Blood Of Eden by Peter Gabriel

Album: Us (1992)

Charted: 43

License This Song

artistfacts

Songfacts®:

Peter Gabriel puts a romantic relationship into biblical context on this track, which is about trying to work through a failing relationship by making love. The blood of Eden runs through woman and man, making it a natural, sensual act.
Gabriel used the image of the Garden of Eden because it was a time when man and woman were in one body, a state they have been trying to get back to ever since.
Sinead O'Connor, who also appears on the Us track "Come Talk To Me," sings on this with Gabriel. For his Secret World tour, which began in 1993, Paula Cole, who had yet to release her first album, took on the female vocals.

Songs of this nature require tremendous sensitivity so as not to sound smarmy, but Gabriel could make that connection. "He puts out content according to a lunar cycle," Cole told Songfacts. "He's always embracing the feminine."

Comments: 3

Stukka63 from St.augustine,fla.For years now I thought the lyrics were, “the blood I’m eating”
I mean, I was like, where did Peter Gabriel pick up this vampire fascination?
Roberta Trevisan from S?o Paulo, BrazilThis one is so beautiful and it's interesting... there's no controversy on this one, just "Sledgehammer" and "Kiss That Frog"... lol
Eric from Cincinnati, OhThe song appears in Wim Wender's 1991 film, "Until the End of the World." I'm not sure if Peter Gabriel wrote the song specifically for the movie; but other artists including U2, REM, and The Talking Heads did compose original scores for inclusion in the film, so it's very possible.

see more comments

More Songfacts:

JumpVan Halen

Van Halen's first #1 hit was "Jump," an unusual song for the band because the lead instrument was synthesizer, not guitar.

Just Give Me A ReasonPink

Pink wrote "Just Give Me A Reason" about how one partner can feel jilted over something trivial, like how her boyfriend passes her the butter.

Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)Jay-Z

Jay-Z's "Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)" is based on the song "It's A Hard Knock Life" from the Broadway play Annie.

Soul Bossa NovaQuincy Jones

The Austin Powers theme is "Soul Bossa Nova," written by Quincy Jones in 1962 - the same year the first James Bond movie was released.

Jay-Z's 2012 "Glory" features his daughter Blue Ivy Carter's cries and coos. At less than two days old, she became the youngest ever credited artist to feature on a Billboard chart when the song debuted on R&B/Hip-Hop Songs at #74.

Smells Like Teen SpiritNirvana

Teen Spirit was a kind of deodorant marketed to young girls. That's where Kurt Cobain got the title "Smells Like Teen Spirit."

Editor's Picks

Grunge Bands QuizMusic Quiz

If the name Citizen Dick means anything to you, there's a chance you'll get some of these right.

Glen Phillips of Toad the Wet SprocketSongwriter Interviews

The "All I Want" singer went through a long depression, playing some shows when he didn't want to be alive.

MetallicaFact or Fiction

Beef with Bon Jovi? An unfortunate Spandex period? See if you can spot the true stories in this Metallica version of Fact or Fiction.

Director Nick Morris ("The Final Countdown")Song Writing

Nick made some of the biggest videos on MTV, including "The Final Countdown," "Heaven" and "Don't Know What You Got (Till It's Gone)."

Susanna Hoffs - "Eternal Flame"They're Playing My Song

The Prince-penned "Manic Monday" was the first song The Bangles heard coming from a car radio, but "Eternal Flame" is closest to Susanna's heart, perhaps because she sang it in "various states of undress."

Donnie Iris (Ah! Leah!, The Rapper)Songwriter Interviews

Before "Rap" was a form of music, it was something guys did to pick up girls in nightclubs. Donnie talks about "The Rapper" and reveals the identity of Leah.