Carpet Crawlers

Genesis

About Carpet Crawlers

"The Carpet Crawlers" is a song by the English progressive rock band Genesis, recorded for their sixth studio album The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway. Mike Rutherford and Tony Banks wrote most of the music, with the help of Peter Gabriel. Lyrically, the song tells the section of the album's story whereby Rael, the lead character, finds himself in a red carpeted corridor surrounded by kneeling people slowly crawling towards a wooden door. Rael dashes by them towards the door and goes through it. Behind the door is a table with a candlelit feast on it, and behind that, a spiral staircase that leads upwards out of sight. The song was released in April 1975 as the album's second single under the title "The Carpet Crawlers". In 1995, Genesis re-recorded the song with producer Trevor Horn that featured Gabriel and Collins sharing lead vocals, released as "The Carpet Crawlers 1999". 


Year:
2014
5:15
121 
#1

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There is lambswool under my naked feet
The wool is soft and warm
Gives off some kind of heat
A salamander scurries into flame to be destroyed
Imaginary creatures are trapped in birth on celluloid
The fleas cling to the golden fleece
Hoping they'll find peace
Each thought and gesture are caught in celluloid
There's no hiding in memory
There's no room to avoid

The crawlers cover the floor in the red ochre corridor
For my second sight of people, they've more lifeblood than before
They're moving in time to a heavy wooden door
Where the needle's eye is winking, closing on the poor
The carpet crawlers heed their callers:
"We've got to get in to get out
We've got to get in to get out
We've got to get in to get out"

There's only one direction in the faces that I see
It's upward to the ceiling, where the chamber's said to be
Like the forest fight for sunlight, that takes root in every tree
They are pulled up by the magnet, believing they're free
The carpet crawlers heed their callers:
"We've got to get in to get out
We've got to get in to get out
We've got to get in to get out"

Mild-mannered supermen are held in kryptonite
And the wise and foolish virgins giggle with their bodies glowing bright
Through the door a harvest feast is lit by candlelight
It's the bottom of a staircase that spirals out of sight
The carpet crawlers heed their callers:
"We've got to get in to get out
We've got to get in to get out
We've got to get in to get out"

The porcelain mannequin with shattered skin fears attack
And the eager pack lift up their pitchers, they carry all they lack
The liquid has congealed, which has seeped out through the crack
And the tickler takes his stickleback
The carpet crawlers heed their callers,
"We've got to get in to get out 
We've got to get in to get out
We've got to get in to get out"

"We've got to get in to get out 
We've got to get in to get out
We've got to get in to get out"

"We've got to get in to get out 
We've got to get in to get out
We've got to get in to get out"

"We've got to get in to get out 
We've got to get in to get out"

The carpet crawlers heed their callers,
"We've got to get in to get out 
We've got to get in to get out"

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Genesis

Genesis are an English rock band that formed in 1967. The band currently consists of its three longest-tenured members - Tony Banks (keyboards) and Mike Rutherford (bass, guitar), who were founder members; and Phil Collins (vocals, drums), who first joined in 1970. Past 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 top 30 highest-selling recording artists of all time, with approximately 150 million albums sold worldwide. more »

5 fans

Written by: Tony Banks, Phil Collins, Peter Gabriel, Steven Hackett, Michael Rutherford

Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind


12 facts about this song

Album Release
"Carpet Crawlers" is a song from the fifth studio album of Genesis named "The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway", released in 1974.
Band Members
Members of the band during the recording of the song were Peter Gabriel, Mike Rutherford, Tony Banks, Steve Hackett, and Phil Collins.
Original Song
It's originally written and sung by Peter Gabriel. After his departure from Genesis, Phil Collins became the lead singer and performed Carpet Crawlers.
Genre
The song falls under the Progressive Rock genre, which was very popular during the 1970s. It is a blend of rock, folk, and classical music.
Re-recording
The song was re-recorded in 1999 under the name "The Carpet Crawlers 1999", featuring both Peter Gabriel and Phil Collins on vocals.
Lyrics
The song's lyrics are allegorical and metaphorical, telling a story of a journey where, in order to continue, you must 'crawl'. Many interpret it as a metaphor for life's journey.
Live Performances
"Carpet Crawlers" was a staple of Genesis live performances and was played during almost every tour after its release.
Album Concept
The album "The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway" was a double album with a story arc, and "Carpet Crawlers" was a pivotal song in this narrative.
Band's Evolution
"Carpet Crawlers" is notable as it showcased Genesis' evolution from a folk band to a more experimental, progressive group.
Cover Versions
The song has been covered by various artists, including Nick D'Virgilio and Steve Hackett, demonstrating its influence and popularity within the rock music world.
Critic Reception
Critics have praised "Carpet Crawlers" with the Rolling Stone magazine describing it as an emotional center of the album and other music commentators noting it's a fan-favorite track.
Notoriety
Despite not being released as a single, "Carpet Crawlers" has become one of the most well-known and beloved songs by Genesis, transcending time within the progressive rock genre.

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