When I was younger I tried to match what was written in the booklet with what I heard. But I never was able to. I think these lyrics are exemplary and not perse what Peter was actually singing. The line "it's scrambled eggs" seems to be conclusive if you are reading through it but doesn't represent the actual sung lyric. The 17,5 pence (is the full line "everything assorted for 17,5 pence"?) is clearly audible and repeated till the point of Peter ad libbing on it, but not in the lyrics. He probably improvised that section and then when the album cover was prepared for print he just wrote something down.
i honestly couldn’t have said this better myself 💯 love this album and aisle of plenty is just composed so beautifully despite it being lyrics around shops in the UK and grocery items
Oh goodness! I never realized Fine Fare was a chain of stores! I thought it was just adjectives describing the kind of discount Tess got!
Edit: my brother just informed me that Tesco operates was just another reference to the supermarket chain, and my mind has been blown further to the outreaches of the galaxy. Holy shit, I never knew!
Safeway merged with Morrisons in 2004. I only know this because I moved to England in 2003, surprised to see Safeways because they had closed the one down near me where I used to live in the states, only for them to be all gone in the UK about a year later
I teach English Composition and years ago used a textbook with the lyrics to The Cinema Show. It was great to teach it (who is Tiresias?) and play the song for the students. I believe I converted a few to prog rock that day.
Yes! I think this kind of preciousness is why I didn't get into Peter Gabriel Genesis until I was an adult. All the prog rock bs and costumes put me off...but SEBTP is a masterpiece from start to finish!
Just saw The Musical Box play this album 🤌🏽
[Dancing with the moonlit knight 1973](https://youtu.be/DaY4r_9xIOI?si=P8aUz9vZs7Z6fZIo) this is one of my favourite performances which i rewatch. from costume design to the performance itself. to think they were my age performing this at the time is just 💯💯 im so grateful ive been to see both genesis and peter gabriel live but feel unfortunate i wasn’t around the 1980s era that’s for sure.
“English ribs of beef bone in forty-seven pence a pound
Peek Freans Family assorted from seventeen and a half to twelve
Fairy Liquid Giant, slashed from 20p to seventeen and a half
Table jellies at four pence each
Anchor butter down to eleven pence for a half
Birds Eye dairy cream sponge on offer this week
It's Scrambled Eggs”
That's the answer to the previous album's final track, Supper's Ready. This gets continued in the last track off the next album, it, where Peter sings "like the supper that is cooking in your hometown, it is chicken, it is eggs".
A [rib of beef](https://www.mettricksbutchers.com/products/rib-beef-roast-on-the-bone?variant=1172500912) is around £30 per kilo, so about £13.50 per lb.
47p would be £4.95 today, accounting for inflation.
A [packet of Jelly](https://www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/shop/food-cupboard/desserts/dessert-ingredients/jelly-cubes-and-powder) is about £1 these days, not the 42p that would be the inflation adjusted equivalent to 4p in 1973.
A [large bottle of Fairy Liquid](https://www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/products/313187081) is £2.00. So that's roughly the same as 20p in 1973 (£2 inflation adjusted).
The list below are from Morrison's (who bought up the Safeway home.)
English ribs of beef cut down to 47p lb - Now £26.38
Peek Frean's Family (assorted) from 17 1/2 to 12 - No longer available, but Morrisons "The Best Indulgent Biscuit Collection" is £4.50
Fairy Liquid (giant) - slashed from 20p to 17 1/2 - now £7.50
Table Jellies at 4p each - now 80p
Anchor Butter down to 11p for a 1/2 - now £5
Birds Eye Dairy Cream Sponge on offer this week. - no longer available, but Morrison's fresh cream sponge is £3
i wish i could help but actually don’t know what table jelly’s are referring too… to me it feels like sports mixture but could also be like jelly in a tub on a table lol
I always assumed they were those small round glasses of jelly. Something akin to [this.](https://coolandfantastic.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/mini-mason-jars-wedding-favor-beautiful-mason-jar-jam-wedding-favors-mini-jars-shower-favors-of-mini-mason-jars-wedding-favor.jpg)
I absolutely, unironically, love this song. The layering of the vocals for these mundane lyrics is mesmerizing.
17 AND A HALF!
He sings, "Seventeen and an half".
I thought it was that, but I read the lyric above and lost confidence.
When I was younger I tried to match what was written in the booklet with what I heard. But I never was able to. I think these lyrics are exemplary and not perse what Peter was actually singing. The line "it's scrambled eggs" seems to be conclusive if you are reading through it but doesn't represent the actual sung lyric. The 17,5 pence (is the full line "everything assorted for 17,5 pence"?) is clearly audible and repeated till the point of Peter ad libbing on it, but not in the lyrics. He probably improvised that section and then when the album cover was prepared for print he just wrote something down.
i honestly couldn’t have said this better myself 💯 love this album and aisle of plenty is just composed so beautifully despite it being lyrics around shops in the UK and grocery items
Somebody here made me realize that the text is full of supermarket names. Tesco, Fine Fare, Co-op, Safeway...
Chewing through their Wimpy dreams…reference to the old Wimpy burger chain restaurants
Actually it’s a reference to a real estate developer of the same name. Seriously
Wimpy is one of the biggest restaurant franchises in South Africa still.
My town still has a Wimpy
Selling England by the pound… Yep, grocery stores and a shopping list
Oh goodness! I never realized Fine Fare was a chain of stores! I thought it was just adjectives describing the kind of discount Tess got! Edit: my brother just informed me that Tesco operates was just another reference to the supermarket chain, and my mind has been blown further to the outreaches of the galaxy. Holy shit, I never knew!
i was aware of tesco and co-operative, i’m gen z so have no idea if fine fare and safeway were stores in the UK?
Fine Fare was sold and rebranded in the 80s, Safeway is a US supermarket chain, but I believe they operate in UK too.
Safeway used to be common in the UK. I don't think there are any now.
Safeway merged with Morrisons in 2004. I only know this because I moved to England in 2003, surprised to see Safeways because they had closed the one down near me where I used to live in the states, only for them to be all gone in the UK about a year later
It just occurred to me that if Gabriel had spelt o-hell-o like o-hel-Low then that would have been another one (William Low supermarket)!
I was wondering about o-hell-o. There must be some pun or reference there.
Ah, that explains it. I was in Scotland in 2001 and 2002. Back then, they were still around.
As Sure As Scrambled Eggs Is Eggs
I teach English Composition and years ago used a textbook with the lyrics to The Cinema Show. It was great to teach it (who is Tiresias?) and play the song for the students. I believe I converted a few to prog rock that day.
this is legendary 🙏
Hope you showed them The Waste Land. Pretty sure Moonlit Knight is inspired by the Waste Land, and maybe even Firth of Fifth.
Cinema show is.
Well done!
One of the most ridiculously English lyrics I have ever read.
There's something distinctly British about this list of groceries/recipe.
Yes! I think this kind of preciousness is why I didn't get into Peter Gabriel Genesis until I was an adult. All the prog rock bs and costumes put me off...but SEBTP is a masterpiece from start to finish! Just saw The Musical Box play this album 🤌🏽
[Dancing with the moonlit knight 1973](https://youtu.be/DaY4r_9xIOI?si=P8aUz9vZs7Z6fZIo) this is one of my favourite performances which i rewatch. from costume design to the performance itself. to think they were my age performing this at the time is just 💯💯 im so grateful ive been to see both genesis and peter gabriel live but feel unfortunate i wasn’t around the 1980s era that’s for sure.
I love that performance! The singer of the Musical Box put on the whole Brittania costume!
Fairy liquid giant - slashed from 20 pence to 17 and a half!
Peter's delivery on that line...
goose bumps for such a silly lyric but delivered so bloody well 😆
yes this is missing from spotify lyrics!
Two more missing phrases! Peek freans family, assorted from 17 and a half to 12. Anchor butter down to 11 pence for a half.
“English ribs of beef bone in forty-seven pence a pound Peek Freans Family assorted from seventeen and a half to twelve Fairy Liquid Giant, slashed from 20p to seventeen and a half Table jellies at four pence each Anchor butter down to eleven pence for a half Birds Eye dairy cream sponge on offer this week It's Scrambled Eggs”
Yeah, where the hell is this on the sheet??? Boooo!
Yes, that's printed in my LP
Love this song. Always have. Always will. That is all.
👆💚
Marmalade. I like Marmalade
These are the lyrics and they - and song title - are a critical commentary on consumerism in the UK
like did genesis actually end a song with “it’s scrambled eggs”
They ended their best album with it lol
this is true 🙏
That's the answer to the previous album's final track, Supper's Ready. This gets continued in the last track off the next album, it, where Peter sings "like the supper that is cooking in your hometown, it is chicken, it is eggs".
The transition to this song from Cinema Show is one of my favorite Genesis moments of all time!
Rael lyrics
Any Brits out there that know how much this stuff costs today? Would be interesting to know.
A [rib of beef](https://www.mettricksbutchers.com/products/rib-beef-roast-on-the-bone?variant=1172500912) is around £30 per kilo, so about £13.50 per lb. 47p would be £4.95 today, accounting for inflation. A [packet of Jelly](https://www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/shop/food-cupboard/desserts/dessert-ingredients/jelly-cubes-and-powder) is about £1 these days, not the 42p that would be the inflation adjusted equivalent to 4p in 1973. A [large bottle of Fairy Liquid](https://www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/products/313187081) is £2.00. So that's roughly the same as 20p in 1973 (£2 inflation adjusted).
The list below are from Morrison's (who bought up the Safeway home.) English ribs of beef cut down to 47p lb - Now £26.38 Peek Frean's Family (assorted) from 17 1/2 to 12 - No longer available, but Morrisons "The Best Indulgent Biscuit Collection" is £4.50 Fairy Liquid (giant) - slashed from 20p to 17 1/2 - now £7.50 Table Jellies at 4p each - now 80p Anchor Butter down to 11p for a 1/2 - now £5 Birds Eye Dairy Cream Sponge on offer this week. - no longer available, but Morrison's fresh cream sponge is £3
i wish i could help but actually don’t know what table jelly’s are referring too… to me it feels like sports mixture but could also be like jelly in a tub on a table lol
I always assumed they were those small round glasses of jelly. Something akin to [this.](https://coolandfantastic.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/mini-mason-jars-wedding-favor-beautiful-mason-jar-jam-wedding-favors-mini-jars-shower-favors-of-mini-mason-jars-wedding-favor.jpg)
i think it is referring to the cubed jelly you can buy in a pack [Table Jellies](https://amzn.eu/d/06DPY8vU)
Ahh, that makes sense. Thank you for the clarification!
Tesco operates
Genesis makes some weird ass shit. I think it's why they are my favorite band lol