| Genesis - A Trick of the Tail (1976) |
| Cover Front | Album | ||||||||||||||
|
|
| Track List | |||||
| 01 | Dance on a Volcano Dance on a Volcano Holy Mother of God You've got to go faster than that to get to the top. Dirtly old mountain All covered in smoke, she can turn you to stone So you better start doing it right Better start doing it right. You're halfway up and you're halfway down And the pack on your back is turning you around. Throw it away, you won't need it up there, and remember You don't look back whatever you do. Better start doing it right. On your left and on your right Crosses are green and crosses are blue Your friends didn't make it through. Out of the night and out of the dark Into the fire and into the fight Well that's the way the heroes go, Ho! Ho! Ho! Through a crack in Mother Earth, Blazing hot, the molten rock Spills out over the land. And the lava's the lover who licks your boots away, Hey! Hey! Hey! If you don't want to boil as well, B-B-Better start the dance D-D-Do you want to dance with me. The music's playing, the notes are right Put your left foot first and move into the ight. The edge of this hill is the edge of the world And if you're going to cross you better start doing it right better start doing it right. Let the dance begin. | 05:57 | |||
| 02 | Entangled Entangled When you're asleep they may show you Aerial views of the ground, Freudian slumber empty of sound. Over the rooftops and houses, Lost as it tries to be seen Fields of incentive covered with green. Mesmerised children are playing, Meant to be seen but not heard, "Stop me from dreaming!" "Don't be absurd!" "Well if we can help you we will, You're looking tired and ill. As I count backwards Your eyes become heavier still. Sleep, won't you allow yourself fall? Nothing can hurt you at all. With your consent I can experiment further still." Madrigal music is playing, Voices can faintly be heard, "Please leave this patient undisturbed." Sentenced to drift far away now, Nothing is quite what it seems, Sometimes entangled in your own dreams. "Well, if we can help you we will, Soon as you're tired and ill. With your consent We can experiment further still. Well, thanks to our kindness and skill You'll have no trouble until You catch your breath And the nurse will present you the bill!" | 06:26 | |||
| 03 | Squonk Squonk Like father like son Not flesh nor fish nor bone A red rag hangs from an open mouth. Alive at both ends but a little dead in the middle, A-tumbling and a-bumbling he will go. All the King's horses and all the King's men Could never put a smile on that face. He's a sly one, he's a shy one Wouldn't you be too. Scared to be left all on his own. Hasn't a, hasn't a friend to play with the Ugly Duckling The pressure on, the bubble will burst before our eyes. All the while in perfect time His tears are falling on the ground BUT IF YOU DON'T STAND UP YOU DON'T STAND A CHANCE. Go a little faster now, you might get there in time. In season, out of season What's the difference when you don't know the reason. In one hand bread, the other a stone, The Hunter enters the forest. All are not huntsmen who can blow the huntsman's horn By the look of this one you've not got much to fear. Here I am, I'm very fierce and frightening Come to match my skill to yours. Now listen here, listen to me, don't you run away now I am a friend, I'd really like to play with you. Making noises my little furry friend would make I'll trick him, then I'll kick him into my sack. You better watch out ... You better watch out. I've got you, I've got you, you'll never get away. Walking home that night The sack across my back, the sound of sobbing on my shoulder. When suddenly it stopped, I opened up the sack, all that I had A pool of bubbles and tears - JUST A POOL OF TEARS. All in all you are a very dying race Placing trust upon a cruel world. You never had the things you thought you should have had And you'll not get them now, And all the while in perfect time Your tears are falling on the ground. The Squonk is of a very retiring disposition and due to its ugliness, weeps constantly. It is easy prey for hunters who simply follow a tear-stained trail. When cornered it will dissolve itself into tears. Mirror mirror on the wall, His heart was broken long before he ever came to you. Stop your tears from falling, The trail they leave is very clear for all to see at night all to see at night True or False? | 06:28 | |||
| 04 | Mad Man Moon Mad Man Moon Was it summer when the river ran dry, Or was it just another dam. When the evil of a snowflake in June Could still be a source of relief. O how I love you, I once cried long ago, But I was the one who decided to go. To search beyond the final crest, Though I'd heard it said just birds could dwell so high. So I pretended to have wings for my arms And took off in the air. I flew to places which the clouds never see, Too close to the deserts of sand, Where a thousend mirages, the shepherds of lies Forced me to land and take a disguise. I would welcome a horse's kick to send me back If I could find a horse not made of sand. If this desert's all there'll ever be Then tell me what becomes of me. A fall of rain? That must have been another of your dreams, A dream of mad man moon. Hey man, I'm the sand man, And boy have I news for you; They're gonna throw you in gaol And you know they can't fail 'Cos sand is thicker than blood. But a prison in sand Is a haven in hell, For a gaol can give you a goal And a goal can find you a role On a muddy pitch in Newcastle, Where it rains so much You can't wait for a touch Of sun and sand. Within the valley of shadowless death They pray for thunderclouds and rain, But to the multitude who stand in the rain Heaven is where the sun shines. The grass will be greener till the stems turn to brown And thoughts will fly higher till the earth brings them down. Forever caught in desert lands one has to learn To disbelieve the sea. If this desert's all there'll ever be Then tell me what becomes of me. A fall of rain? That must have been another of your dreams, A dream of mad man moon. | 07:35 | |||
| 05 | Robbery, Assault & Battery Robbery, Assault, and Battery The streets were deserted though the police were alerted, They considered the phone call a hoax. Furtively glancing then jauntily prancing The youth caught the guards unaware. Slipping between them he ought to have seen then The eyes and their owner so near. With torch shining bright he strode on in the night Till he came to the room with the safe. "Hello son, I hope you're having fun." "You've got it wrong Sir, I'm only the cleaner." With that he fired, the other saying as he died, "You've done me wrong," it's the same old song forever. Robbery, assault and battery, The felon and his felony. He picked up the diamonds and bundles of fivers He pushed them well down in his sack. But the alarm had been sounded, he was completely surrounded But he had some more tricks up his sleeve. "Come outside with your hands held high." "You'll not get me alive Sir, I promise you that Sir. With that he fired, the other saying as he died "You've done me wrong," it's the same old song forever. Robbery, assault and battery, The felon and his felony. "He's leaving via the roof, the bastard's got away. God always fights on the side of the bad man." "I've got clean away but I'll be back some day, Just the combination will have changed. Some day they'll catch me, to a chain they'll attach me, But until that day I'll ride the old crime wave. If they try to hold me for trial I'll stay out of aol by paying my bail And after I'll go to the court of appeal saying "You've done me wrong," it's the same old song forever." Done me wrong - same old song - done me wrong. | 06:18 | |||
| 06 | Ripples Ripples Bluegirls come in every size Some are wise and some otherwise, They got pretty blue eyes. For an hour a man may change For an hour her face looks strange - Looks strange, looks strange. Marching to the promised land Where the honey flows and takes you by the hand, Pulls you down on your knees, While you're down a pool appears. The face in the water looks up, And she shakes her head as if to say That it's the last time you'll look like today. Sail away, away Ripples never come back. Gone to the other side. Sail away, away. The face that launched a thousand ships Is sinking fast, that happens you know, The water gets below. Seems not very long ago Lovelier she was than any that I know. Angels never know it's time To close the book and gracefully decline, The song has found a tale. My, what a jealous pool she is. The face in the water looks up She shakes her head as if to say That the bluegirls have all gone away. Sail away, away Ripples never come back. They've gone to the other side. Look into the pool, Ripples never come back, Dive to the bottom and go to the top To see where they have gone Oh, they've gone to the other side. | 08:05 | |||
| 07 | A Trick of the Tail A Trick of the Tail Bored of the life on the city of gold He'd left and let nobody know. Gone were the towers he had known from a child, Alone with the dream of a life He travelled the wide open road, the blinkered arcade, In search of another to share in his life. Nowhere. Everyone looked so strange to him. They've got no horns and they've got no tail They don't even know of our existence. Am I wrong to believe in a city of gold That lies in the deep distance, he cried And wept as they led him away to a cage Beast that can talk, read the sign. The creatures they pushed and they prodded his frame And questioned his story again. But soon they grew bored of their prey Beast that can talk? More like a freak or publicity stunt. Oh No, They've got no horns and they've got no tail They don't even know of our existence. Am I wrong to believe in a city of gold That lies in the deep distance, he cried And broke down the door of the cage and marched on out. He grabbed a creature by the scruff of his neck, puinting out: There, beyond the bounds of you weak imagination Lie the noble towers of my city, bright and gold. Let me take you there and show you a living story Let me show you others such as me Why did I ever leave? They've got no horns and they've got no tail They don't even know of our existence Am I wrong to believe in a city of gold That lies in the deep distance, he cried And wept. And so we set out with the best and his horns And his crazy description of home. After many days journey we came to a peak Where the beast gazed abroad and cried out. We followed his gaze and we thought maybe we saw A spire of gold - no, a trick of the eye that's all, But the beast was gone and a voice was heard: They've got no horns and they've got no tail They don't even know of our existence Am I wrong to believe in a city of gold That lies in the deep distance, he cried Hello friend, welcome home. | 04:34 | |||
| 08 | Los Endos P. Collins, S. Hackett, M. Rutherord, T. Banks | 05:47 | |||
|
|
||||||||||||||||
| Notes |
| Virgin Charisma CDSCD 4001 Publisher: All titles: Hit and Run Music Publ. Ltd. Produced by David Hentschel & Genesis Total playing time: 51:10 (P) 1975 Virgin Records Ltd (C) 1984 Charisma Records Ltd. Credits Mike Rutherford - 12 String guitar, basses, bass pedals Tony Banks - Pianos, Synthesizers, Organ, Mellotron, 12 String guitar, backing vocals Phil Collins - Drums. percussion, lead & backing vocals Steve Hacket - Electric guitar, 12 string guitars All material arranged and performed by GENESIS Produced by - David Hentschel and Genesis Engineered by - David Hentschel & Nick 'Haddock' Bradford Equipment - Tex and Jeff Recorded at Trident Studios, London Oct/Nov 1975 Liquid sustenance - Neal, John and Terry Special thanks to - Tony Smith, Alex Sim and Regis Sleevedesign - Hypgnosis Colin Elgie |