| Genesis – Get 'em Out By Friday Lyrics | 14 years ago |
|
I know of a couple of probable threads in the story behind using Harlow New Town as the exemplar in the Genesis song, Get Em Out By Friday. The first is to do with Harlow New Town, as was, now simply called Harlow. The ancient parish of Harlow, one of the four that were absorbed in the development of Harlow New Town, is now called Old Harlow. Harlow New Town was a post WW2 development, north east of London, conceived as part of the urgent national need for social housing. Harlow's master architect, Sir Frederick Gibberd, designed the UK's first residential tower block known as The Lawn. The song's lyrcis reflect some aspects of the actual wheeling and dealing that was known about, in the scramble for the best accomodation on offer in this brand new urban paradise called Harlow New Town. Folk migrating from east and north London bombed out slums were being given brand new homes in the countryside with central heating, internal bathrooms and toilets, gardens, fields, schools. The whole package. Oh and by agreeing to move to Harlow, you'd get a guaranteed job and a new home. One of the actual problems ion the early days of Harlow was the scandal that aroused the interest of politicians and the press over the issue of rents. As ever, the promise of a new life in this gleaming new planned, new town, came with a price tag. The trouble began, when, as ever, that price kept on climbing, which caused all the fuss. Also, although I don't have anecdotal evidence for this, one can only imagine what went on in the scramble for the new life for the prospective new tenants coming from east and north London. So, the parallels with what happend in real life in the early days of Harlow New Town and what happened to Mrs Barrow in the lyrics of the song are obvious. Added to that is the very obvious motif of the Lawn Tower Block built on First Avenue at The Stow in Harlow, the first tower block in the UK in 1951. Also, the Lawn Tower Block is in the area just down the road from the area known as Mark Hall, which gets it's name from the mostly long gone estate and manor house where Elizabeth I once stayed. In the song, Mark Hall is also knwon as, The Winkler. I do know that Genesis played at The Birdcage in Harlow in 1971 iirc. The song and Harlow are mentioned in this thesis paper here: http://eprints.mdx.ac.uk/6256/1/Sothcott-PHD.pdf Page 133 A leading article in The Times (24th January 1992) upon the 25th anniversary of Milton Keynes wrote of an “eagerness to force large number of people out of city centres” before comparing the New Towns programme to the policies of an autocratic government. The consequences for those moved were described as catastrophic. Many were “...moved compulsorily and callously, [and found] themselves in single-class towns with poor services and a lack of communal continuity vital to a humane neighbourhood (quoted in Ward 1993 p9/10). Page 134 The same conception of the New Towns programme as the forceful movement of people into anomic environments is repeated in the lyrics of 'Get 'em Out By Friday', a Progressive Rock track by Genesis recorded in 1972. In this rather surreal piece, Peter Gabriel, the band's lead singer and principle lyricist, theatrically voices the part of 'Mark Hall' (a.k.a 'The Winkler'), who connives to move Mrs Barrow and her family from their existing home to create space for urban redevelopment. Initially reluctant to leave, the Barrow's accept a cash bribe from The Winkler and so move to a new 'block' in Harlow New Town „with central heating‟. Upon arrival, however, The Winkler informs the Barrows that, unfortunately, he has had to raise their rent “Just a little Bit”. The track becomes more nightmarishly surreal when the narrative moves into the future. Now representatives of 'Genetic Control' announce plans to limit the height of people to four feet. This, we learn, is an experiment in an 'economy of scale' to fit more people into already existing buildings. Harlow is chosen as the site to begin. I hear the directors of Genetic Control have been buying all the properties that have recently been sold, taking risks oh so bold. It's said now that people will be shorter in height, they can fit twice as many in the same building site. (They say it's alright). Beginning with the tenants of the town of Harlow in the interest of humanity, they've been told they must go, told they must go-go-go-go. 25 25 From track 'Get 'em Out By Friday' by Genesis on 'Foxtrot' released 1972 ============================ The second thread that may have fed into the conception of the song is that it maybe partly influenced by short story. I have the book somewhere but can't remember it's title. I was referred to the short story by someone who answered my question "what is the song about ?" on a Genesis forum, many years ago. Until I come up with the name of the short story that's all I've got for now. |
|
* This information can be up to 15 minutes delayed.