| Duchess | |
| Cover: | Duchess (Genesis single - cover art).jpg |
| Type: | single |
| Artist: | Genesis |
| Album: | Duke |
| B-Side: | Open Door |
| Released: | 9 May 1980 |
| Recorded: | October–December 1979 |
| Studio: | Polar Studios |
| Genre: | Progressive rock |
| Length: | 6:40 (album version) 4:21 (single version) 3:57 (music video) |
| Label: | Charisma/Virgin (UK) Atlantic (US) |
| Producer: | David Hentschel and Genesis |
| Prev Title: | Turn It On Again |
| Prev Year: | 1980 |
| Next Title: | Misunderstanding |
| Next Year: | 1980 |
"Duchess" is a song by the English rock band Genesis, appearing as the second track on their 1980 album, Duke. It peaked at number 46 in the UK Singles Chart.[1] The song is a part of the album's "hidden suite", which included "Behind the Lines", "Guide Vocal", "Turn It On Again", "Duke's Travels", and "Duke's End". It was the first Genesis song to use a drum machine.
The lyrics tell the story of the rise and fall of an ambitious singer. At the start of her career, she dreams of singing to large crowds, but cares more about her music than the prospect of fame. As her success increases, her dream comes true and she becomes a superstar, adored by ecstatic audiences. However, after several years at the top, she struggles to stay relevant. By caring too much about what her audience wants, the quality of her music is negatively impacted. Unable to stay in spotlight, she chooses to end her music career and fondly remembers her former superstardom.
The video for the song shows Phil Collins, Tony Banks and Mike Rutherford playing at various points around the Liverpool Empire Theatre. The drum machine used in the song (Roland CR-78) is shown at the beginning of the video.