Thick cloud, steam rising, hissing stone on sweat lodge fire
Around me, buffalo roam, sage in bundle, rub on skin
Outside, cold air, stand, wait for rising sun
Red paint, eagle feathers, coyote calling, it has begun
Something moving in, I taste it in my mouth and in my heart
It feels like dying, slow, letting go of life
Medicine man lead me up through town, Indian ground, so far down
Cut up land, each house, a pool, kids wearing water wings, drink in cool
Follow dry river bed, watch Scout and Guides make pow-wow signs
Past Geronimo's disco, Sit 'n' Bull steakhouse, white men dream
A rattle in the old man's sack, look at mountain top, keep climbing up
Way above us the desert snow, white wind blow
I hold the line, the line of strength that pulls me through the fear
San Jacinto, I hold the line
San Jacinto, the poison bite and darkness take my sight, I hold the line
And the tears roll down my swollen cheek, think I'm losing it, getting weaker
I hold the line, I hold the line
San Jacinto, yellow eagle flies down from the sun, from the sun
We will walk, on the land
We will breathe, of the air
We will drink, from the stream
We will live, hold the line
Hold the line
Hold the line
We will live, hold the line
Hold the line
Hold the line
Around me, buffalo roam, sage in bundle, rub on skin
Outside, cold air, stand, wait for rising sun
Red paint, eagle feathers, coyote calling, it has begun
Something moving in, I taste it in my mouth and in my heart
It feels like dying, slow, letting go of life
Medicine man lead me up through town, Indian ground, so far down
Cut up land, each house, a pool, kids wearing water wings, drink in cool
Follow dry river bed, watch Scout and Guides make pow-wow signs
Past Geronimo's disco, Sit 'n' Bull steakhouse, white men dream
A rattle in the old man's sack, look at mountain top, keep climbing up
Way above us the desert snow, white wind blow
I hold the line, the line of strength that pulls me through the fear
San Jacinto, I hold the line
San Jacinto, the poison bite and darkness take my sight, I hold the line
And the tears roll down my swollen cheek, think I'm losing it, getting weaker
I hold the line, I hold the line
San Jacinto, yellow eagle flies down from the sun, from the sun
We will walk, on the land
We will breathe, of the air
We will drink, from the stream
We will live, hold the line
Hold the line
Hold the line
We will live, hold the line
Hold the line
Hold the line
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Peter Gabriel himself has talked about the song and it's meaning a number of times.
sometimes, heard when wind blows tree leaves.
youtube.com/…
thequietus.com/articles/…
Native american tribes were spiritualists, so they all had their spiritual beliefs, rites and initiations. To be a spiritual leader (let's say a shaman) one had to prove he had all that is needed, that he is prepared, that he control himself, a master of himself.
All initations involve some kind of "near death" experience (like baptism in ancient Christianity in which disciples were almost drowned to death, but in the exactly moment they were dying and having a complete different vision experience they were brought back to "life" by being pushed back from the water, so they had a confirmation what is on "the other side" by what they saw)
In some shamanic tribes, candidates were bitten by a snake in the middle of the desert and had to make all their way back to the tribe. If he could make it, he was initiated [So the lyrics "The poison bite and darkness take my sight" make perfect sense]
You can also imagine the extreme inner will and strength to pass through it.You have to HOLD THE LINE! [ "I hold the line of strenght that pulls me through the fear"]
The line is a metaphor for the "connection" between Earth (the material world) and the spiritual world. We need to hold tight to this line, even the white men lost in his dreams and steakhouses
Finally, the one that could make it was a initiated, a master that "died" do this material world and now receives and realizes the energy from the above world ["Yellow eagle flies down from the sun"]
So, I think this song is about barrier which we have to pass each day in our lives, while everybody watching as, unfortunately nobody will help as. "...watch Scout and Guides make pow-wow signs...". PG's suggest how we can fight with this frontiers, even it is cliché "...I hold the line - the line of strength that pulls me through the fear...". It is very important that it has no precise happy end, which emphasize that some problems could not be solved and they can beat as.
"San Jacinto" reflects on the fear and pain experienced by a Native American man who sees his culture overwhelmed by modern white society. that's what i've read somewhere.