Today is Peter Gabriel’s 75th birthday. He’s contributed much through his music and by bringing people together through the arts. But today, I want to celebrate one of his songs that’s had a profound impact on my life: Solsbury Hill.
Solsbury Hill was Gabriel’s debut single as a solo artist. That’s significant because of what the song is about.
Before this, Gabriel was the lead singer of prog rock band Genesis. He left the band at a peak in their artistic and commercial development. They were highly regarded, so it was a risky move. But his personal and professional development demanded that he strike out on his own.
And that’s the subject of Solsbury Hill: the scary and exciting moment when you’ve decided that further development requires you to move on, and you’ve taken decisive steps to do so.
It’s scary because you’ll let people down. They’ve come to depend on you in your current guise. Now, you won’t be there anymore.
It’s also scary because you’re leaving a known (and therefore, “safe”) situation to face uncertainty and doubt. What if the solo record doesn’t chart? What if people don’t turn out for the show? What if you can’t produce at the same level without your bandmates? Imposter syndrome affects even the highest performers.
But the shift is also exciting. The new context allows more freedom: you don’t have to run decisions past bandmates anymore. You can also build on the experience and potential you’ve gathered so far and take it to the next level, leaving behind the baggage.
The future is open. You can see far into the distance, as you would atop a hill on a clear day. And you can see what you’re leaving behind. As Gabriel put it, the song is about “being prepared to lose what you have for what you might get … It’s about letting go.”
There are rare moments in life when you can choose a different path. They’re often not the perfect moment. (That’s why it’s scary!) But deep down you know you’ll regret letting it pass.
Solsbury Hill doesn’t celebrate success. Gabriel wasn’t yet a successful solo artist when he recorded it. Instead, it celebrates the elation you feel after getting on the new path. Of having the courage and conviction to calmly say, “it’s time to move on” – and then doing it.
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”– Peter Gabriel, Solsbury Hill