Peter Gabriel Recorded This 1992 Rock Hit — Decades Later, He Sang On Sheryl Crow's Standout Cover

Maybe art-rock icon and '80s hitmaker Peter Gabriel had his best year for songs in 1986, but his passion for psychological exploration led to one of his most intriguing tunes years later, 1992's "Digging in the Dirt." Gabriel explained that the song was about exploring his shadow self; the lyrics used images of excavating the root of pain by shoveling through the emotional muck piled on top. When Sheryl Crow chose to cover the song more than 30 years later in 2024, not only did she get Gabriel's sanctioning for her version, the songwriter extraordinaire also provided guest vocals, bestowing his seal of approval on both Crow's choice to tackle the tune and her adaptation of his original version.

Crow's album featuring the collab may be named "Evolution," but it sounds like a return to the pop-rock form she set forth in her debut album "Tuesday Night Music Club." Including "Digging in the Dirt" as the song that set the LP in motion gives the record added depth, centering it on the idea that getting back to basics is actually the key to evolving. Rather than reinventing the song, Crow pays tribute to the original, leaving the structure and instrumentation largely the same while adding new shading to give it a modern spark. The result is a reminder of how powerful and primal this Gabriel composition is, introducing it to a new audience and reminding longtime fans of its dark magic.

"Digging in the Dirt" has a swampy soul to begin with, thanks to Peter Gabriel's moody arrangement and subdued vocal delivery. Sheryl Crow adds her stellar guitar work and trademark scratchy SoCal rock spirit and refreshes a favorite that had already made a deep impact with devoted Gabriel fans. Similar to the occasion when Bob Dylan gave Sheryl Crow his song "Mississippi," Crow was able to make the song her own without sacrificing the soul Gabriel instilled in the original. 

Though this was the first song chosen for the album, the team completed it at the end of the production process. Crow covers the verses, bridge, and pre-chorus on her own, and Gabriel's inimitable voice steps in like a supernatural entity in the refrain, doubling Crow's vocals on the lines "I'm digging in the dirt / to find the places I got hurt / open up the places I got hurt." It would have been easy for Gabriel to send Crow the original stem tracks to apply to her recording. Instead, he revisits his composition and adds new energy and urgency, rising an octave to emphasize the core message of the song.

Thankfully, Crow resists reinventing "Digging in the Dirt" from scratch, which makes the finished track feel like the singer is paying homage to the original masterpiece and its creator. She adds her own colors, enhanced with updated vocals from Gabriel for a creative synergy that takes the song to thrilling new heights.