Tell Me Why (Genesis song)

Infobox Single
Name = Tell Me Why


Artist = Genesis
Album = We Can't Dance
Released = February 1993
B-side = Live version of other songs
Format = CD single
7" single
Length = 4:58
Label = Virgin
Writer = Tony Banks
Phil Collins
Mike Rutherford
Producer = Genesis
Nick Davis
Robert Colby
Last single = "Invisible Touch (Live)"
(1992)
This single = "Tell Me Why"
(1993)
Next single = "Congo"
(1997)
Misc = Extra tracklisting
Album = We Can't Dance
Type = studio
prev_track = "Dreaming While You Sleep"
prev_no = Track 6
this_track = "Tell Me Why"
track_no = Track 7
next_track = "Living Forever"
next_no = Track 8

"Tell Me Why" is a rock song by Genesis. It first appeared as the seventh track on their 1991 album "We Can't Dance", and was later issued as a single in Europe (in November 1992) and Britain (in February 1993). It was the last Genesis single featuring Phil Collins on vocals.

Background

A royalty from the single was donated to the Bosnian Save the Children and Red Cross charities. This was in keeping with the lyric of the song, which expressed disdain for hypocrisy about food and shelter ("You say there's nothing you can do / Is there one rule for them and one for you?").

Much like fellow album track "Way of the World", the discontentment of the words is juxtaposed with buoyant, almost Byrdsian guitar playing from Mike Rutherford. Singer Phil Collins addressed similar concerns about homelessness in "Another Day in Paradise" (1989).

Reflecting the emerging trend for CD singles, "Tell Me Why" was issued as two separate discs in the UK. Both editions came in digipaks with identical artwork, and were backed by a live version of "Dreaming While You Sleep". The first CD featured a 1992 version of "Turn It On Again" as an exclusive track, while the second included a full performance of "Tonight, Tonight, Tonight" from 1986 (this song segued into "Invisible Touch" on the "We Can't Dance" tour).

In Europe the live B-sides were "Mama", "The Brazilian" (both from the Invisible Touch tour) and the single version of "Invisible Touch".

Keyboardist Tony Banks regarded the song as worthy of single release (much like "Anything She Does" five years before), so its release as the fifth single can be seen as belated. Unlike its four predecessors, however, it was not a commercial success, barely breaching the UK Top 40.

The working title of "Tell Me Why" was originally "Rickenbacker" after the 12-string Rickenbacker guitar used by Mike Rutherford on the song. Rickenbackers are known for their distinct "ringing" sound.

Track listings

; CD single
# "Tell Me Why" — 4:58
# "Dreaming While You Sleep" (live) — 7:55
# "Tonight, Tonight, Tonight" (full version live) — 9:33

; 7" single
# "Tell Me Why" — 4:58
# "Invisible Touch" (live) — 5:18

Charts

References