Supper's Ready

"Supper's Ready"
A 1977 French promo LP featuring an excerpt of "Supper's Ready" from the live album Seconds Out
Song by Genesis
from the album Foxtrot
Released15 September 1972
RecordedAugust–September 1972
StudioIsland, London
GenreProgressive rock[1][2][3]
Length22:54
LabelCharisma
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Dave Hitchcock
Official audio
"Supper's Ready" on YouTube

"Supper's Ready" is a song by English progressive rock band Genesis, recorded for their 1972 studio album Foxtrot. At 23 minutes in length, it is the band's longest recorded song.[a] Frontman Peter Gabriel wrote the lyrics, which mainly describe a personal journey of scenes from the Book of Revelation and good versus evil, with several real life experiences providing further inspiration.

The song took form in the summer of 1972, when Genesis dedicated time to write new songs after touring Nursery Cryme. After the opening acoustic sections were arranged, it was considered a companion piece to "The Musical Box" until Gabriel pitched the tune "Willow Farm", which took the song into a different direction. Genesis extended the piece further, culminating in the final two sections, "Apocalypse in 9/8" and "As Sure as Eggs is Eggs (Aching Men's Feet)", which the band felt was some of their strongest recorded material.

"Supper's Ready" became a centrepiece of Genesis live shows from 1972 to 1974, and a showcase for Gabriel's on-stage storytelling and costumes to act out the various parts. Following Gabriel's departure from the band, Genesis performed the song live in 1976, 1977, and 1982 with Phil Collins on lead vocals.

  1. ^ Kennedy, Adam (October 8, 2018). "Steve Hackett at the Sage Gateshead in Gateshead, UK". National Rock Review. Retrieved March 4, 2019.
  2. ^ Cavanagh, David (2015). Good Night and Good Riddance: How Thirty-Five Years of John Peel Helped to Shape Modern Life. Faber & Faber. p. 158. ISBN 9780571302482.
  3. ^ McCarraher, James (2012). 101 Songs To Discover From The Seventies. Lulu.com. p. 98. ISBN 9781447862666.
  4. ^ Giammetti 2020, p. 33, 65.


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