Song of the Day – “One for the Vine” by Genesis

Don’t ask me what this song is about.  Because if you did, I’d probably say something silly like it’s about a guy who thinks he’s the messiah and ends up leading his followers to a battle in which they are slaughtered.  Oh, and he sees Jesus right around then.

I don’t know if I’m right.  So here are the lyrics:

Fifty thousand men were sent to do the will of one.
His claim was phrased quite simply, though he never voiced it loud,
I am he, the chosen one.

In his name they could slaughter, for his name they could die.
Though many there were believed in him, still more were sure he lied,
But they’ll fight the battle on.

Then one whose faith had died
Fled back up the mountainside,
But before the top was made,
A misplaced footfall made him stray
From the path prepared for him.
Off of the mountain,
On to a wilderness of ice.

This unexpected vision made him stand and shake with fear,
But nothing was his fright compared with those who saw him appear.
Terror filled their minds with awe.

Simple were the folk who lived
Upon this frozen wave.
So not surprising was their thought,
This is he, God’s chosen one,
Who’s come to save us from
All our oppressors.
We shall be kings on this world.

Follow me!
I’ll play the game you want me,
Until I find a way back home.

Follow me!
I give you strength inside you,
Courage to win your battles –

No, no, no, this can’t go on,
This will be all that I fled from.
Let me rest for a while.

He walked into a valley,
All alone.
There he talked with water, and then with the vine.

They leave me no choice.
I must lead them to glory or most likely to death.

They traveled cross the plateau of ice, up to its edge.
Then they crossed a mountain range and saw the final plain.
Still he urged the people on.

Then, on a distant slope,
He observed one without hope
Flee back up the mountainside.
He thought he recognised him by his walk,
And by the way he fell,
And by the way he
Stood up, and vanished into air.

All I do know is that this is one of Genesis’s best songs.  It was from their last “progressive” album, 1976’s “Wind and Wuthering”.


And it’s an album that took me a very long time to appreciate.  Where I fell instantly in love with “A Trick of the Tail”, which was released only a few months prior to this, “Wind and Wuthering” took many many MANY listenings for me to appreciate what a great album it is.

So, not instantly catchy.

And the original album has some very muddy and flat production.  I cheat by removing noise and EQing sound to my tastes, so my version sounds better, but the original doesn’t exactly come to life when it leaves the speakers.

Which is a shame, because it is one of their best.  Certainly better than all that followed.  And it was after this album that the guitarist Steve Hackett left to do is own thing.  And then there were three.  And then they wanted to write pop songs.

Oh well.

Back to the song.  I don’t actually have a lot so say about the song.  No surprise there!  I do have some more complaining to do about my fucking illness.  Over a week of the flu now.  Come on!  I have other shit to do besides coughing, sneezing, aching, fevering and sleeping.  And wishing it didn’t hurt to breathe air.  I’m going to go drink some more cough medicine.