The Cinema Show Lyrics
[Verse 1]
Home from work our Juliet
Clears her morning meal
She dabs her skin with pretty smells
Concealing to appeal
"I will make my bed"
She said, but turned to go
Can she be late for her Cinema show?
Cinema show?
[Verse 2]
Romeo locks his basement flat
And scurries up the stair
With head held high and floral tie
A weekend millionaire
"I will make my bed
With her tonight" he cries
Can he fail armed with his chocolate surprise?
[Chorus]
Take a little trip back with father Tiresias
Listen to the old one speak of all he has lived through
I have crossed between the poles
For me there's no mystery
Once a man, like the sea I raged
Once a woman, like the earth I gave
But there is in fact more earth than sea
[Interlude]
Na-na-na-na-na
Na-na-na-na-na-na (Na-na-na)
Na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na (Na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na)
Na-na-na-na
Na-na-na-na-na-na (Na-na-na-na)
Na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na (Na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na)
Na-na-na-na (Ah)
Na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na (Oh)
[Chorus]
Take a little trip back with father Tiresias
Listen to the old one speak of all he has lived through
I have crossed between the poles
For me there's no mystery
Once a man, like the sea I raged
Once a woman, like the earth I gave
But there is in fact more earth than sea
[Instrumental Outro]
About
“The Cinema Show” is divided into two sections. The first section is a 12-string guitar-based piece, featuring vocal harmonies between Peter Gabriel and Phil Collins, as well as a short flute and oboe solo. The song concludes with a four-and-a-half-minute keyboard solo on the ARP Pro Soloist, with Mike Rutherford and Collins playing a rhythm in a 7/8 time signature. The lyrics, written by Tony Banks and Rutherford, draw much of their inspiration from the T. S. Eliot poem “The Waste Land”.
Q&A
Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning
According to Songfacts, Banks described the origin of the lyrics:
The idea of using two words, ‘Romeo’ and ‘Juliet’ actually was Peter (Gabriel)’s. I thought it should be more impersonal just using ‘young clerk’ or something, and I wasn’t too sure about it to begin with.
He also said:
“Cinema Show“ was an example of extended playing. Mike, Phil and I were in a room together and Mike came out with a riff in 7/8, which had a great feel, and by restricting his playing a little he allowed me to make the chord changes… so with Mike just hitting the bottom three or four strings of the guitar I managed to write endless bits on the rhythm. Just before we came to do the album, we put them in order and the final section of Cinema Show developed.
- 4.More Fool Me
- 7.The Cinema Show
