been "official" band members, went their separate ways. The band, now down to only Tony Banks and Mike Rutherford, took a break from performing and recording.
In 1999 Banks, Rutherford, Collins, Gabriel, and Hackett collaborated to re-record "The Carpet Crawlers" for greatest hits compilation "Turn It on Again: The Hits".
During the latter part of 2005, rumors spread that the band would reform again in its most famous five-man configuration. Genesis management stated that there were no current plans at that time, and that nothing would change in the following twelve months. Phil Collins then said in a radio interview in April 2006 that the classic Genesis line-up was considering a new live-staging of "The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway", but it was not to be. On 7th November 2006, Phil Collins, Tony Banks and Mike Rutherford announced they would be doing a twenty-date tour of Europe in the summer of 2007, with a North American tour to follow.
A Live DVD of the final European concert in Rome, where the band performed free for 500,000 fans, was released May 26th 2008: "When In Rome - Live 2007".
In April of 2011, Phil Collins, after completing a reunion tour with Genesis, said in a newspaper interview that he has no plans to tour or make another album, effectively retiring after over 40 years in the music business.
Official website: www.genesis-music.com
2. In 1967-8, there was an American band that was also named Genesis. It was a psychedelic rock group based in Los Angeles which released one album In the Beginning in 1968. The name conflict was known to the record label of UK Genesis, which is why their debut album From Genesis to Revelation coyly omitted the band's name except in the album title. While both bands suffered poor sales for their debuts, the US band broke up in late 1968 not long after one of their members was drafted into the army. This more or less ended any significant confusion except in situations like Last.fm or lazy Googling.
3. A Colombian group called Génesis also exists. If you are scrobbling songs by that group and have ended up on this page, please fix your tags to Génesis with the first "e" accented.
Every Day
Genesis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Or say why a life has gone to waste
Pleasure Island was an overcrowded place
Cleopatra's Needle conquered fear
One more nail in your coffin dear
Endless torture for at least two thousand years
What's the use of friendship, who am I
Hell bent on destruction, how I tried
You became a ghost to me long before you died
The lyrics of Genesis's song Every Day are contemplative and introspective, exploring themes of loss, regret, isolation, and the futile struggle for meaning in a chaotic and uncertain world. The opening line "Can you light a fire in Winter's face" is a metaphor for the difficulty of finding warmth, light, and hope in the dark and cold season of life. The singer seems to be asking if it's possible to defy the natural order of things and overcome the harshness and despair of existence. The next line "Or say why a life has gone to waste" suggests a sense of existential angst and frustration, as if the singer is grappling with the meaninglessness of human existence and the inevitability of death. The image of Pleasure Island as an overcrowded place is ironic and poignant, as it highlights the contrast between the illusion of pleasure and the reality of suffering and emptiness that lies beneath it. The line "Cleopatra's Needle conquered fear" refers to the obelisk that was moved from Egypt to London in the 19th century, symbolizing the triumph of human will and technology over tradition and adversity. However, the next line "One more nail in your coffin dear" undercuts this triumphalism, suggesting that every victory is also a reminder of mortality and finitude. The final line "Endless torture for at least two thousand years" echoes the biblical concept of hell, implying that the struggles and pain of life are not confined to a single existence but endure across time and space.
The second verse of the song continues the introspective rumination of the first one, with the singer questioning the value and meaning of friendship, expressing a sense of nihilistic self-destructiveness, and lamenting the loss of someone who was already emotionally absent long before their physical death. The line "You became a ghost to me long before you died" is particularly poignant, suggesting that the distance between people can be as isolating and destructive as death itself. The overall mood of the song is somber and melancholic, but also reflective and honest, as if the singer is trying to come to terms with the harsh realities of life and the limits of human understanding.
Line by Line Meaning
Can you light a fire in Winter's face
Can you bring warmth and light into the cold and dark times, when everything seems hopeless.
Or say why a life has gone to waste
Can you explain why some people's lives seem to be pointless and without meaning, despite their efforts.
Pleasure Island was an overcrowded place
The pursuit of pleasure and materialistic lifestyle can be overwhelming and unfulfilling, like living on a crowded island.
Cleopatra's Needle conquered fear
Even the bravest person can experience fear, but to overcome it, one must be courageous like Cleopatra's Needle, an obelisk that survived for thousands of years.
One more nail in your coffin dear
Each mistake or failure can add up and bring one closer to their eventual downfall, like nails in a coffin.
Endless torture for at least two thousand years
Humanity has been plagued by constant struggles for thousands of years, and it seems like there's no end to this torment.
Every day
Despite all the hardships and uncertainties of life, we must face each day and try our best to make the most of it.
What's the use of friendship, who am I
At times, one can feel lost and question the value of relationships and their own identity.
Hell bent on destruction, how I tried
When one is in a negative mindset, they may feel like they're striving for self-destruction and can't seem to escape it.
You became a ghost to me long before you died
When a relationship turns sour or changes, one may feel as if their loved one has died metaphorically, long before their actual death.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: STEVE HACKETT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@SoftRockMusicPlaylist1612
This song is 100% my wife. I lost her a day ago, and even in death, she gave of herself as an organ donor. Three people's lives were saved because of her gracious donations. I will love her forever.
@haroldkornfeld6822
MY DEEPEST CONDOLENCES TO YOU MY FREIND!!I KNOW SHE WAS VERY SPECIAL!!
@integrite839
Sorry brother! May her beautiful soul still rest in paradise.
@ukahnwajei4617
God rest her soul and comfort you always.
@dieselblaze6665
I am sorry for your loss my friend,.... I would buy you a 6-pack of beers if I could.
True, a batch of ice cold brewskies won't bring your wife back, but they might help make it a little easier for you to go on living without her
God rest her soul
@ingridmwikachungwa2913
❤
@carmenleticia7920
The year is currently 2023 and this song is still an absolute classic
@lindapearcr3138
Indeed!
@spockb1186
Always
@brandonmoore7497
I’m listening to Phil Collins Everyday late February 2023