Peter Gabriel Performs “Digging in the Dirt” at the 2014 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

Peter Gabriel Performs “Digging in the Dirt” at the 2014 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame | I Love Classic Rock Videos

Peter Gabriel live in 2014 - Rock & Roll Hall of Fame / Youtube

A part of Peter Gabriel’s 1992 album Us, “Digging in the Dirt” has the ex-Genesis frontman introspecting into his dark side by studying inmates on death row to find out their murderous motivations. In an interview with Uncut magazine, he said, “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.”

He also did his research on books like Why We Kill, in which he shared with The Daily Mirror that: “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. 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,” he continued.

According to Gabriel, who recorded the album as his first solo endeavor in six years, said, “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.”

Watch Peter Gabriel perform “Digging In The Dirt” at the 2014 Rock Hall of Fame in the video below.