Gabriel has been a champion of world music for much of his career. He co-founded the WOMAD festival in 1982. He has continued to focus on producing and promoting world music through his Real World Records label. He has also pioneered digital distribution methods for music, co-founding OD2, one of the first online music download services. Gabriel has also been involved in numerous humanitarian efforts. In 1980, he released the anti-apartheid single "Biko". He has participated in several human-rights benefit concerts, including Amnesty International's Human Rights Now! tour in 1988, and co-founded the Witness human rights organisation in 1992. Gabriel developed The Elders with Richard Branson, which was launched by Nelson Mandela in 2007.
Gabriel has won three Brit Awards—winning Best British Male in 1987, six Grammy Awards, thirteen MTV Video Music Awards, the first Pioneer Award at the BT Digital Music Awards, the Q magazine Lifetime Achievement, the Ivor Novello Award for Lifetime Achievement, and the Polar Music Prize. He was made a BMI Icon at the 57th annual BMI London Awards for his "influence on generations of music makers". In recognition of his many years of human rights activism, he received the Man of Peace award from the Nobel Peace Prize laureates in 2006, and Time magazine named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2008. AllMusic has described Gabriel as "one of rock's most ambitious, innovative musicians, as well as one of its most political". He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Genesis in 2010, followed by his induction as a solo artist in 2014. In March 2015, he was awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of South Australia in recognition of his achievements in music.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Gabriel
Studio albums
Peter Gabriel (1977; known as Peter Gabriel 1 and Car)
Peter Gabriel (1978; known as Peter Gabriel 2 and Scratch)
Peter Gabriel (1980; known as Peter Gabriel 3 and Melt)
Peter Gabriel (1982; known as Peter Gabriel 4 and Security)
So (1986)
Us (1992)
Up (2002)
Scratch My Back (2010)
New Blood (2011)
Don't leave
Peter Gabriel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
round a figure lying down
and someone runs to make a phone call
and the man kneels on the ground
the man kneels on the ground
there's a tightening in my chest
i know that I'm drawn in
oh god let it not be - you
don't leave us
don't leave like this
don't leave me here again
i'm not quitting on you
no one else
you're not quitting on us
no running out
the colour in your shirt is darkening,
against the paleness of your skin
i remember how you held the goldfish
swimming around in a plastic bag
swimming around in a plastic bag
you held it up so high
in the bright lights of the fair
it slipped and fell
we looked everywhere
don't leave us (your eyes are bright, your blood is warm)
don't leave like this (your heart is strong, you're holding on)
don't leave me here again (i feel your pulse, i hold your hand)
i'm not quitting on you
there's no one else
you're not quitting on us
there's no way out
no way out
don't leave us
don't leave like this
don't leave me here again (i feel your pulse, i hold your hand)
i'm not quitting on you
there's no one else
you're not quitting on us
no running away - no way out
The lyrics of Peter Gabriel's "Don't Leave" describe a scene where a group of people have gathered around a figure lying down. As someone runs to make a phone call, the man kneels on the ground, and the singer experiences a tightening in their chest, hoping that the person lying down is not someone close to them. As the song progresses, it becomes clear that the person lying down is someone very dear to the singer, and they plead with them not to leave, stating that they are not quitting on them and that there is no way out.
The imagery in the song is powerful, with Gabriel painting a vivid picture of a scene that is sad, raw, and emotional. The mention of the color in the person's shirt darkening against the paleness of their skin is especially poignant, as it suggests that the person is slipping away. Gabriel also uses the metaphor of a goldfish swimming around in a plastic bag to describe how the person held on to life, only to slip away from their grasp.
At its core, "Don't Leave" is a song about the fear of losing someone we love. It speaks to the universal human experience of having to let go and saying goodbye, and the pain that comes with it. The final plea for the person not to leave, and the assertion that there is no way out, is a heartbreaking acknowledgment that death is an inevitable part of life.
Line by Line Meaning
saw a group of people forming
The singer observes people gathering around an individual lying on the ground.
round a figure lying down
The people were surrounding a person who is lying on the ground.
and someone runs to make a phone call
A person from the group runs away to make a phone call.
and the man kneels on the ground
A man kneels on the ground beside the figure.
there's a tightening in my chest
The artist feels a tightness in their chest due to the tension.
i know that I'm drawn in
The singer feels compelled to approach the situation.
oh god let it not be - you
The singer prays that the person on the ground is not someone they know.
don't leave us
The artist begs the person not to leave them.
don't leave like this
The artist pleads for the person not to go in this way.
don't leave me here again
The artist does not want to be left alone again.
i'm not quitting on you
The singer promises not to give up on the person.
no one else
The artist affirms that there is no one else they care about more than the person.
you're not quitting on us
The singer believes that the person will not give up on them.
no running out
The singer does not want the person to leave suddenly.
the colour in your shirt is darkening
The singer notices the person's shirt becoming darker, perhaps because of blood.
against the paleness of your skin
The person's skin looks pale in comparison to their darkening shirt.
i remember how you held the goldfish
The artist recalls how the person once held a goldfish.
swimming around in a plastic bag
The goldfish was swimming in a small plastic bag.
you held it up so high
The person lifted the bag with the goldfish to show it off.
in the bright lights of the fair
This happened at a festive event with bright lights.
it slipped and fell
The bag with the goldfish accidentally slipped out of the person's hand and fell.
we looked everywhere
The artist and the person searched for the goldfish but could not find it.
your eyes are bright, your blood is warm
The singer sees that the person is still alive and has signs of warmth and alertness.
your heart is strong, you're holding on
The person's heart rate is strong, and they are not giving up.
i feel your pulse, i hold your hand
The singer is physically expressing their solidarity with the person.
there's no way out
The situation seems dire and hopeless.
no running away - no way out
The person cannot escape the situation and must face it head-on.
Contributed by Elijah V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@thitchin
Peter,
Thank you for decades of medicine for my soul. My health is fading, but my love for my family, Nature, God and your music has never been stronger. I saw you in Los Angeles , I think in the '80s or '90s. You sang 'lay your hands on me' while the floor supported you, while you trusted.
Godbless you my friend, all of you.
It takes 20-50 to create the art of a soloist.
All the best. I'm not quitting on you, just realizing, 'there's no way out'.
Trev
@TheGalera72
The most complete, creative and inspiring Musician of all time! No one like Peter!!...no one!
@geoffnorton9279
Agree wholeheartedly, he is truly an amazing human being.
@johncary3705
Well, easy now ~ there are sum others... ; )
@gianniguerriero
Well Said
@kathleenwragg6727
I love ❤️ his song's
@mtbtime2490
😅😂🤣🤙✌️
@kimreid2814
The only voice I could listen to every single day. Peter Gabriel is a musical genius.
@brianhorner8349
So incredibly hip! No one can pull this off but PG. One in a billion. I actually spent an afternoon with Peter Gabriel in L.A. once and also met him at a NAMM show where we walked the floor for a while just talking about music and new instruments and stuff. He is a very soft-spoken, reserved and polite gentleman, and one of the best song writers and performers of the 20th century, IMO.
@Mr121953
The man will always be so damn cool ...Legend / Maverick / Icon - Light years ahead of anyone ...
@a.pviivi8235
He Make me listening him. All memories.Thank you Peter