The Unintended Rise of Peter Gabriel's "Solsbury Hill" as a Hollywood Soundtrack Favorite

Some songs possess the ability to transform, and Peter Gabriel’s “Solsbury Hill” is a prime example. This was evident in 2005 when film editor Robert Ryang incorporated the 1977 rock classic into his reimagined trailer for the 1980 horror film The Shining. Ryang masterfully combined Stanley Kubrick’s eerie visuals with Gabriel’s upbeat, pastoral folk-rock tune, turning a psychological thriller into a whimsical rom-com about a struggling writer. The video quickly went viral, inspiring countless parodies.

The humor resonated because, by 2005, “Solsbury Hill” had already become a staple in movie trailers, and its use has continued since. As Billboard’s Andrew Unterberger noted, the song’s lyrics and melody serve as an “instant symbol of personal transformation.” This is fitting, as Gabriel himself was on a transformative journey when he penned “Solsbury Hill,” unknowingly sparking a cultural phenomenon that would involve Bruce Springsteen, Scarlett Johansson, animated fish, and even a surprisingly non-threatening Jack Nicholson. 

Embracing Change

On August 15, 1975, Peter Gabriel revealed his exit from Genesis, the British prog-rock group he helped establish in 1967. As the lead vocalist, Gabriel, known for his eccentric stage outfits, was the band's standout figure. However, following the release of their sixth album, 1975’s The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway, Gabriel felt it was time to move on. (The band’s drummer, Phil Collins, stepped into his role, and Genesis transitioned from avant-garde experimenters to chart-topping pop icons.)

“I felt I was turning into a cliché, a typical ‘rock star,’ chasing ego-driven validation,” Gabriel explains in the documentary Genesis: A History. “I wasn’t happy with myself, the circumstances, or the lack of freedom I felt.”

This sentiment inspired “Solsbury Hill,” Gabriel’s first solo release. The song was born from Gabriel’s reflections on the namesake hill in Somerset, England. In the opening lines, Gabriel paints a picture of gazing at city lights below and being visited by an eagle delivering a pivotal message: “Son, grab your things, I’ve come to take you home.”

Producer Bob Ezrin revealed that the initial lyric was, “Son, make your life a taxi not a tomb.” This earlier version sheds light on Gabriel’s state of mind but lacked the catchiness needed for a hit. Ezrin found the phrasing “unappealing.” Thankfully, during the song’s final mixing, Gabriel revised it to the now-iconic and more resonant “grab your things” line.

In the second verse, Gabriel expresses concern that his friends might think he’s lost his mind. He resolves to keep his divine eagle encounter a secret but soon feels ensnared by the “machinery” of everyday life. Only when he chooses to follow his instincts and resist the pressures confining him does he find peace. “You can keep my things,” he declares in the final chorus. “They’ve come to take me home.” 

“The song is about being willing to sacrifice what you have for what you could gain, or who you are for who you might become,” Gabriel once explained. “It’s about releasing control.” Leaving Genesis proved to be a wise move for Gabriel. Released in early 1977, “Solsbury Hill” climbed to No. 13 on the UK charts, marking Gabriel’s emergence as a solo artist. In the US, the single reached No. 68 on the Billboard Hot 100, a modest success that would endure for decades.

Who’s The Real Influence?

A persistent myth claims Gabriel wrote “Solsbury Hill” after attending Bruce Springsteen’s first UK concert in 1975. The story goes that the “eagle” in the song symbolizes Springsteen, and his electrifying performance inspired Gabriel to leave Genesis. While Gabriel was present at the Hammersmith Odeon that night and deeply impressed by The Boss, he dismisses any link between the event and his decision to go solo. “Hogwash,” Gabriel insists, denying any connection to the song’s creation.

“When I left Genesis, I wanted to step away from the music industry entirely,” Gabriel shared with Rolling Stone. “I felt trapped in a system. We had our schedules planned years in advance, and I simply didn’t enjoy it anymore.”

Interestingly, Springsteen and Gabriel later collaborated on the 1988 Human Rights Now! global tour, supporting Amnesty International. While they never performed “Solsbury Hill” together, they teamed up with fellow artists Sting, Tracy Chapman, and Youssou N’Dour for lively versions of Bob Marley’s “Get Up, Stand Up,” Bob Dylan’s “Chimes of Freedom,” and the Beatles-inspired classic “Twist and Shout.”

A Trail of Trailers

According to Soundtrack.net, “Solsbury Hill” first appeared in a movie trailer for the 2001 psychological thriller Vanilla Sky, starring Tom Cruise. It was later featured in previews for 2003’s Big Fish and 2004’s In Good Company, a romantic comedy with Dennis Quaid, Scarlett Johansson, and Topher Grace. The early 2000s seemed to embrace the song, as synth-pop legends Erasure scored a Top 10 UK hit with their rendition of “Solsbury Hill” in 2004.

A 2005 New York Times article discussing Robert Ryang’s reimagined The Shining trailer—which won a film editing competition—criticized “Solsbury Hill” as being “overplayed.” The piece highlighted the song’s inclusion in the trailer for In Good Company, suggesting it marked the moment the trend became widely noticed. Despite its frequent use, Disney reused “Solsbury Hill” for the 2016 Pixar film Finding Dory.

“Solsbury Hill” has also been featured in various TV programs and advertisements for Cingular and Nespresso. The Nespresso commercial stars George Clooney as a knight searching for his preferred coffee. Gabriel contributed the earnings from the ad to Dr. Joanne Kurtzberg, a researcher using cord blood stem cells to aid children with autism.

In a 2011 interview with Rolling Stone—coinciding with the release of New Blood, an album featuring orchestral versions of his hits, including “Solsbury Hill”—Gabriel acknowledged he may have been too quick to license his debut single.

“However, I’ve come to see that getting airplay is challenging, and trailers, films, and syncs offer a viable alternative,” Gabriel remarked. “Still, I understand some feel the song is overused and that I’ve allowed it to appear too often.”