Songs for Sound Minds are our picks of the best music that uplifts, inspires and boosts mental health. Songs written as an anthem to overcoming the storms of life. The songs that give hope in those times when we are struggling.
‘Dont’ Give Up’ – Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush
Peter Gabriel penned the track ‘Don’t Give Up’ to capture the pain of unemployment and the strength and resolve of a couple making it through difficult times. Written in the mid-1980s the song reflected the economic turmoil facing the UK during Margaret Thatcher’s reign as Prime Minister.
Inspired by the Depression-era photography of Dorothea Lange Gabriel sings as the unemployed worker, struggling with his perceived ‘failure’ in life. Kate Bush by contrast sings words of hope and encouragement that will carry them forward. At first listen it seems hard to move beyond Gabriel’s words of despair and melancholy.
However the lyrics sung by Bush are not mere platitudes but powerful words of truth for any of us facing a storm in life. The song can be distilled down to this: despite the difficult times we face, the love and support of those around us will help us overcome our problems and we will learn to deal with failure.
“The basic idea is that handling failure is one of the hardest things we have to learn to do.” Peter Gabriel.
