Peter Gabriel: The sixth track on "o\i" is called "A Hard Lesson"

As with i/o, Peter Gabriel is releasing the tracks from his 2026 album o\i one by one on each full moon. Thanks to the regional full-moon release schedule, we always know half a day in advance which track will be released next.

On 31 May, A Hard Lesson will be released, initially in the Bright-Side Mix by Mark 'Spike' Stent. The Dark-Side Mix by Tchad Blake will then follow on the new moon on 15 June. There will also be a Bandcamp-exclusive version. This is often (but not always) made available between the new moon and the next full moon.

The cover image for A Hard Lesson is called Cuentos Patrióticos (Patriotic Tales). It is from Belgian-born, Mexico-based artist Francis Alÿs and is from 1997.

The official promo text reads as follows:

A Hard Lesson is a song by Peter Gabriel that initially dates back to the late 1980s or early 1990s.
It is deeply influenced by his time in Senegal, specifically drawing on the tension of polyrhythms.
The track is a standout piece from his ongoing studio project and album o/i.
Originally written when he was falling in love with West African music, the song captures a unique and intense cross-cultural blend of rhythmic structures. Gabriel has frequently explored the concept of "lessons" throughout his career – both in his music and personal life – often reflecting on the importance of learning to handle failure and overcoming personal fears.

A Hard Lesson will be available at midnight on all streaming services (YouTube, Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music and others). It will be available on Bandcamp at around 9.30 am. There (as well as on Qobuz*, for example), you can also purchase it as a download in high-resolution formats. Full Moon Club subscribers on Bandcamp will receive the track automatically.

We will be compiling further details about the track and the artwork shortly in our comprehensive track article.