Many Too Many

to me this about the confusion felt by one sad lost brokenhearted man. talking of his need to carry on, finding a way out from the life he had, to the woman that abandonned him... and not to Anthony phillips lol because i have to say the 'mama' reference here ..well it might confirm that it ain't about Hackett's frustration felt among the band..and simply exclude that this is the (predictable) one subject of the song right ? :) ahh fans and their band's mythology..... ;)

not what I thought, but it's probably close to the truth.

Beautiful. The way the music seems to tumble down following the words "the way you built me up, Then knocked me down again" is just one of several master-strokes !

To me this is a song about someone who has fallen in love with someone who probably just was having a casual fling.

It seems supported by the lyrics. Sounds like the "many too many have stood where I stand" is written about a guy who fell for a "heartbreaker" who has already moved on to someone else (hence "many more will stand here too").

Also seems like the protagonist had his ego propt up by his false notion that this person was going to stick with them (hence the "built me up then knocked me down again).

The lesson hopefully learned here is to not put stock in someone too soon, no matter how great they seem.

Some women love to control the narrative. That's what this lyric is about. They will trap you ("locked me up") & trick you ("removed the road"). They won't let you out of the trap, & they won't help you find a way. Is love involved? That's difficult to say. Likely not. These women often ensnare many as a matter of course. & then walk away. Without consequence.

For a while it seemed to me like a phil's song, lamenting his growing disenchantment with his first marriage, wondering about if and how to get released. When realizing it was actually Tony Bank's song, i kept wondering whether it had been written for Phil anyway. Love disillusionment has indeed always been a universal theme, which actually implied by the lyrics first verses. Still it somehow feels like a comforting gesture by Tony to a close friend in distress.

For a while it was somehow clear to me this had been Phil's song lamenting his disenchantment with his first marriage.When realizing it was written by Tony Banks i kept wondering whether he had written it for Phil. Indeed the story of love disillusionment has always been a universal one, which is actually indicated by the lyrics first verses. All the more still, it feels like a friendy gesture by Banks to a friend in distress...

[Edit: Vvv]

this is steve hacketts leaving present. the many too many refernce perhaps referin to other guitarists who had been in his position and left previously like anthony phillips. the part about bein locked up i guess is about his frustration at bein left out of the musical process more and more as time passed. he ended up with less imput in the group bein left with short solo's towards the end of his run. -not sure about the use of mama in this song. the jist remains that he was unhappy bein in the band. i read somewhere that hackett actually did say goodbye on a corner to phil shortly before bein due to play... sad really, i liked hacketts parts. good solo run after tho'! he's always re-using genesis stuff like blood on the rooftops and los endos.