Digging in the Dirt
Encyclopedia
"Digging in the Dirt" is a 1992
song by British musician Peter Gabriel
. It was the first single taken from his sixth studio album, Us
. The song was only a minor hit on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100
chart, but it topped both the Billboard Modern Rock and Mainstream Rock charts. The song was moderately successful on the UK Singles Chart
, where it peaked at number 24.
for the single was directed by John Downer and utilised stop motion
animation, a technique used in the videos for Gabriel's earlier hits "Sledgehammer
" and "Big Time". The work was painstaking, especially for Gabriel himself who was required to lie still for hours at a time over the course of several days. The video won the Grammy Award for Best Short Form Music Video
in 1993.
The video is largely an exploration of the issues in his personal life at the time- the end of his relationship with Rosanna Arquette
, his desire to reconnect with his daughter and even the self healing he was looking for in therapy.
In the video, Gabriel is displayed in a variety of disturbing imagery- including being buried alive, consumed by an overgrowth of foliage (thanks to a gruelling stop-motion process) and flying into a rage while trying to swat a fly. This time, Gabriel returned to stop motion and claymation- that had served him so well in the 1980s, forgoing (the then primitive and time-consuming) computer graphics used in "Steam
".
From the onset, the word "help" forms in the grass while dark imagery plays. Gabriel morphs into a skeleton while at the same time trying to excavate himself. Ultimately, the viewers are left with a gleam of hope as "help" morphs into "heal" after Gabriel symbolically rises from the soil, clad in white.
The Secret World Live
version of the song is far more intense than the studio version. This is due to a chaotic blend of disturbingly high pitched distorted guitar (by guitarist David Rhodes), as well as occasional jarring synth bass stabs (Tony Levin
) and an expansive performance by Manu Katché
on the drums. The stage craft for the song is considered a highlight of the show. Gabriel wore a special "helmet" with a video camera attached in an antennae-like way, showing in great detail his facial expressions, while moving in time with the music. This is used to create a particularly grotesque image of Gabriel, most prominent during the "freak-out" sequence in which the camera is graphically pointed down Gabriel's throat.
7" single
All songs written by Peter Gabriel
.
1992 in British music
This is a summary of 1992 in music in the United Kingdom, including the official charts from that year.-Summary:1992 was a bleak time for the UK Singles Chart, with sales at a very low level. Due to several long chart runs, only 12 singles topped the chart this year , the lowest number since 1962,...
song by British musician Peter Gabriel
Peter Gabriel
Peter Brian Gabriel is an English singer, musician, and songwriter who rose to fame as the lead vocalist and flautist of the progressive rock group Genesis. After leaving Genesis, Gabriel went on to a successful solo career...
. It was the first single taken from his sixth studio album, Us
Us (Peter Gabriel album)
Us is the sixth studio album by British rock musician Peter Gabriel, originally released in 1992. It was remastered, with most of Gabriel's catalogue, in 2002...
. The song was only a minor hit on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
chart, but it topped both the Billboard Modern Rock and Mainstream Rock charts. The song was moderately successful on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
, where it peaked at number 24.
Music video
The music videoMusic video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
for the single was directed by John Downer and utilised stop motion
Stop motion
Stop motion is an animation technique to make a physically manipulated object appear to move on its own. The object is moved in small increments between individually photographed frames, creating the illusion of movement when the series of frames is played as a continuous sequence...
animation, a technique used in the videos for Gabriel's earlier hits "Sledgehammer
Sledgehammer (song)
"Sledgehammer" is a song by British musician Peter Gabriel from his 1986 album So. It hit number one in Canada on 21 July 1986 where it spent four weeks; number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States on 26 July 1986; and number four in the UK singles chart, thanks in part to a...
" and "Big Time". The work was painstaking, especially for Gabriel himself who was required to lie still for hours at a time over the course of several days. The video won the Grammy Award for Best Short Form Music Video
Grammy Award for Best Short Form Music Video
The Grammy Award for Best Short Form Music Video is an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to performers, directors, and producers of quality short form music videos...
in 1993.
The video is largely an exploration of the issues in his personal life at the time- the end of his relationship with Rosanna Arquette
Rosanna Arquette
Rosanna Lauren Arquette is an American actress, film director, and producer.-Early life:Arquette was born in New York City, the daughter of Brenda Olivia "Mardi" , an actress, poet, theater operator, activist, acting teacher, and therapist, and Lewis Arquette, an actor and director. Her paternal...
, his desire to reconnect with his daughter and even the self healing he was looking for in therapy.
In the video, Gabriel is displayed in a variety of disturbing imagery- including being buried alive, consumed by an overgrowth of foliage (thanks to a gruelling stop-motion process) and flying into a rage while trying to swat a fly. This time, Gabriel returned to stop motion and claymation- that had served him so well in the 1980s, forgoing (the then primitive and time-consuming) computer graphics used in "Steam
Steam (Peter Gabriel song)
"Steam" is the second single from Peter Gabriel's 1992 album, Us. It reached #10 on the UK singles chart, #32 on the Billboard Hot 100, and #1 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart....
".
From the onset, the word "help" forms in the grass while dark imagery plays. Gabriel morphs into a skeleton while at the same time trying to excavate himself. Ultimately, the viewers are left with a gleam of hope as "help" morphs into "heal" after Gabriel symbolically rises from the soil, clad in white.
The Secret World Live
Secret World Live
Secret World Live is the second live and tenth album overall released by Peter Gabriel, in 1994. The album was not remastered with the rest of Gabriel's catalogue in 2002. A concert film was released at the same time as the album...
version of the song is far more intense than the studio version. This is due to a chaotic blend of disturbingly high pitched distorted guitar (by guitarist David Rhodes), as well as occasional jarring synth bass stabs (Tony Levin
Tony Levin
Tony Levin is an American progressive rock musician, specializing in bass guitar, Chapman stick and upright bass ....
) and an expansive performance by Manu Katché
Manu Katché
Manu Katché is a French musician of Ivorian origin, born in Saint-Maur-des-Fossés on 27 October 1958. He is a drummer and songwriter.-Career:Session musician...
on the drums. The stage craft for the song is considered a highlight of the show. Gabriel wore a special "helmet" with a video camera attached in an antennae-like way, showing in great detail his facial expressions, while moving in time with the music. This is used to create a particularly grotesque image of Gabriel, most prominent during the "freak-out" sequence in which the camera is graphically pointed down Gabriel's throat.
Cover versions
- Serbian rockSerbian rockSerbian rock is the rock music scene of Serbia. During the 1960s, 1970s and the 1980s, while Serbia was a constituent republic of Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Serbian rock scene was a part of the SFR Yugoslav rock scene....
band Night ShiftNight Shift (band)- Underground years :The band was formed in 1991, by the Šćepanović brothers, Milan and Danijel , with their friend Marko Dacić . The official date of the band formation was chosen to be January 11, 1991, when the trio had their first live performance...
covered the song in 2002 on their debut album UndercoversUndercovers (Night Shift album)- Night Shift :* Milan Šćepanović * Danijel Šćepanović * Marko Dacić - Additional personnel :* Mirko Vukomanović * Ivana Pavlović * Dejan Cukić - References :...
.
Track listings
CD maxi- "Digging in the Dirt (LP Version)" — 5:16
- "Digging in the Dirt (instrumental)" — 5:10
- "Quiet SteamSteam (Peter Gabriel song)"Steam" is the second single from Peter Gabriel's 1992 album, Us. It reached #10 on the UK singles chart, #32 on the Billboard Hot 100, and #1 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart....
" — 6:25 - "Bashi-Bazouk" — 4:47
7" single
- "Digging in the Dirt" — 5:16
- "Quiet Steam" — 6:23
All songs written by Peter Gabriel
Peter Gabriel
Peter Brian Gabriel is an English singer, musician, and songwriter who rose to fame as the lead vocalist and flautist of the progressive rock group Genesis. After leaving Genesis, Gabriel went on to a successful solo career...
.
Charts
| Chart (1992) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian ARIA Singles Chart | 23 |
| Austrian Singles Chart | 29 |
| French SNEP Singles Chart | 34 |
| German Singles Chart | 23 |
| Swedish Singles Chart | 9 |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 12 |
| UK Singles Chart | 24 |
| US Billboard Hot 100 | 52 |
| US Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks | 1 |
| US Billboard Hot Modern Rock Tracks | 1 |
| US Billboard Top 40 Mainstream | 37 |
See also
- List of number-one mainstream rock hits (United States)
- Number one modern rock hits of 1992Number one modern rock hits of 1992These are the Billboard magazine Modern Rock Tracks number one hits of 1992.-References:...