The song was inspired by '' An Assassin 's Diary '' , published in 1973 and written by Arthur Bremer , who attempted to assassinate George Wallace , a politician who supported racial segregation . Gabriel talked about the book in a 1988 authorized biography : Referring to the Assassination of John F. Kennedy , Gabriel stated in the introduction to the song during his concert at the Paramount Theatre , Seattle , 10 August 1983 , that the song is , " partly taken from the writings of Arthur Bremer and '' The Diary of an Assassin '' and mixed with a few images of Dallas twenty years ago "
Assassination of John F. Kennedy
Assassination of John F. Kennedy
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