Revision history:

by Jason Finegan, Scott McMahan and other members of Paperlate  5 May 1994 completion of Second major revision
18 Dec 1993 First major revision

One of the most frequently asked questions by any Genesis fans is "What is the Lamb about?". Most people are baffled by the subject-matter of the Lamb, since it is one of the most dense and obfuscated works of art ever created.

I think it is a mistake to think the Lamb is "about" something, especially about one particular thing, and to think there is some correct answer to the question that starts "the Lamb is about ..." and goes on with a single "true" answer. (I would also advise you to be wary of people who claim to have a one true answer to the question, because they are probably missing a lot.) The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway is something that every listener must decide a personal meaning that satisfies as an explanation.

But, it is not enough to just listen to the Lamb and try to puzzle it out. This is an "annotation", not an end in itself. It does not give you an explanation of what the Lamb is about. It does, however, arm you with the tools you need to form your own ideas. The Lamb is packed solid with some of the most obscure literary and cultural references, things that all of which even a well-read and well-educated person would probably not have encountered.

This file merges the Lamb's liner text with the lyrics and concert stories, to present a story combining the three that reads straight through. This combination helps the story flow better. This text has been augmented heavily by views and interpretations of individuals that might give you something to think about. Gabriel's own in-concert stories are added into the text to give you a feel for what he has said. And, the scant little information in books that has been recorded was also included. Unfortunately, there are no real interviews or articles about the band's own ideas on the Lamb extant. Gabriel has been very vague on the subject of the Lamb, and has not held forth any of his opinions on what the work is about.

It is designed as an aid to help the listener follow the Lamb better. Also, explanations of the material by band members and speculation by other listeners is included.

-- Scott McMahan