Digging In The Dirt by Peter Gabriel

Album: Us (1992)

Charted: 24 52

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Songfacts®:

This song evolved out of a project where Gabriel studied inmates on death row to find out what made them kill. It's an angry song that deals with Gabriel's dark side. He explained to Uncut magazine: "I read lots trying to understand the buttons that operate and make you feel the way you do. When you have self knowledge, you don't fall into the same behavioral traps. One of the keys is - take responsibility. Blaming anyone else, especially in relationships is a futile activity and not going to move you forward."
Gabriel said this song is about "investigating the layers within yourself."
As part of his research on murderers, Gabriel read the book Our Why We Kill. Gabriel recalled to The Daily Mirror: "I'm sure, like any song, it reflects what was going on in my life,. I was reading a book called Why We Kill about what murderers have in common, the psychological make-up that unites them."

"I was also going through therapy myself so that had a bearing," he added. "It wasn't a cathartic experience where I revisited all the emotions, but the contrast between the dark and more reflective mood was something we concentrated on."
After his mega-successful 1986 album So, Gabriel waited six years to release another album, Us. "Digging In The Dirt" was his first new solo vocal recording.
This won a Grammy for best short-form video in 1993. Gabriel opened the awards that year with a performance of "Steam."
Gabriel told The Daily Mirror: "That was probably the hardest one to do on the album because it was written around a groove and it just didn't make sense at first. I was really missing the bass and drums."

Comments: 9

Rob Brown from Traveling The UsaIf a survivor of sexual abuse pays attention to the lyrics, its truly mind-blowing just how dead-on they are to our lives...and I mean ALL of the lyrics.
Annalina from Hamilton, OnSaw the same interview, and another wherein he said lots of people say he's a great guy for his humanitarian work, but they don't know his other side. He said he was a misogynist w/lots of anger and had to work through that in therapy.
Stone from Finger LakesThe verse that starts with "Don't talk back" made me first think of being driven around in a limo or even a cab where you had just had a hard day and didn't want to talk to the driver.
Aleta from BellevueI always thought it was about Rosanna Arquette. She posed for Playboy against his wishes, and they split up over the incident.
Chris from Germany This song was released when I first went to school. I remember that the video had a lot of airplay on MTV
and again one of his masterpieces where some ask what is better the video or the song.
Sue from Tampa, FlI saw Gabriel say that it's about him going through therapy after the breakup of a serious relationship (Rosanna Arquette)
Sue from Tampa, FlWhen it came out, I saw Gabriel interviewed. He said that he had underwent therapy after his breakup with Rosanna Arquetter. That's what this song was about.
Jenny from Chicago, Ilwhen i saw the "Us" tour, this song was sung while peter removed layers off a giant face.
(honestly can't remember what it was covered with)
Albert from Barrie, CanadaWho wrote Our desire to kill?

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