PETER GABRIEL - INTRUDER

Released: May 30, 1980

Album: Peter Gabriel (Melt)

“Intruder" is a song written and performed by Peter Gabriel released as the opening track on his third self-titled album known as “Melt”. The song introduced the gated reverb drum sound, created by engineer Hugh Padgham and drummer Phil Collins. This production technique, which gave drums a powerful, punchy, and isolated sound, became a defining feature of 1980s music, later popularised in Collins’ “In the Air Tonight”.

Gabriel pushed for an intense, minimalist drum pattern, instructing Collins to play without cymbals and even removing metal elements from the kit. This forced Collins to adapt, leading to the song’s distinctive, percussive power. Musically, “Intruder” is unsettling, with eerie guitar effects and Gabriel’s disturbing lyrics, sung from the perspective of a home invader, possibly with sinister intentions. 

“Intruder” is about a burglar who breaks into a woman’s house and is never caught. Peter Gabriel wanted to create a “sense of urgency” and made the track intentionally eerie, drawing inspiration from the suspenseful works of filmmaker Alfred Hitchcock and composer Bernard Herrmann.

In his own words, “Intruder” is one of Gabriel's favorite songs to perform live.