Summer Deep Dive: Peter Gabriel's "Don't Give Up"

"No One Wants You When You Lose."

During my research for this essay, I realized that I misremembered the history of Peter Gabriel’s separation from Genesis; I recalled that Gabriel’s solo career struggled until 1986 when he released “So.” That is simply not true.

“So” (1986) was Gabriel’s fifth studio album. The previous four were compelling experiments in electronica and world music, generating hits including his musical farewell to Genesis, Solsbury Hill,” (1977), “D.I.Y.” (1978) “Biko,'“ (1980), and “Shock The Monkey” (1982).

"So” was a deeply personal work; he recorded all of it from his home studio during a depressive episode. Peter Gabriel explained that the song is about the suffering that Thatcherism caused to the British public.

“Don’t Give Up,” a duet with Kate Bush, is an intimate look inside a marriage dealing with the husband’s layoff and unemployment as part of Thatcherism’s war on trade unions and its calculated transfer of wealth from the lower and middle classes to City of London bankers (see also, Elvis Costello’s Tramp the Dirt Down’s lyrics: [w]hen England was the whore of the world, Margaret was her madam; when they finally put you in the ground I will stand on your grave and tamp the dirt down).

Gabriel’s lyrics are searing:

No fight left or so it seems.
I am a man whose dreams have all deserted.
I've changed my face, I've changed my name.
But no one wants you when you lose.

Kate Bush’s sublime voice desperately seeks to reach him through the pain, to remind him of the love that filled his life and will fill it again if he can find a way up from the depths of his misery.

Don't give up, you still have us.
Don't give up, we don't need much of anything.
Don't give up, 'cause somewhere there's a place where we belong.

Sadly, our hero’s humiliation is complete. He had previously summoned all of his strength for a new start in a new place only to fail once more.

Moved on to another town,
Tried hard to settle down.
For every job, so many men.
So many men no-one needs.

Like life, the song refuses us the happiness we crave.

Got to walk out of here, I can't take any more.
Gonna stand on that bridge, keep my eyes down below.
Whatever may come and whatever may go,
That river's flowing, that river's flowing.

As the waters swallow our hero, Kate Bush frantically issues her final, desperate pleas to a sinking, depleted soul:

Don't give up 'cause you have friends.
Don't give up, you're not the only one.
Don't give up, no reason to be ashamed.
Don't give up, you still have us.
Don't give up now, we're proud of who you are.
Don't give up, you know it's never been easy.
Don't give up 'cause I believe there's a place.
There's a place where we belong.

The songs ends with a chorus singing “don’t give up,” fading, with our protagonist, into the murky depths.