Peter Gabriel Marks the Blue Moon With New Song ‘A Hard Lesson’
May 31 marks the second full moon of the month, known as the blue moon, and with it comes another new single from Peter Gabriel’s slowly gestating project, o\i, titled “A Hard Lesson.”
Much like his previous LP, 2023’s i/o, Gabriel is methodically unfurling his upcoming album with songs from o/i released in tandem with every full moon throughout 2026. This cycle will ultimately culminate in the full album’s release.
“A Hard Lesson” holds the distinction of being the oldest song from the upcoming project. The musician revealed on his website that the track was written in the late Eighties or early Nineties while he was traveling in Senegal.
“I was falling in love with the music I heard there. I loved the tension created by the use of polyrhythms, particularly the threes and fours, so that was the start of this song,” he explained. “It’s a quirky, strange and long track but it’s a journey. It’s about trying to find a place, your place, how you fit in. I’ve enjoyed playing with old R&B and folk references as well.”
Reflecting on why the song remained unreleased for several decades, Gabriel noted that his creative process is often a slow burn. “Sometimes things take time — most people do stuff a lot faster — but I have no problem with understanding my own process,” he wrote. “Some things will mature and evolve spontaneously and some will just stay hidden-away in a box until their moment in the light appears.”
Consistent with his previous o\i releases, the track will be available in two distinct mixes. The version released this Sunday is a “bright-side” mix by Mark “Spike” Stent. According to Gabriel’s website, the “dark-side” mix, helmed by Tchad Blake, is scheduled to arrive during the next full moon.
