No Reply at All

"No Reply at All"
Single by Genesis
from the album Abacab
B-side	Naminanu / Dodo
Released	September 9, 1981
Format	7" / 12"
Recorded	1981
Genre	Pop rock
Length	4:40
Label	Charisma/Virgin (U.K.) Atlantic(U.S.)
Producer	Genesis
Genesis singles chronology
"Abacab" (1981) "No Reply at All" (1981) "Keep It Dark" (1981)
Abacab track listing "Abacab" (1) "No Reply at All" (2) "Me and Sarah Jane" (3)

"No Reply at All" is a song by British band Genesis, released on their 1981 album Abacab.

Song information

This song, like leader Phil Collins' solo track "I Missed Again" (recorded at around the same time), makes prominent use of a horn section, arranged by Tom Tom 84 (i.e. Thomas Washington, horn arranger for Earth, Wind & Fire) and played by that band's wind players, credited on the song as "EWF Horns". The song marks a step toward the mainstream pop direction Genesis was taking at the time, yet it still contains elements of their past: it features complex, melodic bass riffs from Mike Rutherford, while Tony Banks plays with a cross-hand technique on a Prophet-5, similar to the style he used for the intro to the title track from The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway.

The song was released as the first single from Abacab in the U.S. and reached the U.S. Top 30 in the fall of 1981.

The song was performed live by Phish as a tribute to Genesis at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 2010 induction ceremony. Phish also performed "Watcher of the Skies" that night.

Meaning

The meaning of the lyrics is open to interpretation. Many believe it is told from the perspective of a down-on-his-luck guy, similar to the earlier Phil Collins solo song "I Missed Again", who cannot get a woman's attention despite his numerous attempts, but decides to keep trying. When introducing the song on the 1981 Abacab tour Phil said the song is about miscommunication between two people in a relationship, and that there is no reply at all.

Music video

The music video features only the band; the EWF horn section does not appear. Cameras revolve around the band playing their parts in a rehearsal setting. When the horn part is prominent, it cuts to a different shot of the band — wearing hats, sunglasses, and jackets to conceal their identity — playing the trumpet, saxophone and trombone.