Jesus He Knows Me
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"Jesus He Knows Me" is a song by the English rock band
Genesis Genesis may refer to: Religion * Book of Genesis, the first book of the biblical scriptures of both Judaism and Christianity, describing the creation of the Earth and of humankind * Genesis creation narrative, the first several chapters of the Bo ...
from their fourteenth studio album, ''
We Can't Dance ''We Can't Dance'' is the fourteenth studio album by the English rock band Genesis (band), Genesis, released on 11 November 1991 by Virgin Records in the UK and a day later by Atlantic Records in the US. It is their last studio album recorded wit ...
'' (1991), released in July 1992 as the album's fourth single. The song is a satire of
televangelism Televangelism (from ''televangelist'', a blend of ''television'' and ''evangelist'') and occasionally termed radio evangelism or teleministry, denotes the utilization of media platforms, notably radio and television, for the marketing of relig ...
, released in a period when several televangelists such as
Jimmy Swaggart Jimmy Lee Swaggart (; born March 15, 1935) is an American Pentecostal televangelist and gospel artist. Swaggart is one of the most well-known televangelists in America. During the 1980s, Swaggart's crusades were a major part of his ministry†...
,
Robert Tilton Robert Tilton (born June 7, 1946) is an American televangelist and the former pastor of the Word of Faith Family Church in Farmers Branch, Texas, Farmers Branch, Texas, a suburb of Dallas. At his ministry's peak in 1991, Tilton's infomercial-styl ...
and
Jim Bakker James Orsen Bakker (; born January 2, 1940) is an American televangelist and convicted felon. Between 1974 and 1987, Bakker hosted the television program ''The PTL Club'' and its cable television platform, the PTL Satellite Network, with his ...
were under investigation for promising financial success to their listeners, provided they sent money to them. The song reached 10 in Canada, No. 20 in the United Kingdom and No. 23 in the United States.


Background

Before the lyrics were added, the song's title was "Do The New Thing", possibly referencing Tony Banks' opening keyboard notes, which are heard again in the bridge. According to the behind-the-scenes documentary ''Genesis: No Admittance'', the first lyric Phil Collins wrote out of improvisation was the chorus line ''"Jesus, he knows me, and he knows I'm right"''. Following up that lyric logically took him to the idea of manic/fanatic Christians who believe that they are 'in touch' with the Almighty, which was best personified by
televangelists Televangelism (from ''televangelist'', a blend of ''television'' and ''evangelist'') and occasionally termed radio evangelism or teleministry, denotes the utilization of media platforms, notably radio and television, for the marketing of relig ...
, many of whom finance their lavish lifestyles by conning believers out of charitable donations. Banks commented that while he likes the song, it's a bit more cynical than Collins's usual style of songwriting.


Release

Like all the singles from ''We Can't Dance,'' "Jesus He Knows Me" was released on two CDs as well as on vinyl editions. All formats featured the non-album track "Hearts on Fire" (later included on '' Genesis Archive 2: 1976–1992'') as the primary
B-side The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph record, vinyl records and Compact cassette, cassettes, and the terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side of a Single (music), single usually ...
, while both CDs included an exclusive track. The first CD contains "The Other Mix" of "I Can't Dance" (a
remix A remix, also sometimes called reorchestration or rework, is a piece of media which has been altered or contorted from its original state by adding, removing, or changing pieces of the item. A song, piece of artwork, book, poem, or photograph ca ...
by
Ben Liebrand Ben Liebrand (; born 27 September 1960) is a Dutch dance music disc jockey, DJ and remixer. He has record producer, produced for artists such as Forrest (singer), Forrest and MC Miker G & DJ Sven and remixed tracks by artists such as Alexander O ...
) and the second includes the rehearsal version of "
Land of Confusion "Land of Confusion" is a song by the English rock band Genesis from their thirteenth studio album, '' Invisible Touch'' (1986). The music was written by the band, while the lyrics were written by guitarist Mike Rutherford. The song was the thir ...
". "The Other Mix" is named as such because another version, the "Sex Mix," had been released some months before on the "I Can't Dance" CD single. The second CD was the fifth disc in "The Invisible Series," a collection of Genesis CDs which featured live recordings as extra tracks. The single mix of "Jesus He Knows Me" has a louder chorus than the album version, making it more suitable for radio play. "Jesus He Knows Me" was awarded one of BMI's Pop Awards in 1993, honoring the songwriters, composers and music publishers of the song.


Critical reception

Geoff Orens from
AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...
viewed the song as "surprisingly gritty".
Larry Flick Larry Flick is an American journalist, former dance music columnist, single reviewer, and Senior Talent Editor for ''Billboard'' magazine, where he worked for 14 years. Now he produces and hosts Sirius XM radio shows. Flick started in the musi ...
from ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
'' wrote, "Once again, venerable band digs into its double-platinum ''
We Can't Dance ''We Can't Dance'' is the fourteenth studio album by the English rock band Genesis (band), Genesis, released on 11 November 1991 by Virgin Records in the UK and a day later by Atlantic Records in the US. It is their last studio album recorded wit ...
'' opus and pulls out an instantly familiar, yet totally pleasing rock cut, tailor-made for play at several formats. Interesting twists come via a
reggae Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica during the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its Jamaican diaspora, diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, "Do the Reggay", was the first ...
-vibed break in the middle of the song and cutting lyrics. Be sure to check out the inventive music videoclip." Randy Clark from '' Cashbox'' felt the song "is a more hard-drivin' Genesis, this time with a send up on
television evangelists Television (TV) is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. Additionally, the term can refer to a physical television set rather than the medium of transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertising, ente ...
, in contrast to the current hit
ballad A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and song of Great Britain and Ireland from the Late Middle Ages until the 19th century. They were widely used across Eur ...
, "
Hold On My Heart "Hold on My Heart" is a song by English rock band Genesis from their 14th studio album, ''We Can't Dance'' (1991). The ballad was released as the album's third single on 6 April 1992. The song reached number one on the Canadian ''RPM'' 100 Hit T ...
". Phil serves up either vocal style with equal ability and likeability." ''The Daily Vault'''s Christopher Thelen described it as "a slap in the face against television evangelists who are more concerned about fleecing their flocks than shepherding them, and contains some very sharp jabs against the more hypocritical ones." Kara Manning from ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...
'' viewed "Jesus He Knows Me" as "a sharp indictment of televangelical piety."


Music video

The accompanying
music video A music video is a video that integrates a song or an album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing device intended to ...
for "Jesus He Knows Me" features Phil Collins as an unscrupulous
televangelist Televangelism (from ''televangelist'', a blend of ''television'' and ''evangelist'') and occasionally termed radio evangelism or teleministry, denotes the utilization of media platforms, notably radio and television, for the marketing of relig ...
who uses donations from his followers to support his luxurious lifestyle. Collins has admitted that he was specifically parodying
Ernest Angley Ernest Winston Angley (August 9, 1921 – May 7, 2021) was an American Christian evangelist, author, and television station owner who was based in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio from the 1950s until his death in 2021. Ernest Angley was born in Mooresvi ...
in the video. According to Collins on the
BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...
show ''
Room 101 The Ministry of Truth, the Ministry of Peace, the Ministry of Love, and the Ministry of Plenty are the four ministries of the government of Oceania in the 1949 dystopian novel ''Nineteen Eighty-Four'', by George Orwell. The use of contradictor ...
,'' Angley was flattered by the parody and did not realize that his very occupation was being skewered. The opening monologue, which has been mistaken for a fictional scenario for the video clip, is based on an actual story Angley had told earlier in his career and which he recounted again in 2013. The comedic video also features band members Tony Banks and Mike Rutherford dressed as fellow evangelists. Collins, outfitted in an orange suit, portrays the leader of the "Oasis of Faith" television ministry and claims that the Lord wants him to raise $18 million from his viewers before the coming weekend. During the final chorus, cash rains down over the broadcast studio and stagehands collect more from the audience in baskets and wheelbarrows, meeting the goal. As the song fades out, Collins continues to preach before being dragged off the set by Rutherford and Banks, a reference to the ending of the video for "
I Can't Dance "I Can't Dance" is the fourth track from English rock band Genesis (band), Genesis' 14th studio album, ''We Can't Dance'' (1991) and was released in December 1991 by Virgin Records, Virgin and Atlantic Records as the second single from the rec ...
". Near the 1:40 mark, people can be seen holding a sign reading "Genesis 3:25," referring not to the Bible's
Book of Genesis The Book of Genesis (from Greek language, Greek ; ; ) is the first book of the Hebrew Bible and the Christian Old Testament. Its Hebrew name is the same as its incipit, first word, (In the beginning (phrase), 'In the beginning'). Genesis purpor ...
but to the fact that the band had been together for 25 years at that point and had three members for most of its existence. The third chapter of Genesis, in reality, only has 24 verses. In the original version of the video, the "toll-free number" referred to in the lyrics was shown as 1-555-GEN-ESIS. This was covered up by a scroll bar in later edits of the video. (The
555 Year 555 ( DLV) was a common year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 555 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming y ...
area code actually does not prefix any known toll-free telephone numbers.) At the Brit Awards in
1993 The United Nations General Assembly, General Assembly of the United Nations designated 1993 as: * International Year for the World's Indigenous People The year 1993 in the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands had only 364 days, since its ...
the video was nominated for British Video of the Year.


Live performances

The song was performed live on the 1992 ''We Can't Dance'' tour, although it was originally not going to be played because the band thought the live visuals were mocking religion. The band eventually decided to perform "Jesus He Knows Me" instead of "Living Forever," which was in the setlist at the time. Touring guitarist
Daryl Stuermer Daryl Mark Stuermer (born November 27, 1952) is an American musician, songwriter, singer, and record producer best known for playing the guitar and bass for Genesis during live shows, and lead guitar for Phil Collins during most solo tours and ...
played lead guitar, including a solo towards the end, while
Mike Rutherford Michael John Cloete Crawford Rutherford (born 2 October 1950) is an English guitarist, bassist and songwriter, best known as co-founder, lead guitarist and bassist of the rock band Genesis (band), Genesis. He and keyboardist Tony Banks (musici ...
played bass.


Track listings

* 7-inch and cassette single # "Jesus He Knows Me" (single mix) # "Hearts on Fire" * UK CD1 and Australian CD single # "Jesus He Knows Me" (single mix) # "Hearts on Fire" # "I Can't Dance" (the other mix) * UK CD2 # "Jesus He Knows Me" (single mix) # "Hearts on Fire" # "Land of Confusion (rehearsal version)


Personnel

* Tony Banks – keyboards *
Phil Collins Philip David Charles Collins (born 30 January 1951) is an English musician, songwriter, record producer and actor. He was the drummer and later became the lead singer of the rock band Genesis (band), Genesis and had a successful solo career, ac ...
– drums, vocals *
Mike Rutherford Michael John Cloete Crawford Rutherford (born 2 October 1950) is an English guitarist, bassist and songwriter, best known as co-founder, lead guitarist and bassist of the rock band Genesis (band), Genesis. He and keyboardist Tony Banks (musici ...
– electric guitars, bass guitar


Charts


Weekly charts


Year-end charts


Release history


Use in media

"Jesus He Knows Me" was featured in the 1996 Belgian film ''
Le huitième jour ''The Eighth Day'' () is a 1996 Franco-Belgian comedy-drama film that tells the story of the friendship that develops between two men who meet by chance. Harry (Daniel Auteuil), a divorced businessman who feels alienated from his children, meets ...
'' by
Jaco Van Dormael Jaco Van Dormael (born 9 February 1957) is a Belgium, Belgian film director, screenwriter and playwright. His films especially focus on a respectful and sympathetic portrayal of people with mental and physical disability, disabilities. Van Dorm ...
. The song was originally intended to be used in the 1995 ''
The Simpsons ''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening and developed by Groening, James L. Brooks and Sam Simon for the Fox Broadcasting Company. It is a Satire (film and television), satirical depiction of American life ...
'' episode "
Bart Sells His Soul "Bart Sells His Soul" is the fourth episode of the seventh season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It first aired on Fox in the United States on October 8, 1995. In the episode, Bart scornfully dismisses the concep ...
", but as the producers could not obtain the rights to use it, "
In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" (derived from "In the Garden of Eden") is a song recorded by Iron Butterfly, written by band member Doug Ingle and released on their 1968 album of the same name. At slightly over 17 minutes, it occupies the entire secon ...
" by
Iron Butterfly Iron Butterfly was an American rock band formed in San Diego, California, in 1966. They are best known for the 1968 hit " In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida", providing a dramatic sound that led the way towards the development of hard rock and heavy metal m ...
was used instead.


Cover versions

In 2023, Swedish rock band
Ghost In folklore, a ghost is the soul or Spirit (supernatural entity), spirit of a dead Human, person or non-human animal that is believed by some people to be able to appear to the living. In ghostlore, descriptions of ghosts vary widely, from a ...
released a cover of the song as the lead single for their EP ''Phantomime''.


References

*


External links


Music Video
at
MTV MTV (an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable television television channel, channel and the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on ...
{{Authority control 1991 songs 1992 singles Atlantic Records singles Genesis (band) songs Parodies of televangelism Protest songs Satirical songs Songs about Jesus Songs about television Songs critical of religion Songs written by Mike Rutherford Songs written by Phil Collins Songs written by Tony Banks (musician) Virgin Records singles