By JC
Peter Gabriel never set out to write church music, and that’s exactly why these songs work. He sings about calling, guilt, longing, and rescue with the honesty of a man who hasn’t figured it all out yet. Neither have I. So here are ten of his best, in order, from leaving home to being carried back.
1. Solsbury Hill
Written after he walked away from Genesis. It’s about hearing a call and having the nerve to answer it, which is what Abraham did, minus the seven-beat rhythm.
2. Here Comes the Flood
A warning that everything hidden will come to the surface. Frightening, until you remember Noah’s story ends with a rainbow.
3. Biko
For Steve Biko, who died in police custody in 1977. You can blow out a candle, but you can’t blow out a fire. Rome learned that with a sealed tomb.
4. Shock the Monkey
A love song about jealousy and the scared animal inside all of us. Shame shocks it. Grace covers it. I’ve tried both, and only one works.
5. Red Rain
Guilt we can’t wash off ourselves. Christians believe in another red rain, the kind that washes scarlet white as snow.
6. Digging in the Dirt
For my friend Lilith. Gabriel wrote it while facing hard truths about himself. Digging up the past hurts, but God has a habit of lifting people out of the pit and setting their feet on a rock.
7. Mercy Street
Written for the poet Anne Sexton, who searched for God her whole life. Mercy isn’t hiding. It’s out on the road looking for us.
8. Don’t Give Up
One voice at the end of its rope, and Kate Bush refusing to let go. Some seasons you’re the first voice. Some seasons you’re the second. Be the second when you can.
9. In Your Eyes
Gabriel said it could be about a lover or about God. Either way, it’s what grace feels like: seen all the way through, and still wanted.
10. Washing of the Water
The quietest one, and the right place to end. Stop trying to fix yourself and ask to be carried. That’s where recovery starts.
“But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.” — John 4:14 (KJV)
— JC
