Sunny Sunday’s Song Of The Day: Peter Gabriel’s, “Solsbury Hill”
“Solsbury Hill” is one of those well-crafted songs, lyrically, musically, and in its production. It’s one of my all-time favorite songs, and my favorite Peter Gabriel song, followed closely by “Big Time” and “Sledgehammer.”
According to Wikipedia, “Peter Gabriel wrote the song about a spiritual experience atop Solsbury Hill in Somerset, England after his departure from the band Genesis. Gabriel has said of the song’s meaning, ‘It’s about being prepared to lose what you have for what you might get … It’s about letting go.’”
Musically, “Solsbury Hill’ contains elements that I appreciate.
A long intro, which is rarely done today (“SH” was released in 1977), in which a bright, tempered acoustic guitar riff and percussive texture with muted “footsteps” and a “hop-skip” paint the imagery of briskly embarking on a journey in search of an undiscovered truth.
The timbre of Gabriel’s real, soulful voice.
A flute-sounding phrase that persistently prompts him along his journey in each verse.
Use of the less common 7/4 time signature (if you’re not a musician, count seven beats 1–2–3–4–5–6–7 instead of 3 or 4), characterizing struggle and uncertainty, briefly resolving to the more common and grounded 4/4 time just before the lyrics are punctuated with references to “returning home,” followed by a return to the guitar riff and the journey continuing.
The use of a triangle, which Gabriel used in some of his other songs around the same time, and which is not commonly used today, symbolizing his personal enlightenment.
Honest lyrics, about seeking truth.
Climbing up on Solsbury Hill
I could see the city light
Wind was blowing, time stood still
Eagle flew out of the night
He was something to observe
Came in close, I heard a voice
Standing, stretching every nerve
I had to listen, had no choice
I did not believe the information
Just had to trust imagination
My 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 resigned
My friends would think I was a nut
Turning water into wine
Open doors would soon be shut
So I went from day to day
Though my life was in a rut
‘Til I thought of what I’d say
Which connection I should cut
I was feeling part of the scenery
I walked right out of the machinery
My 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 net
I’m never where I wanna be
And liberty, she pirouette
When I think that I am free
Watched by empty silhouettes
Who close their eyes but still can see
No one taught them etiquette
I will show another me
Today I don’t need a replacement
I’ll tell them what the smile on my face meant
My heart going “Boom-boom-boom”
“Hey,” I said
“You can keep my things, they’ve come to take me home”
Blessings to you on your own personal journey!
