I will be the first to admit that I don’t know much about Peter Gabriel. In 2020, Graham from Aphoristic Album Reviews had a B-side by Genesis called Inside and Out. He also had a B-side from them the year before that really impressed me. It was one of the first real exposures I’ve had to that era of Genesis, and it was quite different from what I expected. I liked what I heard from Peter Gabriel’s era at that time.
I was reading blogs last week when I read Nancy’s blog on this song. I listened to it and loved it, and I urge everyone to go see her post. My friend Dave has also posted some of Gabriel’s music.
Genesis had grown into a theatrical beast, complete with fox-head costumes and fifteen-minute suites. But Gabriel was feeling hemmed in, creatively and spiritually. He needed air and some risk. This was Peter Gabriel before Sledgehammer, before Shock the Monkey, before he was an international ambassador for world music.
He had left Genesis the year or so before, stepping away from the elaborate costumes, the long storylines, and the prog rock labyrinth he helped create. Many expected something equally grandiose for his solo debut. Instead, he delivered a track so personal, introspective, and melodic that it was firmly down to earth. This song was about his dealing with his departure from Genesis and anticipation of his new challenge as a solo artist. Solsbury Hill is a real place near Bath, England, where Gabriel reportedly walked to clear his head after leaving Genesis.
The song was released in 1977. The single did well for a debut. It peaked at #13 in the UK, #92 in Canada, and #68 on the Billboard Album Charts. The album was called Peter Gabriel, as were his next 3 albums. It peaked at #7 in the UK, #30 in Canada, #38 in New Zealand, and #38 on the Billboard Album Charts.
Solsbury Hill
Climbing up on Solsbury HillI could see the city lightWind was blowing, time stood stillEagle flew out of the night
He was something to observeCame in close, I heard a voiceStanding, stretching every nerveI had to listen, had no choice
I did not believe the informationJust had to trust imaginationMy heart going “Boom-boom-boom”“Son, ” he said“Grab your things, I’ve come to take you home”Hey, back home
To keep in silence I resignedMy friends would think I was a nutTurning water into wineOpen doors would soon be shut
So I went from day to dayThough my life was in a rut‘Til I thought of what I’d sayWhich connection I should cut
I was feeling part of the sceneryI walked right out of the machineryMy heart going “Boom-boom-boom”“Hey, ” he said“Grab your things, I’ve come to take you home”Hey, back home
When illusion spin her netI’m never where I wanna beAnd liberty, she pirouetteWhen I think that I am free
Watched by empty silhouettesWho close their eyes but still can seeNo one taught them etiquetteI will show another me
Today I don’t need a replacementI’ll tell them what the smile on my face meantMy heart going “Boom-boom-boom”“Hey, ” I said“You can keep my things, they’ve come to take me home”
…
PowerPop... An Eclectic Collection of Pop Culture 