Songfacts®:

• And the court will rise
  While the pillars all fall
  
  Peter Gabriel had the idea for "the court will rise" chorus first. He then wrote freeform, impressionistic lyrics about the balance between the necessity of the legal system and the abuse of power that happens within.
• The song is partly inspired by the work of NAMATI, a global movement that builds the power of people to know, use, and shape the law.
  
  "There's this brilliant organization called NAMATI, whose mission is to provide access to Justice for people that don't have means, that are deprived of their rights or have no legal redress, because they cannot afford it," Gabriel told Uncut magazine.
  
  "There's a sense of urgency in the lyric: a lot of life is a struggle between order and chaos," he added. "In some senses, we impose a Justice or legal system to bring some element of order to that chaos. But that's often abused, it's often unfair or discriminatory, but at the same time, it's probably an essential part of a civilized society. We just need to think sometimes how it is actually realized and employed."
• Gabriel wrote and produced "The Court" and recorded it at his Real World Studios in Wiltshire and The Beehive in London. He plays piano and synthesizer and did the rhythm programming and orchestral arrangement.
• The other musicians are: longtime Gabriel collaborators Manu Katché on drums, Tony Levin on bass, David Rhodes on guitar and backing vocals; Real World Studios engineer Katie May on percussion; Brian Eno on synthesizer and percussion; Gabriel's daughter Melanie Gabriel on backing vocals; John Metcalfe on orchestral arrangement and conducting.
  
  Gabriel has worked with Brian Eno since Genesis' 1974 album The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway when he had the former Roxy Music member provide electronic effects. They have a shared vision for music that is experimental, challenging, and innovative.
• A version of "The Court" mixed by Tchad Blake titled the "Dark-Side Mix" was released on February 5, 2023, as the second single from i/o on February 5, 2023. Like all the other i/o singles, Gabriel dropped it on a full moon.
• A cover image that depicts the ritual installation Lifting the Curse by artist and sculptor Tim Shaw accompanied the single release.