Text written for Rock Theatre's Selling Finland-project first published as Facebook and Instagram-post 13th october 2023. In a unique collaboration with artists Rosanna Fellman, Anna-Sofia Nylund and researcher Kaj Ahlsved, Rock Theatre has created an audiovisual concept, which deals with themes from Selling England by the Pound, now set in the present day.

With “Aisle of Plenty”, the last and shortest song, Genesis rounds off the almost hour-long album “Selling England by the Pound”. This is done by seamlessly transitioning from the previous song (“Cinema show”) and by returning to themes – both musical and lyrical – presented in the beginning of the album.

Repeating introductory themes is a common way of tying things together in western art music formats like suites, symphonies and other large-scale compositions built on for example the sonata form.

The title of the song, “Aisle of Plenty”, is a reference to the abundance and wealth of the British Isles. Through wordplay – puns if you like – the scene of the song is well-known British supermarkets like Safeway, Fine Fare and Tesco.

The “You have made your bed, now lie in it”-sense moral actualized in the “Cinema show” is thus relocated to the aisle of British supermarkets which makes it possible for Genesis to explore commercial and other kinds of relationships. The lyrics also include a small wink to the history of British food cooperatives (Co-ops) which allegedly provided ethical or sustainable alternatives to profit driven convenience stores.

The lyrics of the song:

“I don’t belong here”, said old Tessa out loud

“Easy, love, there’s the Safe Way home.”

— thankful for her Fine Fare discount, Tess Co-operates

Still alone in o-Hell-o – see the deadly nightshade grow

Even though in the song we are spatially located in the commercial space, the nylon guitar creates an intimate atmosphere as if the song contains a personal, soothing message to be whispered in the ear of the disoriented consumer “Old Tessa” who has no other option than to co-operate and sacrifice her values on the altar of modern-day consumerism.

Her outcry “I don’t belong here” touches up on many of the great challenges of the 21st century, a time characterized by new “deadly nightshades” in the format of a growing senses of alienation, loneliness, and physical and emotional dislocation.

The original song ends with a cacophony of sale offers being shouted out to British consumers. Accompanied by repetitive rhythms and motifs – sounds of urbanized society – they create the impression of a soulless society that tirelessly sings the praises of consumer culture.

Without spoiling our interpretation of the final of the “Aisle of Plenty” I can reveal that the project has taken quite similar approach to represent the cacophony of voices that construct the soundscape of modern-day Finnish society with its challenges and opportunities.