Genesis:The Colony of Slippermen

“The Colony of Slippermen”
Artist:	Genesis
Albums:	The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway (1974)

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The Arrival

Leaving by the same door from which he had come in, he finds some sort of freaks ghetto on the other side. When they catch sight of him, the entire street of distorted figures burst into laughter. One of the colony approaches him. He is grotesque in every feature, a mixture of ugly lumps and stumps. His lips slip across his chin as he smiles in welcome and offers his slippery handshake. Rael is a little disillusioned, when the Slipperman reveals that the entire colony have one-by-one been through the same glorious romantic tragedy with the same three Lamia, who regenerate themselves every time, and that now Rael shares their physical appearance and shadowy fate. Amongst the contorted faces of the Slippermen, Rael recognises what is left of his brother John. They hug each other.

I wandered lonely as a cloud
Till I came upon this dirty street
I've never seen a stranger crowd
Slubberdegullions on a squeaky feet

Continually pacing
With nonchalant embracing
Each orifice disgracing
And one facing me moves to say hellay

His skin's all covered in slimy lumps
With lips that slide across each chin
His twisted limbs like rubber stamps
Are waved in welcome say please join in

My grip must be flipping
Cos his handshake keeps slipping
My hopes keep on dippin
And his lips keep on smiling all the time

We like you have tasted love
Don't be alarmed at what you see
You yourself are just the same
As what you see in me

Me
Like you?
Like that

You better watch it son
Your sentence has only just begun
You better run and join your brother John

A Visit to the Doktor

John bitterly explains that the entire life of the Slipperman is devoted to satisfying the never-ending hunger of the senses, which has been inherited from the Lamia. There is only one escape route; a dreaded visit to the notorious Doktor Dyper who will remove the source of the problems, or to put it less politely, castrate. They discuss the deceptively-named escape for a long time and decide to go together to visit the Doktor.

You're in the colony of slippermen.
There's no who? why? what? or when?

You get out if you've got the gripe
To see, Doktor Dyper, reformed sniper
He'll whip off your windscreen wiper

John and I are able
To face the Doktor and his marble table

Understand Rael, it's the end of your tail

Don't delay, dock the dick
I watch his countdown timer tick

The Raven

They survive the ordeal and are presented with the offensive weapons in sterile yellow plastic tubes, with gold chains. "People usually wear them around their necks," said the Doktor handing them over. "The operation does not necessarily exclude use of the facility again, for short periods, but of course when you want it you must provide us with considerable advance warning." As the brothers talk themselves through their new predicament, a big black raven flies into the cave, swoops down, grabs Rael's tube right out of his hands and carries it up into the air in his beak. Rael calls for John to go with him. And he replies "I will not chase a black raven. Down here you must read and obey the omens. There's disaster where the raven flies." So once more John deserts his brother.

The bird leads Rael down a narrow tunnel, he seems to be allowing him to keep at a closed distance. But as Rael thinks he might almost catch hold of the bird, the tunnel opens and finishes at an enormous subterranean ravine. Casually, the raven drops his precious load into the rushing waters at the bottom. It's enough to drive a poor boy ravin' mad. Seeing the dangers of the steep cliff, our courageous hero stands impotent and glowers.

He places the number into a tube
A yellow plastic shoobedoobe
It says
Though your fingers may tickle
You'll be safe in our pickle
Suddenly a black cloud comes down from the sky
It's a supersize black bird that sure can fly

The raven brings on darkness and night
He flies right down, gives me one hell of a fright
He takes the tube right out of my hands
Man, I've got to find out where that black bird lands

Look here John, I've got to run
I need you now, you going to come?
He says to me
Now can't you see
Where the raven flies there's jeopardy

We've been cured on the couch
Now you're sick with your grouch
I'll not risk my honey pouch
Which my slouch will wear slung very low

He walks away and leaves me once again
Even though I never learn
I'd hoped he'd show just some concern

I'm in agony of Slipperpain
I pray my undercarriage will sustain
The chase is on, the pace is hot
But I'm running so very hard with everything I've got
He leads me down an underpass
Though it narrows he still flies very fast
When the tunnel stops
I catch sight of the tube just as it drops
I'm on top of a bank too steep to climb
I see it hit the water
Just in time
To watch it float away