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.
Tell Me Why
Genesis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Children dying at their feet, tell me why
People starving everywhere
There's too much food but none to spare, tell me why
Can you see that shaft of sunlight
Can you see it in my eyes
I can feel the fire that's burning
So deep within my heart
Before my eyes
For some it's too late
It seems there's no-one listening
People sleeping in the streets
No roof above, no food to eat, tell me why
See the questions in their eyes
Listen to their children's cries, tell me why
If there's a God
Is he watching
Can he give a ray of hope
So much pain and so much sorrow
Tell me what does he see
When he looks at you
When he looks at me
What would he say
It seems there's no-one listening
Who would think it still could happen
Even in this time and place
Politicians, they may save themselves
But they won't save their face
Just hope against hope
It's not too late
You say there's nothing you can do
Is there one rule for them and one for you
Tell me why
Listen can you see that shaft of sunlight
Can you see it in my eyes
I can feel the fire that's burning
Anger and hope so deep
So deep within my heart
Before my eyes
For some it's too late
It seems there's no-one listening
Hurry for me, hurry for me, they cry
The lyrics of Genesis's "Tell Me Why" bring out some of the most pressing issues faced by the world. The mothers crying in the street and children dying at their feet, and the people starving everywhere, even though there's too much food, raise questions about the inequality and injustice prevalent in society. The shaft of sunlight and the fire burning in the eyes represent the hope and anger that lie deep within one's heart. The desperation in the lines "Tell me what does he see, When he looks at you, When he looks at me, What would he say" indicate a longing for a higher power to intervene.
The lyrics further highlight the indifference shown towards the less fortunate by society. Politicians may only try to save themselves, but they won't save their face. The line "Just hope against hope It's not too late" indicates a plea for people to act before it's too late. The last few lines, "You say there's nothing you can do, Is there one rule for them and one for you, Tell me why", urge the listener to reflect on their actions and question the double standards that lead to the marginalization of sections of society.
Line by Line Meaning
Mothers crying in the street
Mothers are weeping in public due to a deeply sorrowful circumstance
Children dying at their feet, tell me why
The children are not just dead, but they are dying right in front of their parents which makes it even more unbearable
People starving everywhere
A large crowd of people are experiencing hunger irrespective of the place they are in
There's too much food but none to spare, tell me why
Even though there is an adequate amount of food everywhere, the lack of distribution causes people to die of the scarcity of food
Can you see that shaft of sunlight
Can you notice the small source of hope and positivity amidst the darkness and sadness
Can you see it in my eyes
Is it apparent to you by looking into my eyes
I can feel the fire that's burning
There is a strong, passionate emotion inside somebody
Anger and hope so deep
The burning emotion is composed of both anger and hope, both overwhelming in intensity
So deep within my heart
It is coming from inside and it's so powerful that it is affecting the person's heart
Before my eyes
The person is witnessing the scene before them firsthand
For some it's too late
Unfortunately, for some people, it is already too late to do anything about the situation
It seems there's no-one listening
It appears that society is turning a deaf ear to the cries for help
People sleeping in the streets
People have no choice but to sleep in the streets due to homelessness
No roof above, no food to eat, tell me why
People have no shelter from the harsh elements and no means of sustenance, and the reasons for this plight are inexplicable
See the questions in their eyes
People who are struggling are asking why this is happening to them in their desperate eyes
Listen to their children's cries, tell me why
The sounds of mourning and desperation can be heard in the wails of the children
If there's a God
If a higher power or deity exists
Is he watching
Is he aware of the horrific atrocities being committed on the Earth
Can he give a ray of hope
Can he provide even a small glimmer of hope in this hopeless situation
So much pain and so much sorrow
There is an overwhelming amount of misery and anguish
Tell me what does he see
What does God witness when he looks down upon the Earth and its inhabitants
When he looks at you
When he observes you and your actions
When he looks at me
When he examines me and my conduct
What would he say
What would be his response in this situation
It seems there's no-one listening
It appears as though there is nobody willing to hear the cries for help and justice
Who would think it still could happen
It is shocking to consider that events such as these could still occur in today's day and age
Even in this time and place
Even in the present environment and contemporary era
Politicians, they may save themselves
Politicians may choose to protect themselves and their self-interests
But they won't save their face
Their reputation and image will not be saved, since they didn't work enough to confront the issue
Just hope against hope
Trying to remain optimistic despite a hopeless situation
It's not too late
Although time is running out, there is still a chance to change the circumstances and right the wrongs
You say there's nothing you can do
Individuals may feel that they are powerless and unable to make a significant difference in this situation
Is there one rule for them and one for you
Is there a double standard at play, with different regulations for different people
Listen can you see that shaft of sunlight
The artist is begging or prompting the listener to notice the fleeting glimmer of hope in the dire situation
Hurry for me, hurry for me, they cry
People are pleading for help urgently and insisting on immediate action
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: Anthony George Banks, Phillip David Charles Collins, Michael Rutherford
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@davek8427
It’s great to see Daryl and Chester in some Genesis videos like this one, even though they aren’t on the studio records. Love them.
@brettthebassist
Dave Kinchen Media never knew they had a video for this song 🤷🏻♂️
@Billsmafia50
This was the first album where they received credit I believe. They didn't become official members of the band until the Invisible Touch tour. Before that they were members of Phil's solo band.
@Punttipate62
@@Billsmafia50 they already played with genesis back in 1977(?)
@Billsmafia50
@@Punttipate62 yes but they didn't receive credit until the Invisible Touch tour.
@Punttipate62
@@Billsmafia50 wdym credit, they we're paid (obviously) and listed as touring members of the band always
@83nomad5
Every song in the album can stand on its own. It's like listening to a 'best of' or 'greatest hits' album, not one filler track. A true gem and their best album in my opinion.
@Donscottgaming
With COVID going on and everything, this song is still just as relevant, as it was 30 yrs ago.
@josefengelhardt2767
We Can't Dance was the last Genesis album to feature Phil Collins before he left the group in March 1996. Tell Me Why was the last Genesis single to feature Phil Collins
@geoffnorton9279
For all those millions of people around the world who have never been fans of this awesome band, I pity you, you have missed so much.