There are two ambitions behind the release of our single ‘Lullaby’: one is obvious, which is to raise money for Gaza with an Anglo-Palestinian song. Funds raised from its release will be donated to Choose Love’s Together for Palestine Fund, which supports three Palestinian-led charities, Taawon, Palestine Children’s Relief Fund and Palestine Medical Relief Society.
The second one is to keep attention on the subject as a whole. Ever since the so-called Peace Process started, the press has stopped writing about Gaza. This is even though around forty to fifty Palestinians are still being killed every day, while conditions in the West Bank are worse than they’ve ever been. It’s kind of a conjuring trick that Netanyahu has done in making people think the war has finished - but it’s still going strong.
The whole project started when a group of us got together to put on the show Together for Palestine, in Wembley Arena in September. There were a lot of artists involved and as things started to gain momentum, more people joined. We decided that we wanted to do a big piece that would end the show to include all the artists who had wanted to be a part of it. ‘Lullaby’ became a sponge for using all the generous energy that had accumulated around the concert.
Palestinian singer Nai Barghouti
But we didn’t anticipate how enthusiastic the audience would be! The applause went on far longer than we’d expected, as did some of the speakers, encouraged by this level of appreciation. Since it was Wembley, however, we had to fit everything into four hours because the curfew conditions were strict. So, we realised as we got towards the end of the evening that we were not going to have time for ‘Lullaby’.
This was disappointing as we had a whole gospel choir who had turned up just for that song and it was, in fact, the only part of the evening that we’d all rehearsed together.
After the show finished, and as it was such a great success, we thought that we’d see if we could get everyone together to record the song in the studio. Up until that moment I don’t think anyone had been thinking of doing this.
I’m writing as though I did something in this respect, but I didn’t do very much. I was part of the whole event but the important work in relation to this record was done by Kieran Brunt, Nizar Zuabi, Benji B and all the artists and studio technicians - some of whom had to do quite a lot of schedule rearrangement in order to be there. There were a lot of separate sessions but it finally got done.
The song starts and ends with Nai Barghouti, an absolutely wonderful Palestinian singer. She’s somebody I’ve known about for a long time - her father would often send me recordings when she was younger as he knew I was interested in Arabic song. She's a first-class musician.
Brian Eno performing at the O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire, London at the Amos Trust Gaza benefit, September 2025. Photo: David Corio / Getty
One of the really lovely things about doing the concert as a whole and making the record was the very easy mixing of English and Palestinian voices as well as the mixing of English and Palestinian audiences. As soon as the London Arab Orchestra started playing, the whole stadium just erupted. It was pure joy.
The concerts and this single were about reminding people that Palestine is a real place with a strong and beautiful culture, and it's been going on for a very long time.
Why are we releasing ‘Lullaby’ in time for Christmas (and to get it to Christmas number one)?
There’s one very good geographical reason; Palestine is where the whole Christmas story is set. Perhaps this will remind people that the obscenity now happening in the Middle East is being conducted in the very place which is regarded as the foundational story of Christianity.
To buy ‘Lullaby’ and help it reach the Christmas Number 1 spot click here and download the single before midnight on 18 December.
Brian Eno was speaking to Katy Fallon.