Driving the Last Spike
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| “Driving the Last Spike” | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
|||||
| Song by Genesis | |||||
| Album | We Can't Dance | ||||
| Released | November 11, 1991 | ||||
| Recorded | March - September 1991 | ||||
| Genre | Progressive Rock | ||||
| Length | 10:08 | ||||
| Label | Charisma/Virgin (UK), Atlantic Records (US) | ||||
| Writer | Tony Banks, Phil Collins, Mike Rutherford | ||||
| Producer | Nick Davis and Genesis | ||||
| We Can't Dance track listing | |||||
|
|||||
"Driving the Last Spike" is the third track on the Genesis album We Can't Dance, released in 1991.
The song's lyrics were written by Phil Collins. They are about the railroad workers of the 1800s, many of whom died making Britain's railways. The song narrates the thoughts and feelings of an unnamed railroad worker in the form of a soliloquy or internal monologue. The title is a phrase meaning the completion of a major railroad project - placing the 'last spike' is often a momentous occasion.
The song is the second longest on the album, clocking at 10:08. Its length is somewhat reminiscent to the band's past work, which was focused on progressive rock suites.
"Driving the Last Spike" was performed live on the band's 1992 The Way We Walk Tour. The second half of the song (starting at 5:41) was always performed a whole step lower, for Collins' not getting too tired after performing the song.
