"Mama" was the first song the band wrote for the 1983 album. It emerged from a spontaneous jam session at their studio, , where they began recording ideas before anything was pre-written. The band used gated reverb on the drums, a signature sound Collins and producer Hugh Padgham helped pioneer on Peter Gabriel’s track "Intruder".
: Phil Collins' sinister, maniacal "ha ha... ow" laugh was inspired by the vocal effects in Grandmaster Flash's rap hit " The Message ". Lyrical Meaning and Inspiration Genesis - Mama (Official Audio)
: Mike Rutherford programmed the harsh, distorted Linn LM-1 drum machine beat that carries the song. "Mama" was the first song the band wrote for the 1983 album
The song's primary theme is a young man's obsessive infatuation with an older prostitute whom he calls "Mama". : Phil Collins' sinister, maniacal "ha ha
The track is defined by its industrial, brooding atmosphere, characterized by:
: Upon first hearing it, the band’s manager, Tony Smith, thought the lyrics (e.g., "can't you feel my heart") represented a fetus pleading with a mother to avoid an abortion. Production History
: Phil Collins drew from David Niven's autobiography, The Moon’s a Balloon , which describes a young man's encounter with a 45-year-old prostitute.