Following straight on from 'Horizons', a short but nonetheless very attractive Steve Hackett solo acoustic piece, with some nifty harmonics, comes Genesis' most celebrated epic, which takes up the whole of side two of the original vinyl album. The piece is sub-divided as follows: (1) Lovers' Leap, (2) The Guaranteed Eternal Sanctuary Man, (3) Ikhnaton And Itsacon and Their Band Of Merry Men, (4) How Dare I Be So Beautiful'? (5) Willow Farm, (6) Apocalypse In 9/8 (Co-Starring The Delicious Talents Of Gabble Ratchet), and (7) As Sure As Eggs Is Eggs (Aching Men's Feet). A 12-string guitar plays a beautiful melody to create a romantic mood before Gabriel sings 'Lovers' Leap', with its soulful cry of "Hey baby, don't you know our love is true."

The song is curiously at odds with the rest of the lyrics which become increasingly manic. Acoustic guitars beaver away, then an electric piano joins in the fun as the danse macabre begins. Peter breathes a lover's greeting: "It's been a long time. Hasn't it?" with gentle understatement, as the band finally make their appearance on 'Sanctuary Man'. Each piece tends to segue seamlessly into each other, as the musical moods change, but there is pause for thought and reflection. Children's voices chant a nursery rhyme during 'Sanctuary Man,' then Peter heralds a clash of dark forces. "Killing for peace... bang, bang, bang!" he yells as the combined forces of Hackett, Rutherford, Banks and Collins march into action.

A sudden halt creates a cliffhanging moment of tension before the main refrain is repeated. Gabriel's gift of extracting maximum meaning and sensual effect from well chosen words is exemplified on 'How Dare I Be So Beautiful'!' when in the aftermath of battle he says: "We climb up the mountain of human flesh." The final line of this piece "... Narcissus is turned to a flower," concludes with "A Flower?" The phrase was given much greater emphasis during 'live' performances. It was the signal for gasps and chuckles from the audience as Gabriel appeared dancing in tight black trousers with a huge flower wreathing his head, launching him into the camp and comic 'Willow Farm'. Gabriel, growing ever more surreal, chants over a suitably silly march, "There's Winston Churchill dressed in drag, he used to be a British flag, plastic bag... what a drag." This piece of eccentric nonsense, much in the tradition of Edward Lear and John Lennon, stops in its tracks with a cry of "All change!"

'Apocalypse' begins with doomy chords, heralding an Elizabethan style serenade on flute and guitar. This is supplanted by a grinding, angular organ solo over a pounding, relentless rhythm in 9/8. Phil's drums skitter around the Hammond as Tony's stabbing notes become increasingly hysterical during a lengthy instrumental interlude. Bells chime and the snare drum rolls as Gabriel sounds a return to the theme from 'Lovers' Leap'. The denouement of this massive work is reached with 'As Sure As Eggs Is Eggs,' where the tempo reverts to a slow but steady rock beat, with huge notes from Mike Rutherford's bass pedals underpinning an exultant guitar hymn. It sounds like the whole band is waving farewell, but the piece ends abruptly, right up against the stop grooves of the vinyl album. It's not a good ending, considering the epic scope of the piece, which suggests they simply have run out of tape. 'Supper's Ready' explores the complexities of human relationships, the threat of external forces and the ultimate power of love to heal.

Lyrics

 SUPPER'S READY
i. LOVERS' LEAP
 
Walking across the sitting-room, I turn the television off.
Sitting beside you, I look into your eyes.
As the sound of motor cars fades in the night time,
I swear I saw your face change, it didn't seem quite right.
...And it's hello babe with your guardian eyes so blue
Hey my baby don't you know our love is true.
 
Coming closer with our eyes, a distance falls around our bodies.
Out in the garden, the moon seems very bright,
Six saintly shrouded men move across the lawn slowly.
The seventh walks in front with a cross held high in hand.
...And it's hey babe your supper's waiting for you.
Hey my baby, don't you know our love is true.
 
I've been so far from here,
Far from your warm arms.
It's good to feel you again,
It's been a long long time. Hasn't it?
 
ii. THE GUARANTEED ETERNAL SANCTUARY MAN
 
I know a farmer who looks after the farm.
With water clear, he cares for all his harvest.
I know a fireman who looks after the fire.
 
You, can't you see he's fooled you all.
Yes, he's here again, can't you see he's fooled you all.
Share his peace,
Sign the lease.
He's a supersonic scientist,
He's the guaranteed eternal sanctuary man.
Look, look into my mouth he cries,
And all the children lost down many paths,
I bet my life you'll walk inside
Hand in hand,
gland in gland
With a spoonful of miracle,
He's the guaranteed eternal sanctuary man.
We will rock you, rock you little snake,
We will keep you snug and warm.
 
iii. IKHNATON AND ITSACON AND THEIR BAND OF MERRY MEN
 
Wearing feelings on our faces while our faces took a rest,
We walked across the fields to see the children of the West,
But we saw a host of dark skinned warriors
standing still below the ground,
Waiting for battle.
 
The fight's begun, they've been released.
Killing foe for peace...bang, bang, bang. Bang, bang, bang...
And they're giving me a wonderful potion,
'Cos I cannot contain my emotion.
And even though I'm feeling good,
Something tells me I'd better activate my prayer capsule.
 
Today's a day to celebrate, the foe have met their fate.
The order for rejoicing and dancing has come from our warlord.
 
iv. HOW DARE I BE SO BEAUTIFUL?
 
Wandering through the chaos the battle has left,
We climb up a mountain of human flesh,
To a plateau of green grass, and green trees full of life.
A young figure sits still by a pool,
He's been stamped "Human Bacon" by some butchery tool.
(He is you)
Social Security took care of this lad.
We watch in reverence, as Narcissus is turned to a flower.
A flower?
 
v. WILLOW FARM
 
If you go down to Willow Farm,
to look for butterflies, flutterbyes, gutterflies
Open your eyes, it's full of surprise, everyone lies,
like the focks on the rocks,
and the musical box.
Oh, there's Mum & Dad, and good and bad,
and everyone's happy to be here.
 
There's Winston Churchill dressed in drag,
he used to be a British flag, plastic bag, what a drag.
The frog was a prince, the prince was a brick, the brick was an egg,
the egg was a bird.
(Fly away you sweet little thing, they're hard on your tail)
Hadn't you heard?
(They're going to change you into a human being!)
Yes, we're happy as fish and gorgeous as geese,
and wonderfully clean in the morning.
 
We've got everything, we're growing everything,
We've got some in
We've got some out
We've got some wild things floating about
Everyone, we're changing everyone,
you name them all,
We've had them here,
And the real stars are still to appear.
 
ALL CHANGE!
 
Feel your body melt;
Mum to mud to mad to dad
Dad diddley office, Dad diddley office,
You're all full of ball.
 
Dad to dam to dum to mum
Mum diddley washing, Mum diddley washing,
You're all full of ball.
 
Let me hear you lies, we're living this up to the eyes.
Ooee-ooee-ooee-oowaa
Momma I want you now.
 
And as you listen to my voice
To look for hidden doors, tidy floors, more applause.
You've been here all the time,
Like it or not, like what you got,
You're under the soil (the soil, the soil),
Yes, deep in the soil (the soil, the soil, the soil!).
So we'll end with a whistle and end with a bang
and all of us fit in our places.
 
vi. APOCALYPSE IN 9/8 (CO-STARRING THE DELICIOUS TALENTS OF GABBLE RATCHET)
 
With the guards of Magog, swarming around,
The Pied Piper takes his children underground.
Dragons coming out of the sea,
Shimmering silver head of wisdom looking at me.
He brings down the fire from the skies,
You can tell he's doing well by the look in human eyes.
Better not compromise.
It won't be easy.
 
666 is no longer alone,
He's getting out the marrow in your back bone,
And the seven trumpets blowing sweet rock and roll,
Gonna blow right down inside your soul.
Pythagoras with the looking glass reflects the full moon,
In blood, he's writing the lyrics of a brand new tune.
 
And it's hey babe, with your guardian eyes so blue,
Hey my baby, don't you know our love is true,
I've been so far from here,
Far from your loving arms,
Now I'm back again, and babe it's gonna work out fine.
 
vii. AS SURE AS EGGS IS EGGS (ACHING MEN'S FEET)
 
Can't you feel our souls ignite
Shedding ever changing colours, in the darkness of the fading night,
Like the river joins the ocean, as the germ in a seed grows
We have finally been freed to get back home.
 
There's an angel standing in the sun, and he's crying with a loud voice,
"This is the supper of the mighty one",
Lord of Lords,
King of Kings,
Has returned to lead his children home,
To take them to the new Jerusalem.

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