Darkness lyrics

Song information

Artist: Peter Gabriel
Album: Up

Lyrics

I'm scared of swimming in the sea
Dark shapes moving under me
Every fear I swallow makes me small
Inconsequential things occur
Alarms are triggered
Memories stir
It's not the way it has to be

I'm afraid of what I do not know
I hate being undermined
I'm afraid I can be devil man
And I'm scared to be divine
Don't mess with me my fuse is short
Beneath this skin these fragments caught

When I allow it to be
There's no control over me
I have my fears
But they do not have me

Walking through the undergrowth, to the house in the woods
The deeper I go, the darker it gets
I peer through the window
Knock at the door
And the monster I was
So afraid of
Lies curled up on the floor
Is curled up on the floor just like a baby boy

I cry until I laugh

I'm afraid of being mothered
With my balls shut in the pen
I'm afraid of loving women
And I'm scared of loving men
Flashbacks coming in every night
Don't tell me everything's alright

When I allow it to be
It has no control over me
I own my fear
So it doesn't own me

Walking through the undergrowth, to the house in the woods
The deeper I go, the darker it gets
I peer through the window
Knock at the door
And the monster I was
So afraid of
Lies curled up on the floor
Is curled up on the floor just like a baby boy

I cry until I laugh

Drums: manu katche, dave power
Percussion: mahut dominique, ged lynch, richard chappell
Bass: tony levin
Guitars: david rhodes
The london session orchestra: strings
String arrangement: peter gabriel, will gregory
Orchestration: nick ingham
Programming: richard chappell
Additional programming: alex swift
Bosendorfer, mutator, keys, jamman, mpc groove: peter gabriel