Driving the Last Spike

Last updated
"Driving the Last Spike"
Song by Genesis
from the album We Can't Dance
Released11 November 1991
Recorded1991
Studio The Farm, Chiddingfold, Surrey
Genre Progressive rock
Length10:08
Label Atlantic
Composer(s)
Lyricist(s) Phil Collins
Producer(s)

"Driving the Last Spike" is the third track on the Genesis album We Can't Dance , released in 1991.

Contents

The song's lyrics by Phil Collins are about the Navvies: railway workers of the 19th century, many of whom died constructing Britain's railways. The song narrates the thoughts and feelings of an unnamed railway worker in the form of a soliloquy or internal monologue. The title is a phrase meaning the completion of a major railway project—placing the "last spike" is often a momentous occasion. The original idea came from the book ‘The Railway Navvies’ by Terry Coleman that actor Dennis Waterman gave to Collins.

Despite not being released as a single, "Driving the Last Spike" charted in Canada and the United States, peaking at number 51 on the Canadian RPM Top Singles chart and number 25 on the US Billboard Album Rock Tracks chart.

Live performances

"Driving the Last Spike" was performed live on the band's 1992 The Way We Walk [1] Tour. The second half of the song (starting at 5:41) was transposed to a lower key starting after the first nine shows of the tour. This was done to accommodate Collins' deepening voice without straining.[ citation needed ] (A recording of an early performance of "Driving the Last Spike" was released as an Atlantic Records promo CD featuring the second half of the song in the album key.)[ citation needed ]

"Driving the Last Spike" was featured on the live album The Way We Walk, Volume Two: The Longs , and the live DVD The Way We Walk - Live in Concert .[ citation needed ]

Personnel

Charts

Chart (1992)Peak
position
Canada Top Singles ( RPM ) [2] 51
US Mainstream Rock ( Billboard ) [3] 25

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>We Cant Dance</i> 1991 studio album by Genesis

We Can't Dance is the fourteenth studio album by the English rock band Genesis, released on 11 November 1991 by Virgin Records in the UK and a day later by Atlantic Records in the US. It is their last studio album recorded with drummer and singer Phil Collins before his departure in 1996 to pursue solo projects full time. The album marked the return of band activity following an almost four-year hiatus after touring their previous album, Invisible Touch (1986).

<i>...But Seriously</i> 1989 album by Phil Collins

...But Seriously is the fourth solo studio album by English drummer and singer-songwriter Phil Collins. It was released on 20 November 1989 in the United Kingdom by Virgin Records and by Atlantic Records in the United States. After Collins finished touring commitments with the rock band Genesis in 1987, the group entered a four-year hiatus, during which Collins starred in the feature film Buster (1988). By the spring of 1989, Collins had written material for a new solo album, which addressed more serious lyrical themes, like socio-economic and political issues, as opposed to his previous dance-oriented album, No Jacket Required (1985).

<i>The Way We Walk, Volume One: The Shorts</i> 1992 live album by Genesis

Live – The Way We Walk, Volume One: The Shorts is the fourth live album by the English rock band Genesis, released on 16 November 1992 on Virgin Records in the United Kingdom and by Atlantic Records in the United States. The album features a compilation of recordings from their 1986–1987 Invisible Touch Tour and their 1992 We Can't Dance Tour in support of their named studio albums, with focus on the group's hit singles. In addition to the core Genesis line-up of singer/drummer Phil Collins, keyboardist Tony Banks, and guitarist/bassist Mike Rutherford, the group perform with their longtime touring musicians, drummer Chester Thompson and guitarist/bassist Daryl Stuermer.

<i>The Way We Walk, Volume Two: The Longs</i> 1993 live album by Genesis

Live – The Way We Walk, Volume Two: The Longs is the fifth live album by British band Genesis and was released on 4 January 1993 in the United Kingdom, having been recorded during their 1992 tour for We Can't Dance. The album's title refers to a lyric in two songs, "I Can't Dance" on the previous volume and "I Know What I Like" on this one.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">In Too Deep (Genesis song)</span> 1986 single by Genesis

"In Too Deep" is a song by English rock band Genesis, included as the fourth track on their 13th studio album, Invisible Touch (1986). It was released as the second single from the LP in the UK and the fifth single in the US. The single was a success in America during the summer of 1987; it reached the No. 3 spot on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, and the No. 1 spot on the Adult Contemporary chart. The song was only performed live during the 1986 North American legs during the Genesis 1986–87 Invisible Touch world tour. An October 1986 performance of the song was included on the 1992 live album The Shorts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Can't Dance</span> 1991 single by Genesis

"I Can't Dance" is the fourth track from English rock band Genesis's fourteenth studio album, We Can't Dance (1991), and was released in December 1991 as the second single from the album. Lyrics were composed by drummer Phil Collins; music was written collectively by the band. The song peaked at number seven on both the US Billboard Hot 100 and the UK Singles Chart, and also received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals in 1993. In Europe, the song reached number one in Belgium and the Netherlands, while peaking within the top five in Austria, Germany, and Portugal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">No Son of Mine</span> 1991 single by Genesis

"No Son of Mine" is a song by British rock group Genesis, released in October 1991 by Atlantic and Virgin as the lead single from their 14th album, We Can't Dance (1991). The song, written by Phil Collins and composed by him with Tony Banks and Mike Rutherford, reached No. 6 on the UK Singles Chart and No. 12 on the US Billboard Hot 100. It was also a top-10 hit in several European countries and peaked atop Canada's RPM 100 Hit Tracks chart for five weeks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Invisible Touch (song)</span> 1986 single by Genesis

"Invisible Touch" is the title track and first single from the 1986 album of the same name by the English rock band Genesis. The song is a group composition which featured lyrics written by drummer and singer Phil Collins.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Follow You Follow Me</span> 1978 single by Genesis

"Follow You Follow Me" is a love song written and recorded by English rock band Genesis. It was released in February 1978 as the first single from their ninth studio album, ...And Then There Were Three... (1978). The music was composed by the band, and the lyrics were written by bassist and guitarist Mike Rutherford. The single became Genesis' first top 10 hit in the UK and first top 40 hit in the US, reaching No. 7 and No. 23 respectively.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Throwing It All Away</span> 1986 single by Genesis

"Throwing It All Away" is the seventh track on the 1986 album Invisible Touch by Genesis. It was the second single taken from the album in the United States, reaching No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 in October 1986, as well as No. 1 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart and the Album Rock Tracks chart. It was the last single released from the album in the UK in June 1987, reaching No. 22. The song was also a top 40 hit on the Irish Singles Chart, peaking at No. 24. The working title was "Zephyr and Zeppo".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tonight, Tonight, Tonight</span> 1987 single by Genesis

"Tonight, Tonight, Tonight" is the second track on the 1986 album Invisible Touch by Genesis, released in March 1987 as the fourth single from the album. It peaked at No. 3 in the US and No. 18 in the UK. The working title was "Monkey, Zulu".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">That's All (Genesis song)</span> 1983 single by Genesis

"That's All" is a song by the English rock band Genesis. It is a group composition and appears as the second track on their 1983 album Genesis. It was the album's second single after "Mama". On June 17, 1993, MCA Records re-issued and re-released the song as a CD and "HiQ" cassette single.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hold on My Heart</span> 1992 single by Genesis

"Hold on My Heart" is a song by English rock band Genesis from their 14th studio album, We Can't Dance (1991). The ballad was released as the album's third single on 6 April 1992. The song reached number one on the Canadian RPM 100 Hit Tracks chart, the RPM Adult Contemporary chart, and the US Billboard Adult Contemporary chart, as well as number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100. In the band's home country, the song peaked at number 16 on the UK Singles Chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Home by the Sea</span> 1983 single by Genesis

"Home by the Sea" and "Second Home by the Sea" is a suite of two songs by English rock band Genesis. It first appeared on their eponymous album in 1983. The lyrics were written by keyboardist Tony Banks and the music was written by the whole band. Lyrically, the song is about a burglar who breaks into a house only to find it is haunted. The burglar is captured by the ghosts, who force him to listen to their stories for the rest of his life. "Home by the Sea" became a chart hit in New Zealand, peaking at number four in November 1986.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Abacab (song)</span> 1981 single by Genesis

"Abacab" is a song by the British rock band Genesis, released on 14 August 1981. It was produced by Genesis and distributed in the United States by Atlantic Records and Warner Music Group. The song, written by Mike Rutherford, Tony Banks and Phil Collins, was featured on Genesis' album of the same name and was a top 10 hit on the British pop chart, where it peaked at No. 9. The song was the second single from the album in the US, where it peaked at No. 26 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in early 1982. It stayed in the Top 40 for six weeks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Misunderstanding (Genesis song)</span> 1980 single by Genesis

"Misunderstanding" is a song by the English rock band Genesis, released on their 1980 album Duke. It reached No. 14 in the U.S. and No. 42 in the UK. Its highest charting was in Canada, where it reached No. 1 and is ranked as the seventh biggest Canadian hit of 1980. It was also featured on the band's 1982 double-album Three Sides Live, where it led off side three.

"Domino" is a song written by the band Genesis for their 1986 album Invisible Touch. The song was the sixth track on the album. The music was written by the band, while the lyrics were written by keyboardist Tony Banks. The song is divided into two parts, "In the Glow of the Night" and "The Last Domino".

<i>The Way We Walk</i> 1993 video by Genesis

The Way We Walk – Live in Concert is a 1992 live video from the We Can't Dance tour by Genesis. The footage was videotaped on 6th, 7th and 8th November 1992 at Earls Court in London, and first released on VHS on the 29th March 1993 as Genesis Live – The Way We Walk – In Concert. It was also available on PAL format LaserDisc. In November 26th 2001 the video was reissued on DVD.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Never a Time</span> 1992 single by Genesis

"Never a Time" is the fifth track from English rock band Genesis's 14th studio album, We Can't Dance (1991). This song, a ballad, was released as the fifth single from the album, and peaked at No. 4 on the US Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks chart, No. 21 on the Billboard Hot 100, and No. 9 in Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">We Can't Dance Tour</span> 1992 concert tour by Genesis

Following the release of We Can't Dance, Genesis spent 13 weeks performing 55 concerts between May and July 1992, with a 16-date UK tour in October/November.

References