Peter Gabriel - Games without Frontiers [About the Song]

[1fgeofrey]

Just watched a interview where Peter Gabriel the songwriter talks about Kate Bush being the singer of the words 'Jeux Sans Frontieres'.

Until seeing fellow comments here thought it was Peter Gabriels voice, and in any case that it was male voice, possibly speeded up up but male.

Obviously I was mistaken.

[SterlingShowCase]

Now I finally worked out what he was saying in the chorus , he was talking about Kate Bush '' SHE SO FUCK'N OLD '' ... '' SHE SO FUCK'N OLD '' ???

[golum1970]

@SterlingShowCase

your a dope!!!

[Cheese71]

WATCH THE MONKEY GET HURT! OOOH YEH!!!

[hoplite46]

yeah like umm so umm

[CyPha0]

so PG talks about KB not GWF.

[ncf1]

mumble mumble mumble end video

[SpaceRitual]

Yeah, he essentially explains that Kate Bush sings on it... what a startling new piece of information, the song makes total sense now.

[oitzingerpeter]

The song's title comes from a European game show, Jeux Sans Frontières, that featured teams competing for prizes in outlandish games of skill while frequently dressed in bizarre costumes. The British version of the show was called It's a Knockout, a phrase that also appears in the song. The teams represented towns and cities from each country, so the games had an inevitable element of nationalism. While some games were simple races, others allowed one team to obstruct another.

[oitzingerpeter]

The lyrics are seen as a critique of nationalism and war, which the song portrays as essentially childish and silly. The tag line of the song, "Games without frontiers, war without tears" is a comment on the sublimation of the rivalries within Europe, caused by centuries of war, in a meaningless and stupid game.

[oitzingerpeter]

The name Lin Tai Yu, which appears in the song, belongs to a character from the classic Chinese novel Dream of the Red Chamber.

Chiang Ching, another name mentioned, refers either to the wife of Chairman Mao and a leader of the Cultural Revolution or to Chiang Ching-kuo, the son of Chiang Kai-shek, who was president of Taiwan at the time the song was written.

[oitzingerpeter]

The end of the first verse refers to Hitler and Enrico Fermi: "Suki plays with Leo, Sacha plays with Brit; Adolf builds a bonfire, Enrico plays with it." Hitler started World War II in Europe, while Fermi's nuclear reactor enabled the nuclear weapons which contributed to the end of the war in Japan. Additionally, Sacha is a Russian nickname for Alexandr, while Brit refers to Great Britain which allied with Russia during WWII.

[musikfanat]

the lyrics were illustrating how imperialist colonizers viewed black people.

Peter Gabriel is NOT a racist. He is a good and honorable man...

[strawman007]

This clip explains nothing about this song? WTF? Why even post this? blahhhhh

[missaxbabii]

The term "Goons" isn't racist. It just means street person/thug.

[anthonythirteen]

It was "coons" - deliberately so, because it reflects the Imperialist attitudes of the US/UK. I grew up listening to this & never noticed, then when I did I felt it is the correct word to reflect the sardonic attitude of the song. He's a clever guy Gabriel, certainly not a racist.

[musikfanat]

@anthonythirteen You are so right!!!

[anthonythirteen]

@musikfanat Also, his sister used to teach me at school.

[jaxx831]

It was goons, he changed it to repeat the first line of kissing baboons for radio play because goons is still racist.

[scienceismyjesus]

@jaxx831 How is "goons" racist you fuck wit? Goon - Hired thug. I love how idiots hunt for racism in everything and always seem to find it. Funny how something is everywhere when you are looking for it everywhere.

[jaxx831]

@scienceismyjesus I would like to thank you for your highly evolved answer that must of taken hours of your time to answer. The comment of "fuck wit' and 'I love how idiots hunt for racism in everything' is so inspiring that I think I can safely say, you sir are a wank stain. Some people still did not like the word 'Goon' so Peter changed it for radio play. He, unlike you, was open minded, happy to listen to others and did not want to offend anyone. Hired thug is only 1 meaning there are others.

[scienceismyjesus]

@jaxx831 I would like to thank you for being stupid. Look up the original 7 dirty words that you can't say on the radio, "piss" is one of them, that is why they changed the line. Congratulations on extrapolating something from nothing. No one cared about "goons" cause that word has never had a racist connotation. The song is about war and how bad nationalism is with obvious references to Hitler and so on, no race involved. I listened to you, but you are still stupid.

[chriszanf]

@jaxx831 If "goons" was racist then how has it not been raised at all in relation to the collective name that Peter Sellers, Harry Secombe, Michael Bentine and Spike Milligan worked under?

[susiemike33]

According to Peter Gabriel's site, it's Enrico and goons. Coons makes no sense in the context of the song.

Adolf builds a bonfire

Enrico plays with it

Whistling tunes we hide in the dunes by the seaside

Whistling tunes we're kissing baboons in the jungle

It's a knockout

and

Whistling tunes we hide in the dunes by the seaside

Whistling tunes we piss on the goons in the jungle

It's a knockout

[gaybathroomsex]

@susiemike33 Well, the "goons" came off as "coons" to some; and many thought it was a racist phrase because of that.

[RenegadeChauffeur]

@gaybathroomsex: Exactly. There's the uncensored version of it somewhere on Youtube...



[demeko96]

Good but too short!

[jeustor]

Games with out frontiers. Wars with out Tears = humans with out souls..

[KevindyII]

More specifically, enrico fermi theorized nuclear fission, the foundation of nukes.

[shelleyinthecity]

Whistling tunes we piss on the coons in the jungle.

[kingofthedammed]

@shelleyinthecity

wrong

its goons

[shelleyinthecity]

@kingofthedammed No, actually you are wrong. It was originally "coons" and he changed it to "goons" because he was criticized for it and to get radio air play. If you don't believe me, then look it up.

[scienceismyjesus]

@shelleyinthecity When I look it up, everything says it was originally "goons". The only thing I find saying "coons" are idiots who want to see racism in everything. In fact, the reason I see for the change in lyrics is for the word "piss", which wasn't considered kosher for radio play at the time.

[gaudygaudi]

the line 'piss on the goons' is taken from Joseph Herr's book 'Dispatches'

[KTPSLD2ABTFE]

@gaudygaudi I think his name is Michael. He wrote the screenplay of "Full metal jacket", Stanley Kubrick's film about Vietnam War.

[grumbo39]

...if he said rico and not enrico then that takes Mussolini out (which I thought was clever next to Hitler), the use of 'Jeux Sans Frontiers' Its a Knockout which i remember as a kid, which WAS a pointless stupid game (and not as funny as that bloody commentator seemed to think), I still think the pissing reference is from Vietnam 'they all have hills to fly them on except for Lin Tae Yu' refers to Hiroshima. These are the things I have take from the song, I would like to know if Peter agrees?

[Psalm696969]

@grumbo39 TheYeh is wrong, it is indeed Enrico, which is a reference to Enrico Fermi, a scientist who worked on the atomic bomb for Nazi Germany, which explains why he "plays with Adolf's bonfire"...

[anthonythirteen]

@grumbo39 Lin Thai Yu = the South Vietnamese president?

[RenegadeChauffeur]

@anthonythirteen Yup

[grumbo39]

Thanks to everyone who commented, but my whole point in wanting some sort of explanation of the lyrics was, and still is, this: The meanings the more sensible people have posted are all there and all meaningful, but there can be many viewpoints taken (as here), so I want to know IS there only one meaning or is this another 'make your own conclusions' type song?

I would like to know EXACTYLY what Peters take is on it, where he got the names ie Adolf is obvious, but.....

[carpes33]

AWSOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!­!!!!!!!!!!



[TheSupernova247]

Yes, I clearly hear goons.

[MegaJay70]

All the w's songfacts com. look it up for answers

[winkosmosis]

Guys, it's "piss on the goons". "Kissing baboons" is the censored version.

[theratfarmer]

"an odd assembly of people". i wish i could say that about me.

[grumbo39]

I love all these arguments about what the lyrics mean, but none of them actually ask the question, 'how many different references does he actually make???'. Yes you have kissing baboons in the jungle, but I'm sure he also says 'piss on the goons' as well. There are references to Hitler and Mussolini (Adolf builds a bonfire, Enrico plays with it). Are Hans, Lotty, Jane, Willie etc of any significance? It would be great to see him explain exactly where he got them all. And yes I am a fan,

[mudman1881]

@grumbo39 "Jane plays with Willie, Willie is happy again" make ya own mind up about that lol

[grumbo39]

@mudman1881 - You disappointed me, I thought I was finally getting some solid information. :( Still, at least it was funny!!!

[Salih622]

@grumbo39

Hans, Lotte and Willie are old german names, they are used extreme unregulary nowadays. Maybe he likes these names or he´s just making fun of them....dunno.

But Jane is from Tarzan I think

[TheYeh333]

he didnt say enrico he said and rico...Look up many of the different live versions...the lyrics listed online r inncorrect,believe me

[RICHARDTOMLEY10WHARF]

he doesnt have to explain anything calm down and listen

[MegaAldoN]

ITS NOT GOONS OR COONS

[chazzarre]

@schtel - You are correct... it's "kissing baboons." I'm afraid most have substandard speakers hooked up to their computers

[DinkiDidog]

"goons" are ordered people of persons in power

[MrHorse77]

Its not coons its goons like vietnam dang theres some stupid people that need to listen and read the lyrics

[jjevans2009]

@MrHorse77 No No No, the original lyric was piss on the coons. He isn't talking about pissing on the goons that are used to force the will of the powerful on the helpless, he is talking about the powerful who piss on the less fortunate and helpless without care for those who they hurt. It's like in those old war movies where the soldiers are whistling as they go to kill some supposed enemy. Listen to the melody of the whistling in the song.

[youtubesneak]

@jjevans2009 It is: Whistling tunes we piss on the goons in the jungle

If in doubt check the raw unmixed track from Peter Gabriel's website - without the quality loss via YouTube. Not coons. It is very clear on the original album and clearer still on the raw track. You need to register to get the raw track.

Radio distorts the sound, so does YouTube.

[MrKenny1878]

He explained....FUCK ALL.

[patches6309]

Why does he not explain the original verse, "Whistling toons we piss on the coons in the jungle?" It is at the 3.22 second point ofteh ORIGINAL cut.??

[schtel]

You mean "Whistling tunes we're kissing baboons in the jungle" ?

[evillyte]

@patches6309 It's goons, not coons. Look at the lyrics on his website.

[MegaAldoN]

@evillyte

IT'S NOT EITHER!!

[fez1964]

Pete, ditch the goatee! It's not cool, man. You look like a character from Lord of the Rings.

[trickykid73]

The song is also to do with the tv programme of that time called "its a knock out " aka games without frontiers

[nanaforiod]

Dude the son (the original at least) is about racism, communism, countries lost, and also the ignorance of the people living within these countries of power for example China.

[loled123]

Its about war, power, and the tiny fraction of hope that we don't lose it all in the end.

When the actual text of the song starts we are seeing the picture of alliances, and who ends up earning on it all.

"Whistling tunes" is more a reference to "hope is hope", while it ends with "its a knockout" which equals "its all miserable". The survivors, the soldiers.

"It looks good, kills good...." verse is all about, war out of control. "Games without frontiers, wars without fear", out of control.

[LaMissNice]

Lol

The song is a critic to Games Without Frontiers the show, the hypocrisy of it due to the politics prior to 1989

Teams representing each(or whatver was at the time) countries competing to complete bizarre tasks in funny games

A very popular show in Europe

[Francential]

Thatz it????

[tgoslin30]

I still think the song is about nukler war

[393f02e3c313thq12345]

i saw it as having to do with nuclear war , like tgoslin30 said. i agree

[Turk2112]

too short!!