The Carpet Crawlers

"The Carpet Crawlers"
Cover for the 1999 rerecorded version.
Single by Genesis
from the album The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway
B-side	"Evil Jam (The Waiting Room live)"
Released	April 1975
Recorded	August-October 1974
Genre	Progressive rock
Length	5:15
Label	Charisma/Virgin (UK) Atco/Atlantic (U.S.)
Producer	John Burns and Genesis
Genesis singles chronology
"Counting Out Time" (1974) "Carpet Crawlers" (1975) "A Trick of the Tail" (1976)
"Not About Us" (Live) (1998) "The Carpet Crawlers 1999" (1999) "Silent Sun 2006" (2006) The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway track listing "Counting Out Time" (9) "Carpet Crawlers" (10) "The Chamber of 32 Doors" (11)

"The Carpet Crawlers", also sometimes listed as "Carpet Crawl", "The Carpet Crawl" or "Carpet Crawlers", is a song originally from the 1974 Genesis concept album The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway. The song was re-recorded in 1999 with the name "The Carpet Crawlers 1999".

In this portion of The Lamb story, the main character Rael finds himself in a red carpeted corridor, filled with kneeling people that are slowly crawling towards a red door at the end of the hall. Rael dashes by them towards the door and goes through it. Behind the door is a table with a candlelit feast on it, and behind that, a spiral staircase that leads upwards out of sight.

Releases

"The Carpet Crawlers" reappears on the 1976 Genesis: In Concert with Bill Bruford on drums, and on Seconds Out, Genesis's 1977 live album. It was also played on subsequent tours in 1978, 1980, 1981 and the Six of the Best reunion concert with Peter Gabriel. A re-recorded version, called "Carpet Crawlers 1999", was released on the compilation album Turn It on Again: The Hits; this was the last recording to date by the 5-man line-up of Peter Gabriel, Steve Hackett, Tony Banks, Phil Collins and Mike Rutherford. The B-sides of the 1999 single were "Turn it on Again" and "Follow You Follow Me". The song is also included as the final track of the 2007 live album Live Over Europe 2007 and on the live DVD When in Rome 2007.

Cover versions

The song was covered by the French band Matis on their album "Encore" released in 2006. A version was also recorded by John Ford (ex-The Strawbs) for a tribute album. Another version was covered by the jazz band Fragile on their 2007 cover album smile and by Human Drama on their 1993 'Pin Ups' release. Leon Alvarado covered the song in his album "Leon Plays Genesis and Other Original Stuff" released in 2008.

Personnel

• Peter Gabriel: vocals
• Steve Hackett: electric guitar
• Mike Rutherford: 12-string guitar, bass guitar (only on the 1999 version), bass pedals
• Phil Collins: drums, backing vocals
• Tony Banks: ARP Pro-Soloist, RMI electra-piano