I've always enjoyed Peter Gabriels Solsbury Hill, but what the hell is he writing about?

 

S

olsbury hill

 

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 was going boom boom, boom

Son, he said, grab your things, Ive come to take you home.

 

To keeping 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

Tho my life was in a rut

till I thought of what Id say

Which connection I should cut

 

I was feeling part of the scenery

I walked right out of the machinery

My heart was going boom boom boom

Hey, he said, grab your things, Ive come to take you home.

Yeah back home

 

When illusion spin her net

Im never where I want to 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 dont need a replacement

Ill tell them what the smile on my face meant

My heart was going boom boom boom

Hey, I said, you can keep my things, theyve come to take me home.

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Maybe one of these sites will help. The first is probably a better explanation.

 

http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=393

 

http://www.songmeanings.net/lyric.php?lid=71511

My personal take on the song is that he is singing about his choice to leave Genesis. He seems to be singing about how he feels confined and how he sees something else in his life that he has to follow.

 

This song will always be one of my favorites.

 

edit: after reading a few of those sites it seems I am not the only one that feels that way

Edited May 30, 200619 yr by kyyle23

I always thought he believe God was telling him to leave Genesis. While I respect each person's walk with their higher power, I always wondered why God wanted to hear a Gabriel-less Genesis. I mean Phil is ok, but I thought their better stuff was with Peter. Perhaps God doesn't know much about putting together a band?

I have always taken it on face as a song about some enlightened alien race coming and taking the song's protagonist away from the ills of the world for a better life. Kind of like Styx Come Sail Away, but without the suck turned up to 11.