Peter Gabriel’s I/O still doesn’t have a release date, but the art-rock veteran finished the first leg of its supporting tour. He’s also released a whole bunch of singles, “Road To Joy,” “Four Kinds Of Horses,” the title track, and “So Much.” Today, he released another one called “Olive Tree”. Listen to the song below.

“I don’t think there was any deep significance to the title, but I can look around and try and invent some!,” Gabriel wrote in his official newsletter of “Olive Tree,” which features a string arrangement from John Metcalfe and Manu Katché on drums, Tony Levin on bass, David Rhodes on guitar, Josh Shpak on trumpet, and additional percussion from Ged Lynch.

He adds:

“In some ways I do think we are part of everything and…We only want to see and listen to the things that seem important and relevant to us and shut out the noise of everything else when, probably, hidden in that noise there are all sorts of things that can help us realize our place in this future world.

It feeds into this idea that we’re no longer these islands that have our own private thoughts, that our thoughts are going to get opened up to the outside world…so unless we get more comfortable with how we really are, we’re probably going to prefer to stay partly buried in our private worlds.

I wanted it to have some speed to it but I also wanted some mystery, too. I think it is a celebration in a way and there’s a real sense of being alive.”

“Olive Tree” celebrates the beginning of life and what happens after. “My eyes fall to the ground I can feel it come alive In the seeds pushing out through the soil New life weaves its way out through the coil”. He then puts himself in the perspective of the titular tree. “I was apart from it My head in the sky With no ears to listen No light reached my eye”. Gabriel describes the feeling plants have when plants obtain sunlight: “I’ve got the sunlight bright on my back Warming up all my bones I’ve got thе cool breeze right on my skin Bringing every cеll to life”. The song ends with the olive tree receiving everything it needs to flourish. “Oh-oh! I’ve got the water falling on me I’ve got the sunlight bright on my back I’ve got the cool breeze right on my skin I’ve got the water falling on me Water falling on me”.