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)
Kiss of Life
Peter Gabriel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
See me a big woman, big woman caught in a trance
Dancing on the tabletop, covered up with the Easter feast
You're dancing for the fishermen, from the very large right
to the least
Dancing for the slow release, first the boy and then the beast
Then the beast
Burning, burning with the kiss of life
Burning, burning with the kiss of life
See me, a big woman, big woman so full of life
See me, a big woman, big woman going to be my wife
Watching for the different eyes they change your face they come inside
Watch the spirits laugh and cry, watch them find a place to hide
Watch the spirits talk in tongues, watch them take you for a ride
Down at the ocean lies a body in the sand
Big woman sits beside, head in hand
With heat from her skin, and fire from her breath
She blows hard, she slows deep in the mouth of death
Burning, burning with the kiss of life
Burning, burning with the kiss of life
Burning, burning with the kiss of life
The lyrics to Peter Gabriel's "Kiss of Life" paint a vivid picture of a big woman who is completely caught up in the trance of dance. Her dancing is so entrancing that even the fishermen, from the largest to the smallest, are drawn in by her movements. First, she dances for the boy, then for the beast that is inside every man. The lyrics suggest that she is in touch with the primal energy that lies within every person.
As the song progresses, we see that this woman is so full of life that she is almost otherworldly. She can change her face, talk in tongues, and even connect with the spirits. When she sits beside a dead body on the beach, she has the power to bring it back to life, with her breath and her touch. The lyrics suggest that she is a force to be reckoned with, an embodiment of the kiss of life itself.
The song's message is ultimately one of hope and renewal. Even in the face of death, this big woman has the power to bring life back to the world. The kiss of life is something that we all possess, deep down inside. It's a reminder that life is precious and that we should embrace it fully, even in the face of adversity.
Line by Line Meaning
See me a big woman, big woman look how you dance
I see a confident, strong woman dancing passionately.
See me a big woman, big woman caught in a trance
I see a woman completely lost in her own rhythm and movements.
Dancing on the tabletop, covered up with the Easter feast
She's dancing on the table where the food is laid out. Everyone is enjoying the festivities.
You're dancing for the fishermen, from the very large right to the least
You're dancing for everyone here, regardless of status, age, or background.
Dancing for the slow release, first the boy and then the beast
You're entrancing everyone with your dancing, whether it's a young boy or an older person.
Then the beast
Even wild animals would stop to watch you dance.
Burning, burning with the kiss of life
The woman is full of passionate energy, which is evident in her movements.
See me, a big woman, big woman so full of life
The woman has an infectious energy that springs out of her at every moment.
See me, a big woman, big woman going to be my wife
I want to marry this woman and spend every day with her.
Watching for the different eyes they change your face they come inside
Whenever someone looks at you, your demeanor and expression change to reflect their gaze.
Watch the spirits laugh and cry, watch them find a place to hide
Spirits of all kinds are attracted to your energy, and they find solace or enjoyment by watching you dance.
Watch the spirits talk in tongues, watch them take you for a ride
The spirits start conversing in languages you don't know, and you're delighted or fascinated by this experience.
Down at the ocean lies a body in the sand
Someone has died at the nearby beach.
Big woman sits beside, head in hand
The woman sits beside the deceased, looking down at the body and contemplating life and death.
With heat from her skin, and fire from her breath
The woman's touch and breath feel warm and inviting.
She blows hard, she slows deep in the mouth of death
The woman tries to breathe life back into the dead person, but realizes that they're gone forever.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Peter Gabriel
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind