Many classic rock bands that enjoyed long, successful careers evolved with the changing tastes of the public and their own varying circumstances. Genesis serves as a wonderful example of this phenomenon, and their 1978 ballad “Follow You Follow Me” acted as one of the prime pivot points of their career.
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How did “Follow You Follow Me” represent a change in the band’s approach? Why did they need to change in the first place? And what inspired the song? To get the answers, we first have to go back to when Genesis lost two key members but forged ahead with some new musical ideas.
From Five to Three
Genesis formed as a quintet of British schoolmates at the end of the ’60s, and they slowly built a following among the burgeoning progressive rock community. While they were miles from the mainstream with the music they were producing, they boasted a dynamic frontman in Peter Gabriel and the instrumental chops to make their labyrinthine compositions soar. This version of the group reached its zenith with the 1974 album The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway.
Gabriel decided that the tour to support that album would be his last with the band, leaving drummer Phil Collins to take over as lead singer. Following the release of A Trick of the Tail in 1976, guitarist Steve Hackett also went on his own. That left Collins, guitarist Mike Rutherford, and keyboardist Tony Banks as a trio, which is why Genesis cheekily named their 1978 album …And Then There Were Three.
With the change in personnel, the band also decided to subtly modify their approach in an effort to broaden their audience. …And Then There Were Three still featured some impressive flights of instrumental fancy. But the songs were more contained instead of sprawling into long suites, the lyrics skewed more earthbound, and, lo and behold, the album ended with a love song.
Genesis had recorded the odd ballad here and there in the past. But “Follow You Follow Me” was a different story. Although all three members of the band are credited with writing the song, it largely came from the pen from Mike Rutherford, as he explained in an interview with Songfacts:
“At the time, it was meant to be part of a longer song but it just sort of worked. I wrote a very simple lyric, I guess about my wife really now. It was the first time I wrote a lyric that direct and that quick. I didn’t analyze it, it just came out very quickly. And then I thought, “Do you know what, it’s so simple it works in an honest way.”
It also helped that “Follow You Follow Me” grabs you even without the lyrics. Rutherford’s inviting opening guitar lick settles into Banks’ warm bed of keyboards. Collins locks into an unassumingly funky rhythm with Rutherford, who doubles up on bass. The drummer also displayed his singing touch on the slow ones, something that would become a major part of the Genesis arsenal in years to come.
What is “Follow You Follow Me” About?
“Follow You Follow Me” scores with the sweetly direct nature of Rutherford’s lyrics. Stay with me, the song begins. My love I hope you’ll always be. That unfettered sentiment hits home, especially when coupled with the lilting melody. The song also delivers an emotional punch by hinting at some of the rougher times in the second verse, as the narrator mentions the dark and the sight of his fears drifting by me so slowly now. It heightens the impact of this special love that he’s found.
The chorus truly soars, with the melody winding into a gorgeous pattern while Collins sings with utmost vulnerability: I will follow you, will you/Follow me. The only damage that might come from this relationship: Just one single tear/In each passing year. Considering the evidence presented in the song, you get the feeling that it will be a tear of joy.
“Follow You Follow Me” broke the band on the pop charts, as it went to the Top 10 in the UK and became their first US Top 40 hit. It also opened the floodgates, as the trio went on to become one of the biggest rock crossover acts of the next decade or so. Maybe all that would have happened without this tender little ballad. Or maybe Genesis just needed a little proof that they could affect listeners with the simple approach as well as they had done with the knottier stuff.
(Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
