So (album) - Songs

Songs

The album begins with "Red Rain". Inspired by a recurring dream which Gabriel had of swimming in a sea of red water, its lyrics vividly depict dream imagery that reflect a sense of vulnerability. The song is one of the works in the story of Mozo, a wandering stranger who appears in several Gabriel songs. Of all the tracks on the album, Gabriel considers "Red Rain" one of his favourites. Other Mozo works include "On the Air" and "Exposure".

The second track is Gabriel's most popular single, "Sledgehammer". "Sledgehammer" is a piece with Motown and world music influences, from its famous use of the shakuhachi. Gabriel described it as "my chance to sing like Otis Redding." The video for "Sledgehammer" won MTV's 1987 Top Music Video Award, and Best British Video at the 1987 Brit Awards. Directed by Steven Johnson, it features stop motion animation by Aardman Animations of Wallace and Gromit fame. The dancing chickens were animated by Nick Park. The video ends with Gabriel dancing in silhouette, covered with lights taped on his suit by a runner who later became a producer for the Wallace and Gromit films. While performing the song during the 2002-2003 Growing Up and 2004 Still Growing Up tours, Gabriel recreated this image by wearing a jacket covered with LED lights.

Tracks 3–6 include a duet with Kate Bush titled "Don't Give Up", "That Voice Again", and "In Your Eyes". "Don't Give Up" was about the devastation of economic hardship, with the support and wise counsel sung by Bush in the refrain. "Mercy Street" is dedicated to poet Anne Sexton and takes its title from her 1969 play, Mercy Street (Sexton also posthumously released a book of poetry, 45 Mercy Street). "In Your Eyes" was used in the famed boombox (ghetto blaster) scene from the film Say Anything... (1989).

Track 7 is "Big Time". This song is a caricature of the economic success of the 1980s and was also accompanied by a video in the same vein of "Sledgehammer", although to less popularity. The next track is titled "We Do What We're Told (Milgram's 37)". The title refers to the 37 out of 40 compliant subjects of Milgram Experiment 18.

The album ends with "This Is the Picture (Excellent Birds)". This song features vocals with co-writer Laurie Anderson. This track is not included on the original vinyl release of the album, but was added to the audio cassette and CD editions. Anderson had previously recorded a different arrangement of the song entitled "Excellent Birds" for her 1984 album, Mister Heartbreak, which also featured vocals by Gabriel. A video rendition of the song featuring Anderson and Gabriel was included in the 1 January 1984 TV satellite broadcast Good Morning, Mr. Orwell. Anderson also performs the song in her 1986 concert film Home of the Brave.