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.
No Son of Mine
Genesis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Was never in much doubt
The question was how I could keep sane
Trying to find the way out
Things were never easy for me
Peace of mind was hard to find
And I needed a place where I could hide
I didn't think much about it
Till it started happening all the time
Soon I was living with the fear everyday
Of what might happen at night
I couldn't stand to hear the
Crying of my mother
And I remember when
I swore that, that would be the
Last they'd see of me
And I never went home again
They say time is a healer
And now my wounds are not the same
I rang the bell with my heart in my mouth
I had to hear what he'd say
He sat me down to talk to me
He looked me straight in the eyes
He said:
"You're no son, you're no son of mine
You're no son, you're no son of mine
You walked out, you left us behind
And you're no son, you're no son of mine"
Oh his words how they hurt me
I'll never forget it
And as the time, it went by
I lived to regret it
You're no son, you're no son of mine
But where should I go
Please tell me what should I do
You're no son, you're no son of mine
But I came here for help
Oh I was looking for you
Well the years they passed so slowly
I thought about him everyday
What would I do, if we passed on the street
Would I keep running away
In and out of hiding places
Soon I'd have to face the facts
We'd have to sit down and talk it over
And that would mean going back
They say time is a healer
And now my wounds are not the same
I rang the bell with my heart in my mouth
I had to hear what he'd say
He sat me down to talk to me
He looked me straight in the eyes
He said:
"You're no son, you're no son of mine
You're no son, you're no son of mine
You walked out, you left us behind
And you're no son, you're no son of mine"
Oh his words how they hurt me
I'll never forget it
And as the time, it went by
I lived to regret it
You're no son, you're no son of mine
But where should I go
Please tell me what should I do
You're no son, you're no son of mine
But I came here for help
Oh I was looking for you
The song No Son of Mine by Genesis is a heart-wrenching take on the experience of a child who runs away from home and tries to outrun their past, only to come back seeking forgiveness. The singer describes the difficulty they faced growing up, with peace of mind and a place to call their own hard to come by. They couldn't bear to hear their mother crying and they swore that they would never return home. The haunting chorus of "You're no son, you're no son of mine" shows the pain of the separation from their family.
As time passes by, the singer realizes that they need a resolution to the pain that they have been carrying. They go back to try and make amends with their family, even though they know it will not be easy. They describe the physical pain they feel as they go to ring the doorbell, knowing that what they are seeking might be hard to come by. The song ends with a sense of uncertainty, with the singer not knowing if they will be welcomed back home.
No Son of Mine is a moving song with a universal theme of the pain of separation and the search for forgiveness. The lyrics touch a chord with listeners and have helped the song become one of the most popular hits by Genesis. The symbolism of the idea of home and the powerful emotion of regret and longing make for a poignant song that continues to resonate with audiences.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, the key to my survival
My ability to survive was never in question
Was never in much doubt
I always had confidence in my survival
The question was how I could keep sane
My main concern was maintaining my mental health
Trying to find the way out
I was seeking a way to escape my difficult circumstances
Things were never easy for me
I faced many challenges in my life
Peace of mind was hard to find
I struggled to find contentment and tranquility in my life
And I needed a place where I could hide
I required a space where I could seek refuge and safety
Somewhere I could call mine
A place to call my own
I didn't think much about it
I didn't consider the consequences
Till it started happening all the time
Until it became a regular occurrence
Soon I was living with the fear everyday
I experienced fear regularly
Of what might happen at night
Specifically, I was afraid of what could occur during the night
I couldn't stand to hear the
It was painful for me to hear the
Crying of my mother
My mother's tears brought me agony
And I remember when
I recall the time when
I swore that, that would be the
I made a promise that it would be the
Last they'd see of me
The last time my family would see me
And I never went home again
I never returned to my family after that
They say time is a healer
It is often said that time can heal emotional wounds
And now my wounds are not the same
My emotional wounds have changed over time
I rang the bell with my heart in my mouth
I nervously approached the door, unsure of what to expect
I had to hear what he'd say
I needed to hear what he had to say to me
He sat me down to talk to me
He invited me to sit and have a conversation
He looked me straight in the eyes
He made a direct and serious eye contact with me
"You're no son, you're no son of mine
"You are not my son"
You're no son, you're no son of mine
Repetition to emphasize lack of relationship
You walked out, you left us behind
You abandoned us and left us alone
Oh his words how they hurt me
His words caused me pain
I'll never forget it
I will always remember that moment
And as the time, it went by
As time passed
I lived to regret it
I was filled with regret
But where should I go
Where should I turn to
Please tell me what should I do
I need guidance and advice
But I came here for help
I am seeking assistance
Oh I was looking for you
I wanted to find you
Well the years they passed so slowly
Time seemed to pass slowly
I thought about him everyday
I would think about him every day
What would I do, if we passed on the street
If we met each other on the street
Would I keep running away
Would I continue to avoid him
In and out of hiding places
I would hide from him in various places
Soon I'd have to face the facts
I realized that I could no longer hide from the truth
We'd have to sit down and talk it over
We needed to have a conversation
And that would mean going back
To have a conversation, I would need to return to my past
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: Michael Rutherford, Phil Collins, Tony Banks
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@keithgarnett4075
LYRICS: (didn't see them posted):
Well the key to my survival
Was never in much doubt
The question was how I could keep sane?
Trying to find a way out
Things were never easy for me
Peace of mind was hard to find
And I needed a place where I could hide
Somewhere I could call mine
I didn't think much about it
Till it started happening all the time
Soon I was living with the fear everyday
Of what might happen that night?
I couldn't stand to hear the crying of my mother
And I remember when I swore that
That would be the last they'd see of me
And I never went home again
They say that time is a healer
And now my wounds are not the same
I rang a bell with my heart in my mouth
I had to hear what he'd say
He sat me down to talk to me
He looked me straight in the eyes
He said, "You're no son, you're no son of mine
You're no son, you're no son of mine
You walked out, you left us behind
And you're no son, you're no son of mine"
Oh, his words how they hurt me, I'll never forget it
And as the time it went by, I lived to regret it
You're no son, you're no son of mine
But where should I go? And what should I do?
You're no son, you're no son of mine
But I came here for help, oh I came here for you
Well the years they passed so slowly
I thought about him everyday
What would I do if we passed on the street
Would I keep running away?
In and out of hiding places
Soon I'd have to face the facts
We'd have to sit down and talk it over
And that would mean going back
They say that time is a healer
And now my wounds are not the same
But I rang that bell with my heart in my mouth
I had to hear what he'd say
He sat me down to talk to me
He looked me straight in the eyes
He said, "You're no son, you're no son of mine
You're no son, you're no son of mine
You walked out, you left us behind
And you're no son, you're no son of mine"
Oh, his words how they hurt me, I'll never forget it
And as the time it went by, I lived to regret it
You're no son, you're no son of mine
But where should I go? And what should I do?
You're no son, you're no son of mine
But I came here for help, oh I was looking for you
You're no son, you're no son of mine, oh
You're no son, ha yeah, ha yeah, ha yeah
You're no son, you're no son of mine, oh, oh
Songwriters: Anthony Banks / Phil Collins / Michael Rutherford
@charlesstull4582
This song hits home my dad was a piece of s____. But I got 3 boys now & they all know that I'm here for them. The good Lord has blessed me 🙏
@vxy357
Good for you. Be the father he never was.
@vonhayes6391
My dad beat the shit outta me and my brother weekly as young children and I loved him til the day he died, serious shit
@skystorm569
God bless you. Jesus Christ be praised.
@Zizzyyzz
@Willie Gordon Twisted logic. As if that's an excuse to abuse a child. You sound like an abuser as well.
@knumbugs
@Willie Gordon I'm not sure that's any consolation. Not ever existing isn't so bad. Think about it. None of us existed for the first 13+ billion years of the universe.... Personally I don't remember thinking all that time, "this non existence really sucks, oh if only someone could bring me into life!"
@rjheidt
Who’s still listening to this masterpiece in 2040 ?
@markchavez3264
Holy Sh*T, I had forgotten that Genesis and Phil Collins put this song out there. A very powerful song.
@mikeyates7931
Prediction : the vast majority of us listening to this can relate to it for very personal and very painful reasons
@luciezak3671
Yes 😢