If looks could kill they probably will...

I have to admit, for some reason I've always hated Peter Gabriel. More than Sting, who I at least have some respect for, and more than Bob Geldof, who is a pretentious twit but harmless enough because he is dumb. Peter Gabriel though always seemed to me to be, to paraphrase Oscar Wilde, witty without being charming. His whole save-the-world, I'm a white guy in touch with my African roots thing made me want to go repaint the porcelain in my bathroom. HOWEVER, I once thought the same thing of Tears for Fears and many another band and only when I grew older did I really understand them, so I'm willing to give old Peter another chance.

As it turns out, I still think he's an ass with an overblown opinion of himself, but that doesn't mean he hasn't written a few good songs. Notably, "Games Without Frontiers."

GAMES WITHOUT FRONTIERS.
(1980)

jeux sans frontieres.

hans plays with lotte, lotte plays with jane.
jane plays with willi, willi is happy again.
suki plays with leo, sacha plays with britt.
adolf builds a bonfire, enrico plays with it.

whistling tunes we hid in the dunes by the seaside.
whistling tunes we're kissing baboons in the jungle.
it's a knockout...

if looks could kill, they probably will
in games without frontiers, war without tears.
games without frontiers, war without tears.

jeux sans frontieres.

andre has a red flag, chian ching's is blue.
they all have hills to fly them on except for lintai yu.
dressing up in costumes, playing silly games.
hiding out in tree-tops shouting out rude names.

whistling tunes we hide in the dunes by the seaside.
whistling tunes we piss on the goons in the jungle.
it's a knockout...

if looks could kill they probably will
in games without frontiers, wars without tears.
if looks could kill they probably will
in games without frontiers, war without tears.
games without frontiers, war without tears.

jeux sans frontieres
jeux sans frontieres
jeux sans frontieres.


Now that's a Roger Waters-esque lyric if there was one, albeit without the effortless accessibility nor polish. He's artsy and globally concerned. But this time it works lyrically and especially musically. Only a few will understand this. But if you were a teenager in the nuclear-war colored early 80s, this was somewhat of an anthem. So props to Peter on that one. Doesn't mean I have to like "Shock the Monkey."