Synopsis

Peter Gabriel and Sinead O'Connor inhabit a dreamlike landscape inspired by the biblical story of Adam and Eve and the longing for an original union between man and woman. Surrounded by sculpted figures, animals, desert imagery, and a cosmic egg, they appear to merge, separate, and circle one another through a series of symbolic transformations. Faces morph, lovers revolve in space, a shelter rises from sticks in the sand, and a book becomes a dove. The video closes by returning to the central image of Gabriel within Zadok Ben-David's symbolic universe.

Factoids & Trivia

• "Blood of Eden" was released as the third single from Peter Gabriel's album *US* on March 29, 1993.

• The video runs for nearly seven minutes, making it roughly twice the length of a typical promotional clip of the period. Gabriel argued that the song needed to be presented in full rather than shortened for television scheduling.

• The video's visual world was developed from artwork by Israeli sculptor Zadok Ben-David, who created the sculptures associated with the song. His concept of a cosmic egg represented both wholeness and the beginning of creation.

• Ben-David worked directly on the production, helping to build and shape elements of the set. The desert setting and the linked human figures were drawn from the imagery of his sculptures.

• Much of the production was made at Real World Studios in Box, England, using the site's old Nissen hut as the filming location. The production relied on local talent, practical sets, animation, models, and relatively simple visual ideas rather than a large budget.

• Theater director Robert Lepage contributed ideas about creating powerful atmospheres with minimal means.

• The morphing sequence between Gabriel and O'Connor was one of the production's favored images, alongside the revolving lovers, the stick-built house, and the book transforming into a dove.

• O'Connor's participation was uncertain until shortly before filming because of scheduling difficulties. According to the production account, she had been working all night before arriving on set, but her performance quickly developed the emotional intensity the filmmakers wanted.

• Behind-the-scenes footage recorded during the shoot was later included in *All About US*, a 1993 home-video and LaserDisc release documenting the visual campaign surrounding the album.

• The behind-the-scenes material shows an unused idea in which Gabriel had his head cast in dental plaster for a snake sequence. The sequence was not included in the finished video.