"Robbery, Assault and Battery" was mostly written by Banks, in an attempt to replicate the humour in some of Gabriel's lyrics. Collins, who also contributed to the writing, sang the song in character, inspired by his earlier role as the Artful Dodger in "Oliver!" before he became a professional musician. "Ripples..." was a combination of a 12-string guitar piece composed by Rutherford and a piano-led middle section written by Banks. Banks's track "A Trick of the Tail" took form as a song some years before the band recorded it. He was inspired from reading the novel "The Inheritors" by William Golding and "Getting Better" by the Beatles, and wrote about an alien visiting Earth. When it came to selecting tracks for the album, he wanted to include "something lighter and more quirky."