Peter Gabriel's 'Games Without Frontiers'

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 builts a bonfire, Enrico plays with it

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
Jeux sans frontieres
Jeux sans frontieres

Andre has sa red flag, Chiang Ching's is blue
They all have hills to fly them on except for Lin Tai Yu
Dressing up in costumes, playing silly games
Hiding out in tree-tops shouting out rude names

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

* * * * *

As noted the other day, I often retreat into music in trying times, and God knows that these times qualify as trying.

I've been playing a lot of musicians who have strong political and anti-war bents, including Bruce Cockburn, Joan Baez and Gil Scott-Heron because their words and music have much more meaning then even when they were written and first performed. Peter Gabriel's "Games Without Frontiers" is a great example of that.

What we have here is a trend, and I'll be posting the lyrics to more great anti-war songs from time to time in the future.

(Photograph © 2004, Zisis Kardianos)