No Reply at All

The song makes prominent use of a horn section, arranged by Tom Tom 84 and played by Earth, Wind, and Fire (EWF). 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 piano 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 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. Others, however, believe it was written about Mike Rutherford's daughter, who was a troubled youth [1].

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.