According to Song Meanings and Facts , According to Gabriel himself, the lyrics of In Your Eyes, which are inspired by the African tradition, can either refer to a romantic relationship between a man and a woman or a divine relationship between someone and his God.

Gabriel composed lyrics about a man whose unemployment causes stress in his domestic relationship. He had seen a TV program about the consequences of unemployment on family life, and said that it "played into my own problems at that time.

Peter Gabriel has been married to Meabh Flynn since 2002. They have two sons together, born in 2001 and 2008, Isaac and Luc. He has two daughters, Anna-Marie (born 1974) and Melanie (born 1976) from his first marriage to Jill Moore.