Με τους Genesis στην κορυφή μιας μικρής ομάδας progressive rock συγκροτημάτων των ’70s, το ροκ πλησίασε όσο πιο πολύ γινόταν σ’ αυτό που ονομάζουμε “λόγια [“κλασική”] μουσική”. Η αξίωση κρίθηκε πολύ αλαζονική από εκείνους που είχαν εφεύρει το rock σαν μουσική μαζικής διασκέδασης και χειραγώγησης. Και ήταν οι ίδιοι που αποφάσισαν την καταστροφή του progressive ως είδους, πριν κλείσει η δεκαετία, προμοτάροντας ανελέητα το “λαϊκό κίνημα” του new wave. Αλλά η μουσική που οι Genesis και άλλοι παρήγαγαν στα ’70s δεν έπαψε να είναι δημοφιλής. Ένα δείγμα της τέχνης τους της περιόδου, με πρωταγωνιστή τον Peter Gabriel είναι αυτό εδώ, από το  τέταρτο άλμπουμ τους, Foxtrot.

With Genesis as a leading force, progressive rock of the ’70s came as close as possible to what we call “classical music”.  The claim was found to be too “arrogant” by the original inventors of rock as music of mass entertainment / manipulation. And they were the ones who decided to destroy progressive as a genre, before the decade closed, launching New Wave “on public demand”. But the music Genesis and others released in the ‘ 70s lives on…A token of their art of that period, with Peter Gabriel as their front man is this song from their fourth album, Foxtrot.

Get ’em out by Friday
You don’t get paid ’til the last one’s well on his way
Get ’em out by Friday
It’s important that we keep to schedule, there must be no delay
I represent a firm of gentlemen who recently purchased this
House and all the others in the road
In the interest of humanity we’ve found a better place for you
To go, go-woh, go-woh
Oh no, this I can’t believe
Oh Mary, they’re asking us to leave
Get ’em out by Friday
I’ve told you before, ‘s good many gone if we let them stay
And if it isn’t easy
You can squeeze a little grease and our troubles will soon run away
After all this time, they ask us to leave
And I told them we could pay double the rent
I don’t know why it seemed so funny
Seeing as how they’d take more money
The Winkler called again, he came here this morning
With four hundred pounds and a photograph of the place he has found
A block of flats with central heating
I think we’re going to find it hard
Now we’ve got them
I’ve always said that cash cash cash can do anything well
Work can be rewarding
When a flash of intuition is a gift that helps you excel-sell-sell-sell
Here we are in Harlow New Town
Did you recognize your block across the square, over there
Sadly since last time we spoke
We’ve found we’ve had to raise the rent again
Just a bit
Oh no, this I can’t believe
Oh Mary, and we agreed to leave
This is an announcement from Genetic Control
It is my sad duty to inform you of a four foot restriction on
Humanoid height
I hear the directors of Genetic Control have been buying all the
Properties that have recently been sold, taking risks oh so bold
It’s said now that people will be shorter in height
They can fit twice as many in the same building site
They say it’s alright
Beginning with the tenants of the town of Harlow
In the interest of humanity, they’ve been told they must go
Told they must go-go-go-go
I think I’ve fixed a new deal
A dozen properties, we’ll buy at five and sell at thirty four
Some are still inhabited
It’s time to send the Winkler to see them
He’ll have to work some more
With land in your hand, you’ll be happy on earth
Then invest in the Church for your heaven