Lyrics to
Down And Out

This version of Down And Out was released by Genesis in 1978.

Visit the Genesis Lyrics profile at Decade Lyrics - it has the Down And Out lyrics as well as the rest of the songs by Genesis.

Here's more interesting things in songs and lyrics tied to Genesis or about the 1970s in general.

Its good to be here! How’ve you been?
Check my bags boy! Where’s my room?
Gotta sit on the phone, that’s my game,
Keep up the pressure all the way!

I don’t want to beat about the bush
but none of us are getting any younger.
There’s people out there who could take your place.
A more commercial view! A fresher face!

I need a shower, take a nap
I’ll meet you in the bar, must have a rap.
There’s a lot on the line, a lot to say.
And there’s something I must tell you today.

You and I both knew the score,
you can’t go on like this for ever.
So its with regret I tell you now
that from this moment on,
you’re on your own!

I don’t talk round corners, right between the eyes.
If you’re slow they’ll run past you,
Stand tall, see them falling over.
I walk a straight line, right between the eyes.
But just show me the door, show me someone who’ll do it better.

The drinks are on me, be my guest.
Smoke a cigar? Take the best.
Don’t hedge your bets, we can make a deal,
Got it in your pocket, how do you feel?

So glad that’s over, now you know.
But I’m only acting under orders.
And looking down on you from way up here.
You’ve gotta sink or swim, get off the floor!

I don’t talk round corners, right between the eyes.
If you’re slow they’ll run past you.
Stand tall, see them falling over.
I walk a straight line, right between the eyes.
But just show me the door, show me someone who’ll do it better.

---

Want more lyrics and songs by Genesis?

Genesis has released many songs over the years besides Down And Out. Genesis released songs from 1969 to 2000 spanning across albums like From Genesis To Revelation, Trespass, Nursery Cryme, Foxtrot, Selling England By The Pound, The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway, A Trick Of The Tail, Wind And Wuthering, ...And Then There Were Three..., Duke, Abacab, Genesis, Invisible Touch, We Can't Dance, Calling All Stations, Genesis Archive 1967-1975, and Genesis Archives #2 1976-92. Decade Lyrics has over lyrics & songs by Genesis.

If you're a fan of 1970s music looking for more songs from 1978 or the 1970s overall, you've come to the right place!

About Lyrics and Down And Out by Genesis

The lyrics to Down And Out are just the words, phrases, verses and chorus that Genesis used when the song was created in 1978. The lyrics to Down And Out have both easy-to-spot meanings and hidden metaphors that have been discussed by the music press and fans, but only Genesis and any collaborators know all of the inspirations for the song.

If you like etymology or breaking apart phrases and words, it is easy to understand the lyrics to Down And Out by Genesis. The word "lyric" itself derives from the Latin word lyricus, with the actual English word lyrics applied to the definition "words set to music" listed in Stainer and Barrett's 1876 Dictionary of Musical Terms. Continuing the chain, the Latin word lyricus derives from the Greek word λυρικός or lyrikós. This somewhat means "poetry accompanied by the lyre" or "words set to music." You can easily see that by looking at the background of the word lyric, that the "lyrics to Down And Out" means the words set to the music of Down And Out, or poetry accompanied by the lyre played by Genesis. The singular form "lyric" is still used to mean the complete words to a song. However, the singular form lyric is also commonly used to refer to a specific line (or phrase) within a song's lyrics. Hence, by this analysis of word structure, you could say that the lyric to Down And Out and the lyrics to Down And Out are both one and the same thing. None of this talk about the word Lyrics is really relevant to fans of Genesis who came here looking just for the lyrics to Down And Out, but we feel it is still fun to learn what's behind commonly used words and lyrics in songs.

More Songs & Lyrics by Genesis

Visit our Genesis profile for more Genesis songs, lyrics & info!

)