When the night shows
The signals grow on radios
All the strange things
They come and go, as early warnings
Stranded starfish have no place to hide
Still waiting for the swollen Easter tide
There's no point in direction we cannot
Even choose a side.

I took the old track
The hollow shoulder, across the waters
On the tall cliffs
They were getting older, sons and daughters
The jaded underworld was riding high
Waves of steel hurled metal at the sky
And as the nail sunk in the cloud, the rain
Was warm and soaked the crowd.

Lord, here comes the flood
We'll say goodbye to flesh and blood
If again the seas are silent
In any still alive
It'll be those who gave their island to survive
Drink up, dreamers, you're running dry.

When the flood calls
You have no home, you have no walls
In the thunder crash
You're a thousand minds, within a flash
Don't be afraid to cry at what you see
The actors gone, there's only you and me
And if we break before the dawn, they'll
Use up what we used to be.

Lord, here comes the flood
We'll say goodbye to flesh and blood
If again the seas are silent
In any still alive
It'll be those who gave their island to survive
Drink up, dreamers, you're running dry.

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Lyrics submitted by txsnowbunny, edited by PrivateBlue

Here Comes The Flood Lyrics as written by Peter Gabriel

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Here Comes The Flood song meanings

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I have read an interview with PG in which he states that Here Comes the Flood is the story of what happens when the entirety of the world's population becomes telepathic, and we can no longer lie to each other or keep secrets.

Here is a snippet of that interview:

When I wrote this song [Here Comes The Flood] I had an obsession with short-wave radio and I was always amazed at the way in which the radio signals would become stronger as daylight faded. I felt as if psychic energy levels would also increase in the night. I had had an apocalyptic dream in which the psychic barriers which normally prevent us from seeing into each others' thoughts had been completely eroded producing a mental flood. Those that had been used to having their innermost thoughts exposed would handle this torrent and those inclined to concealment would drown in it. ('Peter Gabriel' by Armando Gallo, Omnibus Press, 1986.)

So many of the lyrics made sense after reading that!

I have read an interview with PG in which he states that Here Comes the Flood is the story of what happens when the entirety of the world's population becomes telepathic, and we can no longer lie to each other or keep secrets. Here is a snippet of that interview: When I wrote this song [Here Comes The Flood] I had an obsession with short-wave radio and I was always amazed at the way in which the radio signals would become stronger as daylight faded. I felt as if psychic energy levels would also increase in the night. I had had an apocalyptic dream in which the psychic barriers which normally prevent us from seeing into each others' thoughts had been completely eroded producing a mental flood. Those that had been used to having their innermost thoughts exposed would handle this torrent and those inclined to concealment would drown in it. ('Peter Gabriel' by Armando Gallo, Omnibus Press, 1986.) So many of the lyrics made sense after reading that!

Reason:

DexXon January 09, 2008 Link
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@DexX

Interesting. I somehow have the feeling that this lyric is also connected in some way to the book The Crysallids by John Wyndham. If you red the book you´ll see what I mean.

jonarceeon August 09, 2018