Peter Gabriel

Looking for
the Happy

The ninth song from o\i, released on August 28 at the sturgeon full moon. Gabriel set himself the challenge of an upbeat song: it began with a Latin-flavoured groove meant to make dancing irresistible and a chorus that feels like a celebration, and it is about the search for happiness, gratitude and the simple things. Mark “Spike” Stent’s Bright-Side Mix came first; Tchad Blake’s Dark-Side Mix followed at the new moon on September 10.

Written and produced by Peter Gabriel. Manu Katché (drums, percussion), Tony Levin (bass), David Rhodes (electric guitar), Katie May (acoustic guitar, rhythm programming), Richard Evans (mandolin), Josh Shpak (trumpet, trombone, flugelhorn, brass improvisations), Abe Rounds (percussion), Don E (additional keys), Jack Mills and Faye Dolle (rhythm programming); Peter Gabriel (piano, synths, synth brass, vocals, percussion, rhythm programming, brass arrangement). Recorded at Real World Studios, Bath, The Beehive, London, Phantom Studios, Gallatin, Tennessee, and Studio Saint Louis, Paris; mastered by Matt Colton at Metropolis Studios. Single artwork: Tishan Hsu, Closed Circuit II, 1986. Sources: petergabriel.com. Photograph: swing dancers at Spirit of Milan, a long exposure, May 2, 2026, by Sdkb, CC BY-SA 4.0. Wikimedia Commons. This tinted crop is shared under the same licence.