what is salisbury hill about? - Progressive Rock Music Forum

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The Lost Chord View Drop Down

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Topic: what is salisbury hill about?
Posted: April 29 2006 at 19:50

is it about gab riel leaving genesis?

Viajero Astral View Drop Down

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Posted: April 29 2006 at 20:10

yes

The Lost Chord View Drop Down

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Posted: April 29 2006 at 21:06

MattNYR

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Posted: April 29 2006 at 21:10

I'm not exactly sure how, but Solsbury Hill is definitely about Gabriel leaving Genesis, yes.

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Posted: April 29 2006 at 21:24

Solsbury Hill (in full, Little Solsbury Hill) is a small flat-topped hill above the village of Batheaston in Somerset, England, near the city of Bath. The top of the hill is ringed by the ramparts of an ancient hill fort. People protesting against the building of an A46 bypass road have recently cut a small maze into the hill.

Solsbury Hill is a possible location of the Battle of Mount Badon, which was fought between the Britons (under the legendary King Arthur) and the Saxons c. 496, and which was mentioned by the chroniclers Gildas and Nennius.

"Solsbury Hill" is also the title of rock musician Peter Gabriel's first solo single in 1977, which reached the 13th and 68th positions on the UK and US record charts respectively. "Solsbury Hill" was also covered by Dave Matthews Band.

It is sometimes misspelled as "Salisbury Hill", perhaps because of confusion with Salisbury Plain, a more well known plateau in southern England.

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Duncan

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Posted: April 29 2006 at 22:08

Awesome track.

Ivan_Melgar_M View Drop Down

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Posted: April 29 2006 at 22:16

stonebeard wrote:

It is sometimes misspelled as "Salisbury Hill", perhaps because of confusion with Salisbury Plain, a more well known plateau in southern England.

(Hooray for the Internet!)

Good search Stone, but is also the song in which Peter Gabriel suposedly explains what lead him to leave Genesis, there's a specific parragraph:

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
Had to listen had no choice
I did not believe the information
(I) just had to trust imagination
My heart going boom boom boom
"Son," he said "Grab your things,
I've come to take you home."

Peter talks about a inner voice telling him it's time to leave the band and "return home" in other words to do what he really wanted to do.....then;

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
Tho' my life was in a rut
"Till 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."
(Back home.)

Pete says there were things about his career in Genesis that he decided to keep in silence for a long time, seems like he felt that keeping the band alive and in a determined way was almost a miracle (Turning waters into wine), but this made him feel part of a machine of a system from wich he was already tired. This is coherent, because when he left he said those exact words, that he no longer wanted to be part of a system that was not healthy for him and his famiyt, being that his daughter had some health problems I believe.

The phrasre "Open doors will soon be shot" is probably in reference to the first phrases of the band saying that Peter had the doors open to come back whenever he wanted, but soon this voices changed.

When illusion spin her net
I'm 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 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

Of course he talks about his new freedom that he left everything to show the world what he really wants to say and how happy he feels with his new career.

Some people talk about a previous message in The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway (Back in NYC):

Your progressive hypocrites
Handing out their trash
It was mine in the first place
So I’ll burn to ash.

It's well known that Peter left Genesis during the recording of The Lamb, because he asked for a couple of months to follow a project with William Friedkin and the band said no way, so he was ready to send all the project to hell, and some people believe this phrase is a reference, the later words´probably say how he had to return to Genesis:

No. no time for romantic escape
And your fluffy heart is ready for rape
No time.
Back in new york city.

But it's all gossips, only Peter knows what he wanted to say.

Iván

Edited by Ivan_Melgar_M - April 30 2006 at 03:29

Ricochet

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Posted: April 30 2006 at 00:48

It's about peace and love! Hug

richardh

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Posted: April 30 2006 at 04:20

I've always taken it as a spiritual song about what it would be like to have a meeting with a great prophet like ,say, Jesus Christ.I suppose I got that wrong then

.Still love the song though.

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Posted: April 30 2006 at 05:28

It's also a rare example of a hit single in 7/8 time - it's always fun to put it on at a party and watch people try to dance to it (you can also try the same thing with Living In The Past, which is in 5/4, as is Take 5 by the Dave Brubeck Quartet).

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Posted: May 02 2006 at 01:18

Interesting! I never knew!

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soundsweird View Drop Down

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Posted: May 02 2006 at 01:46

It's ironic that Gabriel "was feeling part of the scenery" and "walked right out of the machinery", meaning that he thought the production itself was overshadowing the music... if you look at his last couple of tours, talk about scenery and machinery!!

He's become more enamored with glitz than Genesis ever was while he was in the band.

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Posted: May 05 2006 at 16:07

its about Moribund the Burgermeister

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Posted: May 05 2006 at 18:18

soundsweird wrote:

First I believe the machinery was Genesis not the stage show which he loved, he had a lot of pressure for what he was doing on stage, Phil cklerarly said he was tired of Peter not being able to put a microphone near his mouth.

The rest of the band was tired of Peter gaining all the attention, and of course he deserved it, they said nothing when he save their butts from starving.

Genesis was doing great music IMO the best ever, but the press didn't cared about this unknown guys who just had left school because the stage acts of Genesis were flat Peter singing in one square meter spot with his arms crossed 0on his chest, Tony hidding behind his keys, Mike hidding back in the left, Steve playing sitted on a chair and the only other potential frontman was behind his drums kit.

Press only cares for spectacular things. There were a lot of Prog Acts back then but each and every one had a hook, it was Emerson on his flying pianos, rubbing ribbons with his arse and stabbing organs or Wakeman and his capes, while a 2 meters high Squire was dancing and jumping on the stage, that's whhat press wanted, and press maked bands famous back in the 70's.

Only when Peter appeared i Dublin dressed like a fox in a woman's dress (He didn't even did it for attention, he only wanted to shock the audience) press started noticink that this kids were playing really good music, they reached the charts and the rest is history.

But know they wanted more attention for the rest of the band after Peter did the hard work.

It's also important thet Pete wanted always to make innovative things, he was miles ahead of his band and the rest of the members always put a stop sign like saying this is enough.

They wanted to take a more commercial approach that Peter didn't wanted, and he was tired of that pressure, he wanted his freedom to do whatever he imagined and Genesis wasn't the healthiest environment for him anymore.

Second and most important, Peter was 24 when he left Genesis, he was much more politically radical then nut at the same time more naive, he got involved with Amnesty International and in World Music, I'm sure that today at the age of 55 he woudn't risk his last penny in an anounced finantial disaster like Womad. But IMO he has reached the perfect balance between economic independence to make his new projects and the freedom he always wanted.

So yes, Genesis was a heavy weight for him, he wanted to spend more time with his family (Believe he was the only one married wid a kid at that time), his dream was prrobably make albums whenever he wanted not once a year as the label wanted, he was tired of touring around the world's airports and concert halls since he left school.

It was the machinery for him.

He's become more enamored with glitz than Genesis ever was while he was in the band.

I don't believe so, he makes one new album whenever he feels he wants, between Us and Up passed 10 years and during that lapse he only toured, was part of the Millenium project (OVO) and did a couple of Soundtracks.

He's as free as any famous musician can get.

Iván

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Posted: August 01 2006 at 03:29

Syzygy wrote:

It's also a rare example of a hit single in 7/8 time - it's always fun to put it on at a party and watch people try to dance to it (you can also try the same thing with Living In The Past, which is in 5/4, as is Take 5 by the Dave Brubeck Quartet).

Isn't it in 7/4?