‘Land of Confusion’ is a song by the English rock band Genesis from their 1986 album Invisible Touch. The music was written by the band, while the lyrics were written by guitarist Mike Rutherford. The song was the third track on the album and was the third track released as a single, reaching No. 14 in the UK in December 1986 and No. 4 in the U.S. in January 1987. It also reached the top 10 in several other countries including Canada, Ireland, West Germany and the Netherlands. The song's video featured puppets from the 1980s UK sketch show Spitting Image.
A rare political song for Genesis, ‘Land of Confusion’ questions the wisdom of world leaders at a time when the US and Russia were enemies and there was a threat of nuclear war. Phil Collins called it, "A political song about the mess we have landed in." Mike Rutherford, who wrote the lyric, added: "I've always shied away from doing what I call a preachy song, a protest song, but it seemed to work. Maybe because the music was quite angry it made it work." Mike Rutherford called this "a kind of '80s protest song," adding, "It's about how we live in a very nice world, and what a mess we're making of it. How it should all be so easy and it's all so difficult."
The song is widely remembered for its music video, which had heavy airplay on MTV. The video features caricature puppets by the British television show Spitting Image. After Phil Collins saw a caricatured version of himself on the show, he commissioned the show's creators, Peter Fluck and Roger Law, to create puppets of the entire band, as well as all the characters in the video. The video won the 1987 Grammy for Best Concept Music Video - it was the only Grammy Genesis ever won, and they weren't even in the clip. At the MTV Video Music Awards, the video was nominated in six categories, but lost them all to Peter Gabriel's ‘Sledgehammer.’
Labels – Atlantic US, Virgin UK
Songwriters – Mike Rutherford, Tony Banks, Phil Collins
Producers – Genesis, Hugh Padgham
SONG LYRICS
[Verse 1]I must've dreamed a thousand dreams
Been haunted by a million screams
But I can hear the marching feet
They're moving into the street
Now, did you read the news today?
They say the danger's gone away
But I can see the fires still alight
They're burning into the night
[Pre-Chorus]
There's too many men, too many people
Making too many problems
And not much love to go round
Can't you see this is a land of confusion?
[Chorus]
This is the world we live in (Oh, oh, oh)
And these are the hands we're given (Oh, oh, oh)
Use them and let's start trying (Oh, oh, oh)
To make it a place worth living in
[Verse 2]
Ooh, Superman, where are you now
When everything's gone wrong somehow?
The men of steel, the men of power
Are losing control by the hour
[Pre-Chorus]
This is the time, this is the place
So we look for the future
But there's not much love to go round
Tell me why this is a land of confusion
[Chorus]
This is the world we live in (Oh, oh, oh)
And these are the hands we're given (Oh, oh, oh)
Use them and let's start trying (Oh, oh, oh)
To make it a place worth living in
[Bridge]
I remember long ago
Ooh, when the sun was shining
Yes, and the stars were bright all through the night
And the sound of your laughter as I held you tight
So long ago
[Verse 3]
I won't be coming home tonight
My generation will put it right
We're not just making promises
That we know we'll never keep
[Pre-Chorus]
Too many men, there's too many people
Making too many problems
And not much love to go round
Can't you see this is a land of confusion?
[Chorus]
Now, this is the world we live in (Oh, oh, oh)
And these are the hands we're given (Oh, oh, oh)
Use them and let's start trying (Oh, oh, oh)
To make it a place worth fighting for
This is the world we live in (Oh, oh, oh)
And these are the names we're given (Oh, oh, oh)
Stand up and let's start showing (Oh, oh, oh)
Just where our lives are going to