Second Generation is a song written by Mike Peters and Eddie Macdonald and recorded by The Alarm and first appeared on record as the b-side of the 12″ single of The Deceiver released on 26th March 1984 by IRS records.
Second Generation was originally intended for Declaration, having been written as early as 1981. It had been an outstanding song in the live set ever since the band’s inception. The version we cut during the album sessions did not make it and was relegated to b-side status. I think we over-played the song live and had tinkered with the arrangement so much, we somehow contrived to strip the single of all its innocence and charm. In fact, the version released on The Deceiver single doesn’t really sound much like The Alarm at all. I referenced a version, for this album, from a gig at the Clarendon Hotel, Hammersmith, London 24.05.1982, where the band held a four show residency in 1982. This new recording is the exact arrangement as played by The Alarm that night, performed and sung note for note. In hindsight it should have been recorded for Declaration – Mike Peters 1995 – Second Generation Volume 1 – Rare Songs of The Alarm Revisited Sleeve Notes
Original 1981 Lyrics as appears on the sleeve of Second Generation Volume 1 – Rare Songs of The Alarm Revisited
1984 Single release recording details
Running length 3:35
Written by Macdonald/Peters
Musicians & Credits
Mike Peters – Lead Vocals, Acoustic Guitar
Dave Sharp – Acoustic and Electric Guitar, Backing Vocals
Eddie Macdonald -,Bass Guitar, Keyboards, Backing Vocals
Nigel Twist – Drums, Percussion, Backing Vocals
Backing track recorded at Good Earth Studios, Soho, London W1D, England on 2nd November 1983
Overdubs and mix at Strawberry Studios, Manchester, England 9th February 1984
Produced by Alan Shacklock, Dave Sharp and Eddie Macdonald
Click on above image for remastered audio of Second Generation from the 1984 Good Earth studio recording which appears on the 2018 release of Declaration, hosted on the Official The Alarm youtube channel
Click on above image video footage of Mike Peters acoustic Live from the Gathering 16, Venue Cymru, Llandudno, Wales Friday 25 January 2008 – Audience recording
Alternative studio recordings
1995 Elevator Studios, Liverpool – new recording
2000 1984 Good Earth Studio London – remastered
2014 Chapel Studios, Dyserth – new recording
2018 1984 Good Earth Studio London – remastered
2020 Big Night In Live-Stream
(v) September 1995. Elevator Studios, Liverpool, England
Running length 3:31
Musicians & Credits
Mike Peters – Vocals, Acoustic, Electric and Bass Guitar
Owen Thomas – Drums
Recorded and mixed at Elevator Studios, Liverpool, England, 16th to 18th September 1995
Produced by Michael Peters
Engineered and mixed by Mark Phythian
Appears on Mike Peters – Second Generation Volume 1 – Rare songs of the Alarm Revisited released in December 1995
Click on above image for audio of this recording
2000. 1984 Good Earth studio recording remastered
Running length 3:37
Musicians & Credits
Mike Peters – Lead Vocals, Acoustic Guitar
Dave Sharp – Acoustic and Electric Guitar, Backing Vocals
Eddie Macdonald – Bass Guitar, Keyboards, Backing Vocals
Nigel Twist – Drums, Percussion, Backing Vocals
Remastered from the 1984 original recording by Mike Peters
Remastering Engineered by Gary Butler @ RTS Liverpool in 2000
Appears on the album The Alarm – Declaration [1984-1985]. Part of the Alarm 2000 CD box-set released in 2000
2014. Bethel Chapel Studios recording
Running length 3:35
Musicians & Credits
Mike Peters – Vocals, Acoustic Guitar, Percussion
Recorded at Bethel Chapel Studio, Dyserth, Wales
Produced by Michael Peters
Recorded & mixed by Mark Warden
Appears on the album The Alarm – The Peace Train released in 2014
2018. 1984 Good Earth studio recording remastered
Running length 3:38
Musicians & Credits
Mike Peters – Lead Vocals, Acoustic Guitar
Dave Sharp – Acoustic and Electric Guitar, Backing Vocals
Eddie Macdonald – Bass Guitar, Keyboards, Backing Vocals
Nigel Twist – Drums, Percussion, Backing Vocals
Remastering by Pete Maher
Remastering supervised by Mike Peters
Appears on the album The Alarm – Declaration [1984-1985] released in 2018
25th April 2020. Big Night In broadcast for Season 1 Episode 6 live stream
Running length 3:27
Musicians & Credits
Mike Peters – Vocals, Guitar
Recorded for Big Night In, Dyserth, Wales
Appears on the album The Alarm Music Will Keep Us Strong Disc 2 released on 10th September 2020
Album Appearances and discography for studio / session recordings
All the following are Worldwide releases except where stated
(v) 15th December 1995 : Mike Peters – Second Generation Volume 1 – Rare Songs Of The Alarm Revisited
Released on CD by The Twenty First Century Recording Company, catalogue number 21C002
1995 Elevator Studios recording
2000 : The Alarm – Declaration [1984-1985]
Released on CD by The Twenty First Century Recording Company, catalogue number 21C011
Appearing as part of the Alarm 2000 collection box set and then later as an individual disc
1984 single recording version remastered
2014 : The Alarm – The Peace Train
Released on CD by The Twenty First Century Recording Company, catalogue number 21C066
2014 Bethel Chapel Studio recording 
2018 : The Alarm – Declaration [1984-1985]
Released on double vinyl album by The Twenty First Century Recording Company, catalogue number 21C094
Released on CD by The Twenty First Century Recording Company, catalogue number 21C096
1984 single recording version remastered
10th September 2020 : The Alarm – Music Will Keep Us Strong (Disc 2)
Released on CD as The Alarm Music Will Keep Us Strong – Disc 2 by First Century Recording Company, catalogue number 21C118
Recorded on 25th April 2020 for the Big Night In broadcast from Season 1 Episode 6 live stream recording
Performed by Mike Peters solo acoustic – running length 3:27
Single Appearances and discography
All the following are Worldwide releases except where stated
26th March 1984 : 12″ vinyl single. The Alarm – The Deceiver
Track listing : The Deceiver / Reason 41 / Second Generation
Released by IRS Records, catalogue number IRSX 103
Original 1984 recording
Also released in Netherlands : IRS Records, catalogue number ILSA 12-4295
December 1984 : 12″ vinyl single. The Alarm – The Chant Has Just Begun
Track listing : The Chant Has Just Begun / The Bells of Rhymney / The Stand (full version) / Thoughts OF a Young Man / Second Generation
Released by CBS/Sony, catalogue number 20AP 2957
Japanese only release
Original 1984 recording
Officially released live recordings ~ Audio
All are Worldwide releases unless stated
1st February 1984. Recorded live at The Penthouse, Glasgow, Scotland
Running length 3:10
Performed by The Alarm : Mike Peters, Dave Sharp, Eddie Macdonald and Nigel Twist
Appears on CD box-set as The Alarm – The Sound & The Fury Live 1981 to 1991, released in 2003 by Shakedown records, catalogue number SHAKEBX112Z (UK, Export)
Appears on double CD disc 2 as 2014 as The Alarm – When The Storm Broke, released in 2014 by Secret records, catalogue number SECDD098 (UK)
24th August 2003. Recorded at William Aston Hall, NEWI, Wrexham, Wales
Running length 4:19
Performed by Mike Peters solo acoustic
Appears on CD as part of an 8 CD set Mike Peters – Alarmstock : Volume 6 A Road Less Travelled, released by The Twenty First Recording Company in 2003
29th August 2004. Recorded at William Aston Hall, NEWI, Wrexham, Wales.
Running length 3:36
Performed by Mike Peters solo acoustic
Appears on CD as part of an 8 CD set Mike Peters – Alarmstock II : Volume 5 Yesterday As If It Was Today, released by The Twenty First Recording Company in 2004
6th August 2005. Recorded at Abbey Road Studios, London NW8, England
Running length 4:47
Performed by Mike Peters solo acoustic
Released in 2005 on Alarmstock III London Set 3 – A Fuse Has Been Lit In The House
Appears on CD as part of an 4 CD box set Alarmstock III London Abbey Road Studio 2 06.08.2005 Set 2 – Scattered Across This Land, released by The Twenty First Recording Company in 2005
15th October 2010. Recorded at The Guildhall, Gloucester, England
Running length 2:27
Performed by Mike Peters solo acoustic
Appears on CD Mike Peters : In Session 2010, released by The Twenty First Recording Company in 2010 as 21C055
Officially released live recordings – DVD/Video
All are Worldwide releases except where stated
12th January 2001. Recorded at The Gathering 9, The North Wales Conference Centre, Llandudno, Wales
Performed by Mike Peters solo acoustic
Released on DVD box-set, in 2005 : The Alarm – The Gathering History by Twenty First Century Recording Company, catalogue number 21CDVD003
Lyrics ~ 1984 Good Earth Studios recording
How can I try to go on with my life
Say what you like but it’s hard to go on
Remember nineteen sixty five with those faces painted white?
Well just like me they did not succeed
So why do I go on
The lies that we hear about it
Never seem to turn our heads
We’re numb to what we feel about it
We’re deaf to what we hear
There’s a posters on my wall
It says ‘prepare to meet thy doom’
But I’m too young, too young to die
For this I will survive
It’s not too late to change the things that we have done
We can’t stand still and watch while everything goes wrong
It’s not too late too late too late
So tell me who are the people
That sit alone at the top of stairs
Never do we see them
There is no answer to our prayers
So mister this and mister that
You think that we don’t know your games
Yet you’re the ones with atomic bombs
To send us to our graves
It’s not too late to change the things that we have done
We can’t stand still and watch while everything goes wrong
It’s not too late too late too late
Far far away there are others who feel the same
Deep down inside if we want then we can win
So stand up now you people before millions of you die
Because it’s not too late to change our fate
We’ve gotta put up the fight
It’s not too late to change the things that we have done
We can’t stand still and watch while everything goes wrong
It’s not too late too late too late
Alternative Lyrics ~ Second Generation Volume 1
How can I try to go on with my life
Say what you like but it’s hard to go on
Remember nineteen sixty five when they painted their faces white
But just like me they did not succeed
So why do I go on
The lies that we hear about it
Never seem to turn our heads
We’re numb to what we feel about it
We’re deaf to what we hear
The posters on the wall
They say prepare to meet thy doom’
But I’m too young, too young to die
For this I will survive
It’s not too late to change the things that we have done
We can’t stand still and watch while everything goes wrong
It’s not too late too late too late
So tell me who are the people
That sit alone at the top of the stairs
Never do we see them
There is no answer to our prayers
So mister this and mister that
No we don’t know your games
Yet you’re the ones with atomic bombs
To send us to our graves
It’s not too late to change the things that we have done
We can’t stand still and watch while everything goes wrong
It’s not too late too late too late
Far far away there are others who feel the same
Deep down inside if we want then we can win
So stand up now you people before millions of you die
Because it’s not too late to state our case
We’ve gotta put up the fight
It’s not too late to change the things that we have done
We can’t stand still and watch while everything goes wrong
It’s not too late to change the things that we have done
We can’t stand still and watch while everything goes wrong
It’s not too late too late too late
(Page updated 23/11/2025)