Undertow
Genesis (1967) Lyrics
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Now the fire warms the room.
Meanwhile outside
Wind from the north-east chills the air,
It will soon be snowing out there.
And some there are
Cold, they prepare for a sleepless night.
But we're safe in each other's embrace,
All fears go out as I look on your face
Better think awhile
Or I may never think again.
If this were the last day of your life, my friend,
Tell me, what do you think you would do then?
Stand up to the blow that fate has struck upon you,
Make the most of all you still have coming to you, [or]
Lay down on the ground and let the tears run from you,
Crying to the grass and trees and heaven finally on your knees
Let me live again, let life come find me wanting.
Spring must strike again against the shield of winter.
Let me feel once more the arms of love surround me,
Telling me the danger's past, I need not fear the icy blast again.
Laughter, music and perfume linger here
And there, and there,
Wine flows from flask to glass and mouth,
As it soothes, confusing our doubts.
And soon we feel,
Why do a single thing to-day,
There's tomorrow sure as I'm here.
So the days they turn into years
And still no tomorrow appears.
Better think awhile
Or I may never think again.
If this were the last day of your life, my friend,
Tell me, what do you think you would do then?
Stand up to the blow that fate has struck upon you,
Make the most of all you still have coming to you, [or]
Lay down on the ground and let the tears run from you,
Crying to the grass and trees and heaven finally on your knees
Let me live again, let life come find me wanting.
Spring must strike again against the shield of winter.
Let me feel once more the arms of love surround me,
Telling me the danger's past, I need not fear the icy blast again.
Undertow by Genesis is a melancholic song that describes a room where a fire is warming it while outside it is about to snow, and some prepare for a sleepless night. The lyrics suggest that life is fleeting and presents a choice to make the most of it while we still have time or to give up and let fate take its course. The singer contemplates what he would do if this were the last day of his life and encourage his friend to think about it too. The chorus encourages the listener to make the most of all they still have coming to them or to lay down on the ground and let the tears run from them.
The song is laden with sorrow and contemplation, depicting the fragility of life and the urgency to seize every opportunity as they come. The lyrics create imagery of longing, desperation, and hopelessness as the singer seeks to reconnect with life and love. The mentioning of wine, music, and perfume in the song adds a sense of euphoria and a desire for increased sensory experiences.
Line by Line Meaning
The curtains are drawn
The room is closed off by the curtains
Now the fire warms the room.
The fire is warming up the room
Meanwhile outside
Outside of the room
Wind from the north-east chills the air,
The wind from the north-east is making the air cold
It will soon be snowing out there.
It is going to snow very soon
And some there are
Some people are also outside
Cold, they prepare for a sleepless night.
They are preparing for a sleepless night due to the cold
Maybe this will be their last fight.
This may be their last struggle to survive the cold
But we're safe in each other's embrace,
We feel safe in each other's arms
All fears go out as I look on your face
I feel fearless when I see your face
Better think awhile
Take some time to think
Or I may never think again.
Or I may not have the chance to think again
If this were the last day of your life, my friend,
If today was your last day alive, my friend,
Tell me, what do you think you would do then?
What would you do in that case?
Stand up to the blow that fate has struck upon you,
Face your fate bravely
Make the most of all you still have coming to you, [or]
Enjoy all the good things in your life
Lay down on the ground and let the tears run from you,
Crying to the grass and trees and heaven finally on your knees
Give up and cry to the world
Let me live again, let life come find me wanting.
Let me have a chance to live again
Spring must strike again against the shield of winter.
Spring must come again after the cold winter
Let me feel once more the arms of love surround me,
Let me feel loved again
Telling me the danger's past, I need not fear the icy blast again.
Assuring me that the danger has passed and I don't have to fear the cold again
Laughter, music and perfume linger here
There is laughter, music, and perfume in this place
And there, and there,
And in different places
Wine flows from flask to glass and mouth,
Wine is being poured and drunk
As it soothes, confusing our doubts.
As it calms us down and confuses our doubts
And soon we feel,
And soon we start to feel
Why do a single thing to-day,
Why bother doing anything today?
There's tomorrow sure as I'm here.
We're sure there will be a tomorrow, as sure as I'm here
So the days they turn into years
So the days pass and turn into years
And still no tomorrow appears.
But tomorrow doesn't come
Let me live again, let life come find me wanting.
Let me have a chance to live again
Lyrics © IMAGEM U.S. LLC , Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ANTHONY GEORGE BANKS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@augustblue5972
The curtains are drawn
Now the fire warms the room
Meanwhile outside
Wind from the north-east chills the air
It will soon be snowing out there
And some there are
Cold, they prepare for a sleepless night
Maybe this will be their last fight
But we're safe in each other's embrace
All fears go as I look on your face
Better think awhile
Or I may never think again
If this were the last day of your life, m friend
Tell me, what do you think you would do then?
Stand up to the blow that fate has struck upon you
Make the most of all you still have coming to you
Lay down on the ground and let the tears run from you
Crying to the grass and trees and heaven finally on your knees
Let me live again, let life come find me wanting
Spring must strike again against the shield of winter
Let me feel once more the arms of love surround me
Telling me the danger's past, I need not fear the icy blast again
Laughter and music and perfume linger here
And there, and there
Wine flows from flask to glass and mouth
As it soothes, confusing our doubts
And soon we feel
Why do a single thing today
There's tomorrow sure as I'm here
So the days they turn into years
And, still no tomorrow appears
Better think awhile, ...
@VinceHagenbeek
This song was played during my mother's funeral on April 11, 2023, when everybody came in.
She died aged 62 of leukemia on March 31, 2023.
@johannes2489
😇🙏🤝
@SJHUE
This song and the album it was from never received the recognition it deserved. Perhaps some fans could not accept and acknowledge that they could write such a brilliant song without Gabriel and Hackett? Who knows. What I do know is that for a ballad, the underlying power in this track is astonishing. One of the all time greats for me.
@jimoconnell9870
Couldn't agree more sjhue,this is my favourite album 'and then there were three 'and this is my favourite song, a piece of brilliance, I bought the vinyl 40 years ago this year, jim O'Connell
@dieteroetzel8071
Fortunately as for me it has my full recogniton . Couldn't love it more!!Listen to it for over 4 decades , since I was a student, again and again!
@joeblow2069
It's the power and beauty of Mr Tony Banks. Banks was the backbone of that band.
@garyball1587
I agree with you
@garyball1587
This song in a few songs from Styx which will never get there to say we are all there in the first place
@M_Dutch97
I will never understand why this album is seen as a lesser Genesis record. Imo this is one of their best albums and it's perfect for when you're sitting next to your fireplace enjoying a winter's night.
@matthewstroud4294
They have always been the most melodic and integrated of the "prog" bands. I find that many of the prog fans that prefer the more avant garde and scattered stuff, can't accept this era of the greatest of all the prog bands. They think it's "commercial" selling out, but really it's just more of the same, with Tony's classical music influences spilling out.