Single:
Solsbury Hill entered the Australian singles chart* on 16 May 1977 and peaked at #45.
Album:
The song is on the debut solo album by Peter Gabriel and the first of four with the same eponymous title. It entered the Australian albums chart* on 18 April 1977 and peaked at #25.
Songwriter:
Peter Gabriel
Producer:
Bob Ezrin
Record label of Australian release:
Charisma
*Kent Music Report / Australian Chart Book. See About.
Wikipedia:
English progressive rock singer-songwriter Peter Gabriel wrote Solsbury Hill about a spiritual experience atop Little Solsbury Hill in Somerset, England, after his departure from the progressive rock band Genesis, of which he had been the lead singer since its inception.
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.”
Read more: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solsbury_Hill_(song)
Songfacts:
Most of Peter Gabriel’s songs have lyrics made up of various images that come to him, but Solsbury Hill was a rare autobiographical song, dealing with his break as lead singer of the band Genesis and anticipation of his new challenge as a solo artist.
Read more: www.songfacts.com/facts/peter-gabriel/solsbury-hill
Lyrics:
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
Click for full lyrics
This song is also on our Spotify playlist Bang a Gong – the 70s
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