About the artist: Peter Gabriel (1950) is a British singer, songwriter, musician, record producer and activist. He rose to fame as the original lead singer of the progressive rock band Genesis. After leaving Genesis in 1975, he launched a very successful solo career, with so far 13 studio albums. Peter Gabriel currently has eight songs in my list of about 200 best pop/rock songs of all time (and one as a part of a duo).
About the song: Wallflower is the highlight of the excellent fourth Peter Gabriel solo album from 1982. This song, written for Amnesty International, is a moving ballad with stunning lyrics and it has become the symbol for the fate of political prisoners all over the world. With painful accuracy Gabriel paints the picture of an interrogation ("Loaded questions from clean white coats, their eyes are all as hidden as their Hippocratic Oath"), resulting in break down ("They take you to your limits, they take you beyond"), and culminating in the words representing Amnesty International itself ("Though you may disappear, you're not forgotten here and I will say to you, I will do what I can do"). Disturbing, impressive and haunting. Run time 6:33.
