Land of Confusion
Poetic Analysis Through Music
Genesis
Genesis are an English rock band that formed in 1967. The band consist of their three longest-tenured members: founding members Tony Banks (keyboards) and Mike Rutherford (bass, guitar); and Phil Collins (vocals, drums), who joined in 1970. Former members Peter Gabriel (vocals, flute), Steve Hackett (guitar) and Anthony Phillips (guitar) also played major roles in the band in its early years. Genesis are among the highest-selling recording artists of all time, with approximately 150 million albums sold worldwide.
Land of Confusion: The Making
"Land of Confusion" is a rock song written by the band Genesis for their 1986 album Invisible Touch. The music was written by the band, while the lyrics were written by guitarist Mike Rutherford. It had a popular video targeting the President ant the time, Ronald Reagan as the reason for the problems sung in this song.
Rhyme
"I must've dreamed a thousand dreams
Been haunted by a million screams
But I can hear the marching feet
They're moving into the street."
Cultural Allusion
"Ooh Superman where are you now
When everythings gone wrong somehow
The men of steel, the men of power
Are losing control by the hour."
Repetition
"Too many men
Too many people
Making too many problems..."
Golden Line
I won't be coming home tonight
My generation will put it right
We're not just making promises
That we know, we'll never keep
Literal vs. Figurative Lyrics
The lyrics of "Land of Confusion" are supposed to be taken literally. They illustrate the problems we face today including war, overpopulation, and government lies. The song also addresses the people, telling them that we live here in this problematic world and that we were given the tools to change it for the better.
Meaning of Song Revealed by Literal Text
This is the world we live in
And these are the hands we're given
Use them and lets start trying
To make it a place worth living in.