Phil Collins and Peter Gabriel weren’t the only members of Genesis to leave the cocoon of the group and have major success. Guitarist Mike Rutherford formed Mike + the Mechanics in the middle of the ’80s, and they went on to release several singles and albums that achieved critical acclaim and racked up impressive commercial numbers. The collective’s very first single, “Silent Running (On Dangerous Ground),” set them on the right path.
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What is the song about? Who was the co-writer who helped Rutherford flesh out the idea? And what legendary vocalist brought his well-traveled talents to the song? Let’s learn the details on “Silent Running (On Dangerous Ground).”
Rutherford and Friends
Mike Rutherford had already released two solo albums in the early ’80s during Genesis breaks. Even on those records, he worked with some top session players, but he didn’t feel comfortable as a lead vocalist. With another break from his responsibilities with Genesis looming in the middle of the decade, Rutherford took a different approach.
He and producer Christopher Neil essentially worked off original Rutherford musical demos to compose the material for a new album. Peter Van Hooke (drums) and Adrian Lee (keyboards) were used throughout the album, and Rutherford employed a pair of vocalists in Paul Carrack and Paul Young. Hence, Mike + the Mechanics were born.
The one exception to the Rutherford/Neil collaborative approach was “Silent Running,” the song that was chosen for the first single. In that case, Rutherford co-wrote with B.A. Robertson, who had been successful as a singer/songwriter in the UK. The song was originally contracted to appear in a little-seen movie called On Dangerous Ground, which is where the subtitle is sourced.
To make things even more confusing, there was a science fiction film called Silent Running that was released in 1972. Mike + the Mechanics’ “Silent Running,” although also sci-fi-based, came from a different idea, as Rutherford explained in an interview with Songfacts:
“It was really about time travel. The story is about the idea that this father of the family is ahead in time, so he can look back and see what’s going to happen in England, and it’s not good. He’s trying to get a message back to his family to warn them that the impending disaster is coming. Hence the line, Can you hear me, can you hear me calling you?“
Carrack sang lead, and his recognizable vocals helped the song stand out in a way that might not have happened had Rutherford done the job. After all, Carrack had, by that time, already appeared on classic tracks by Ace and Squeeze, as well as his own solo material. His anguished vocal taps perfectly into the song’s themes of angst and paranoia.
What is the Meaning of “Silent Running (On Dangerous Ground)”?
Even though the idea of time travel isn’t overtly mentioned in the lyrics, “Silent Running” still works as an evocation of concern and terror from someone who can see the torment of his family and can’t do anything to stop what’s about to transpire. It’s why that refrain of Can you hear me hits so hard.
The narrator warns that nobody is to be trusted, least of all the authorities: Don’t believe the church and state / And everything they tell you. He advises them to arm and pray, not necessarily in that order. They must also pretend to obey, while secretly strengthening the resistance: Teach the children quietly / For someday songs and daughters / Will rise up and fight while we stood still.
“Silent Running (On Dangerous Ground)” launched Mike + the Mechanics with an immediate hit single, as it rose to the Top 10 in the U.S. The song stays relevant, too, because it’s always a good lesson to refrain from blindly following authority, lest a dystopian nightmare awaits.
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