No son of mine - Genesis

'No son of mine' was released as the first single from Genesis' 1991 album 'We can't dance'. The lyric tells the story of a boy who runs away from his abusive home, and - after some reconsideration - attempts to return, only to be rebuked by his father. In interviews, Phil Collins has said that the lyrics are deliberately vague as to whether the narrator or his mother is the victim of the abuse.

The track is notable for a distinctive sound heard during the intro and before the second verse. Referred to by the band as 'elephantus', the sound was created by Tony Banks recording Mike Rutherford's guitar with a sampler and then playing three notes on the bottom register of the keyboard, greatly lowering the pitch. The single relaunched Genesis' career after four years absence from the charts, peaking at number 6 in the UK singles chart and number 8 in the Dutch Top 40.

My collection: 7" single no. 1547
Found: Melody Maker, Den Haag, November 2, 1991
Cost: 6 guilders
Tracks: 'No son of mine' / 'Living forever'