Brother it is about war, spies, the threat of nuclear war, and the relatioship between nations.

I’ll throw my tuppence in . There used to be a tv programme called “It’s a Knockout” in which various towns would compete against each other in ‘madcap’ games, dressed in costumes. There was also an international version, which always seemed to go by the French title ‘Jeux sans frontières’ So that’s why you get some of the imagery. The war was still a relatively fresh memory, so you get the war without tears in the games . Chuck in the Cold War threat for added spice.

Biko is the Gabriel song to have a reaction video, it is his most powerful song IMHO

Haven't heard that song In decades, I forgot how good it was.

I remember hearing this on the national radio playlist all the time back in the day. Such an odd, disturbing song. I only saw the video to it a few years ago - that's a lot to take in, and I really appreciate your interpretation anew!

I love the surprised reaction on your face. Peter Gabriel is a master wordsmith. Have loved his music from my childhood (I'm 55 now). So lucky to have been around in the mid 60s onwards for all the wonderful music that has been recorded. Much love from the UK. Keep safe x.

It’s about war! What we all are in fear of, great video man! Haven’t heard it in a long time! Never analyzed it myself when I was young because I was caught up in the weirdness of the video, now at 56 I get it.... kudos my man great reaction!!

Peter Gabriel is my absolute hero and this is my favourite song of all time, never tire of hearing it even 39 years on

In your eyes and Solsbury Hills is great song by him also

Peter Gabriel is awesome live! He puts on one hell of a show. He's my favorite of his old band in your eyes live is so good

Song compared war and international diplomacy to child’s games: “Dressing up in costumes, playing silly games. Hiding out in treetops, shouting out rude names.” Genius!

This, my friend, was a classic right from the beginning! The whole album was great! Check out Peter Gabriel "BIKO" and the sad story behind the track! There was even a movie about Steve Biko in 1987, called Cry Freedom with Denzel Washington portraying Steve! ...and also, check out Genesis "Supper's Ready" studio in 1972 or live in 1973 with Peter Gabriel when he was still with Genesis! He was a founding member of Genesis and Phil Collins was the fourth drummer who only sang backup vocals and voice effects at the time! Supper's Ready will take you on a 23 minute long mystical musical journey, but you have to read the lyrics too!

"Games without Frontiers" is my favorite Peter Gabriel song always has been. "Don't Give Up" with Kate Bush is his other standout to me.

He is known for WEIRD videos..but its about war..

The song's title refers to Jeux Sans Frontières, a long-running French TV show broadcast in several European countries. Backing vocals by the Great Kate Bush (of course)... 😊

Steam by Peter Gabriel. The video isn't great but the song has such a badassed bass line and fantastic horn section. You should check it out sometime.

My favorite by Peter! Saw this live back in the 80’s.

FF: The backing vocals were provided by none other than Kate Bush. "Sheer, so frump the air."

I LOVE Peter Gabriel. I went to his concert. So awesome!

With Kate Bush singing the backing vocals. She is a major artist on her own right as well. It has been said that the song is inspired by all the hassle, politics, boycotts, lobbying surrounding the Olympics. All of it is seen basically childish behaviour of the adults or substitute of a war. In 1980 The Moscow Olympic games were under heavy boycott. Coincidentally the song was written before those particular games but the video and the song certainly got more poignant due to the boycott.

Love the concentration and different expressions you have while listening. I grew up listening to this wonderful artist. Genesis gave us to fantistic artists with Peter and Phil Collins. Please listen to Mercy Street by Peter its a truly moving song. Also it would be great to hear your thoughts on the band Disturbed with their version of The Sound of Silence. This song is about war and international diplomacy being like childrens games. The backing vocals are by none other than Kate Bush of Wuthering Heights fame. Thanks. Keep safe from the UK

Love, love this song. It takes me back to carefree days. He used to be the front man for Genesis.

Oh I Love this Song!!!!

I am a big fan of Peter Gabriel from his start with Genesis. There are sooo many good songs that he wrote and sung. True Artist. Sometimes his videos were a bit heady but you they do have meaning to them.

Peter Gabriel was the lead singer of Genesis for their first six albums and left in 1975 after the Lamb Lies Down on Broadway tour. If I were to suggest a single Peter Gabriel-era Genesis song to start with it would be ...hmmm Firth of Fifth or Cinema Show from the album Selling England by the Pound.

Genesis ("Supper's Ready", "Duchess"), Peter Gabriel ("Biko", "Don't Give Up", "Mercy Street"), Kate Bush ("Wuthering Heights", "Hello Earth", "Running Up That Hill"), Phil Collins ("I Don't Care Anymore", "If Leaving Me Is Easy"). Alot to discover my bruh🤗PS: This song here is special, should start with others maybe

I remember this song got banned when it came out. Great video

Jeux Sans Frontières was a Europe-wide television game show. In English-speaking countries, the show is also known as It's a Knockout, the title of the BBC's domestic version. In its original conception, it was broadcast from 1965 to 1999 under the auspices of the European Broadcasting Union and featured teams from different European countries in outlandish costumes competing to complete bizarre tasks in funny games. The original series run ended in 1982 but was revived a few years later with a different complexion of nations and hosted by smaller broadcasters. In the United Kingdom, participants came from the heats of It's a Knockout. The original presenter was Mcdonald Hobley, but he stayed for just one season before handing over to Katie Boyle, who in turn was replaced by David Vine and Eddie Waring. It was not until 1971 that the presenter most associated with the role, Stuart Hall, took over presenting the UK heats and also provided the British commentary for the international version along with Waring, who was better known as the BBC's Rugby League commentator. Wales had its own team between 1991 and 1994 and the programme was broadcast on S4C in Welsh by Iestyn Garlick.

From Wikipedia 'The song's title refers to Jeux Sans Frontières, a long-running TV show broadcast in several European countries, in which teams of residents representing a town or city in one of the participating countries would compete in games of skill while frequently dressed in bizarre costumes. While some games were simple races, others allowed one team to obstruct another. The British version was titled It's a Knockout, which Gabriel references in the lyrics.'

The insanity and inhumanity of war.

It's fairly obvious this is about the infantile way politicians and governments lead countries into conflict, 'Suki plays with Leo, Sasha plays with Brit, Adolf builds a bonfire, Enrico plays with it'.

Sledgehammer by peter Gabriel and Simply Irresistible Robert Palmer

"Adolph (Hitler) builds a bonfire; Enrico (Fermi) plays with it" is one of the only name pairings with any meaning behind it. The others were just common international kids' names. Hitler obviously sought the destructive ability of the A-bomb, but Fermi was a key scientists that made it possible in the U.S. That's just one "bit" from this dense and amazing song.

I've always liked that song but not the video. My favorite of his is "Shock the Monkey". Yes, that's a weird title but it's a metaphor for being badly treated in a relationship. The song is great & the video is strange but easier to get the idea. It was popular in the 80's. Your eyebrows would love its rhythm! Would love for you to react to it!

"Games Without Frontiers" (in French: Jeux Sans Frontières) was a TV show, extremely popular in Western Europe in the 60's. It featured teams from different European countries (Germany, France, Great Britain, Italy, Belgium, and the Netherlands) competing to complete bizarre tasks in funny games. The objective of the show was to reinforce the friendship among European countries after World War II. The song is a realistic, cynical look at international relationships: everybody smiles, but "if looks could kill they probably will." The song was written in 1980... Things haven't changed much, have they?

Solsbury Hill is such an awesome Peter Gabriel song, you should react to that one

There was a joint French and German TV show in the 50s called Games Without Frontiers ( Kate Bush sings the French title). The shoes was created to foster more friendly feelings between the French and Germans after WW2. I've read t often backfired and brought up old hatred and ill feelings. Peter Gabriel was fascinated by the show.

Intro : Jeux sans frontières (french) = Games without frontiers.

Song was used on the finale of the first season of Amerikans ( 1980’s based spy show)

WOW great song by peter gabriel......awesome

For any non West Europeans or those who don't remember the 70s'Jeux sans Frontiers' called 'Its a Knockout 'in UK was an international game show where cities from diifferent countries competed in a series of quite hilarious games dressed in silly costumes. It used to bring out lots of national stereotypes. The Germans took it seriously and normally won, the British thought it was heir riight to win all the time even though they were amateurish in their preparations. The French sulked a lot and the Italians just had a good time

Ty, this song is about wars. It also has other cultural references in it. Star with "Adolph builds a bonfire and Rico plays with it." That's the Spanish Civil War in the 1930's. Star from there and it's a history of several wars and politics behind them. It also comments on the coldness with which these leaders plunged men in death and destruction i.e. a game.

Yes. It's about war. Back when Peter Gabriel did this song, he was refering to the Vietnam War. It was such a senseless War. They were drafting men as young as 19 years old to go and fight this war that was so unnecessary. You know they had a draft. You have to have a reason to not get drafted. My father dodged that draft. He was born in italy and the CIA would go to high schools to recruit. My dad was in aviation high school. He did not miss one day of class. His train was on fire, and he still went to class. CIA came to his school and looked at his records and they wanted to recruit him, but they didn't, because he was born in Italy and not here. You have to be born in this country in order to have a career in the CIA. So, he was called on to be drafted to the Vietnam war. The only way to get out of being drafted was to have a physical or mental disability. My father and his friend ate so much candy and sugar to have an onset diabetes. They came up as diabetic. They drew blood from the people they were drafting. And they had to wait on line holding their blood samples. So my father drank his own blood on line and they asked him why he drank his own blood, and he said, he felt weak. And they tested his blood and he had acute diabetes. Lol and they declared him with psychological issues and they didn't draft him. He felt like, if they couldn't accept him in the CIA, then he's not going to fight any wars for them. After being rejected to be drafted for the Vietnam War, my father and his friend spent the next 48 hours getting drunk and going to strip clubs. I wouldn't have been had things gone a different way.

Another Peter Gabriel classic about the Military Industrial Complex and the politics behind it.

In the beginning of this song, this is what they're saying - Jeux sans frontieres - it means Games Without Frontiers in French

Adolph built a bonfire and Rudolph plays with it. Games without frontiers, war without tears.

There was a game show on British TV in the 70's called it's a Knockout.

Actually, this song is about when Ronald Reagan and Gorbachev was almost in nukes war USA and Russia. guess you had to live thru the 80`s to understand this message. Great song

I love Peter Gabriel...love this song...it's about war and trying to bring nations together

Peter Gabriel has an amazing voice. This song doesn’t do him justice. I Grieve (City of Angels) and In Your Eyes

"Jeux sans frontières"... ('Games w/o frontiers' in English) was a French gameshow that featured countries playing 'silly games' as an anti- competition meant to humanize former enemies, i.e. France and West Germany etc ..The song plays off that program and juxtaposes the reality of cold war and nuclear buildup, rampant terrorism, and apathy with the dubious healing properties of television programs ...(If I understand correctly)

If you,re diving into the world of Peter Gabriel, -Sledgehammer -Big Time -Don,t Give Up (with Kate Bush)* -Solsbury Hill* -In your Eyes* -I have the Touch *These are the ones I recommend first. Blessings Dave

jeux sans frontieres ...always loved this song

1980.Its a cold war song from Peter Gabriel.🇬🇧

This a song from the time when we all thought " Nuclear War " Is this the day ? Here in Britain we had a strange game show called "It's a Knockout" . Actually very weird , people trying to do mad sports dressed as gorillas or giraffes . The French version was called " Jeux Sans Frontieres " . That's "Games Without Frontiers" . Its a knockout .

Shock The Monkey is a great song and video, and it was his solo breakout after leaving Genesis.

He mentions a lot of children's names in the song and the meaning of this is the children playing a game of war. I think the Vietnam War is what they're relating to. From what I heard, the names he mentions represents countries who are at War with one another.

This song is just about the TV game "it`s a knockout" especially about the European one`s which were games without frontiers or as the French said games without borders

Great song - Great voice.. his videos draw you in.

Thank goodness it is the original video version, rather than the awful 2003 version they made for the DVD release. I believe this is the first time we saw the Luck & Flaw heads that became so popular on Spitting Image several years later. The clips of people pole vaulting into water etc was from an old film but similar to a French show which translated to Games Without Frontiers in English-we had our own version in the UK called It's A Knockout which is a lyric in this song. The children are meant to signify the bourgeois & the song is about the childish nature of politicians, their policies & war-the children again depicting how these people behave. The kissing baboons lyric was an enforced change for radio/television as the original lyric was pissing on goons in the jungle-possibly a reference to the British empires appalling treatment of places we had colonised, maybe a reference to the Vietnam War.

He has alot of great songs!

The song is comparing war to children's games. There are no specific references to specific countries or conflicts, which is why it sounds like it could refer just as easily to conflicts today.

OK he was using a pan European game show of that time as an allegory for real politics. It's a Knockout was the UK version. A TV channel from each country ran a series of competitions where teams from towns and cities played each other. 'It's a Knockout' was the UK version. The national champions from each country all then played each other in a European version called 'Jeux sans Frontier' (Games without frontiers). As they were playing games it was a 'war without tears'. National rivalry underpinned the competition though and made many viewers feel very patriotic. The song though is about real tensions and war.

They used to play this on MTV a lot!

It does have to do with war. At the beginning he's talking about children getting into quarrels and all of a sudden there's the line "Adolph builds a bonfire and Enrico plays with it", an abrupt reference to Adolph Hitler. That clues the listener into the fact that he is likening world leaders to children, it's the same childish, selfish mentality with much greater consequences such as nuclear war. There are scenes from "Duck and Cover" the lesson for children on what to do in case of a nuclear attack. The female singing is Kate Bush, in French, singing Jeux sans frontiers" which means "games without borders". The children at the dinner table are again a reference to the fact that adults' behavior is in actuality the same as children's.

From 1980, Gabriel's third solo album after leaving Genesis. This third album is where he finally broke completely from his past and showed the musical world its next steps. As Kate Bush wrote in her 3rd album credits (also in 1980), "Thanks to Peter Gabriel for opening the windows."

Peter and Kate Bush. Don’t give up. A great tune from the same era, a story about overcoming despair.

Really ty the look on your face says it All

I would recommend "I Don't Remember" by Peter Gabriel.

Peter Gabriel's early solo stuff was very much part of the post-rock new wave avant pop movement... he used a lot of early electronics, samples, stuttering beats... later on in the 1980s he would borrow a lot of influences from traditional African percussion music, and even R&B. Gabriel was a real pioneer. As for what the song might mean, I think it's referring some kind of white man angst... Lol. But really... I couldn't connect with a lot of that old stuff... for me, a great starting point for when his music became more accessible in terms of lyrics was a song he wrote called "San Jacinto", which is a stone cold classic.

"In Your Eyes" is a good one, Secret World live edition

ANTI WAR !

Jeux sans frontierres, or games without frontiers is about a European game show that ran sometime in the late 60s early 70s. It was a capture the flag, king of the hill style game where contestants had to create unique ways to mislead their opponents, "hiding out in treetops, shouting out rude names".

DON’T GIVE UP-PETER GABRIEL AND KATE BUSH It is a beautiful song

I think it's about people who have the luxury (they think) of treating war like a game, who have no idea what it really is, going along with it while they party on themselves.

I think the dinner party represents "The Idle Rich" or the Elite, the Aristocracy. It then shows more graphic and gritty scenes which represents real life, war and emotions. I guess it means "Games without frontiers" is the concept that there are no rules or boundaries on the amount of pain and misery that can be inflicted on the masses. Fast forward from 1980 to today. Nothing new under the Sun.

The song's lyrics are interpreted as a commentary on war and international diplomacy being like children's games.

The message is he wants to be your sledgehammer. ;-)

Great song! Funny this is a classic misheard lyric for me. I always thought she was saying "She's so popular" Where it's actually French for Games Without Frontiers Jeux sans frontieres

He use to be a member of Genesis. He has always been very artistic in his music and his live performances. Phil Collins replaced Peter after he quit the band. He has been extremely prolific in his music since then.

I had no idea this song was by Peter Gabriel even though I'd heard it so many times, such a nostalgic song, much better if you don't watch the video. Kamelot - Memento Mori

You have covered Phil Collins "In the Air Tonight" too... Phil & Peter were both in the legendary band Genesis together. You are in experimental territory here.

Understand Iko, Iko then you will get this one. Think will go back for "Biko" reaction.

I think you'd like "I can't dance" with "Genesis" and would like to see you react to it.

He was in the band Genesis with Phil Collins way back when...

Brilliant !

Tis an omage (Section C Wikipedia) to Iko, Iko by the Dixie Cups. "Another boy like mine."

5:28 because stuff keeps repeating and we haven't learned from our mistakes.

Check out "Shock the Monkey", another one of his tunes/videos.

Yea Peter Gabriel can be a little strange sometimes, but if you like that kind of thing it's great.

Think about hanging with family members you can't stand,for a meal. " If looks could kill, they probably will..."

Gabriel goes deep at times. Enjoy. Don't over think it.

Early 80s British new wavish songs that you can't quite understand the meaning of were generally about the feared consequences of installing American cruise missiles in West Germany. I think British Parliament enacted some kind of resolution requiring every British new wave act of that era to do at least one song about them.

Mate!,were you dig this up.Ohh goose pimples.Insta flashbacks.

Also, games without frontiers (it’s a knock out in Britain) was a sports show, more game analogies

You need to check out Father Son. Great song and video my friend 👍🏿

Another song from the past that seems so relevant to today is Won't Get Fooled Again by the Who. I would love to see you react to Ali D'oro by Zucchero w/ John Hooker

Basically it’s a comment on how world leaders act like children. It’s incredibly apt for today

Peter Gabriel "Sledgehammer" or "Steam" video will blow your mind!

A lot of Peter Gabriel’s songs had political leanings. The chorus is sung in French, games without frontiers -translation -Jeux sans frontieres. I take that the song is about how wars are started, and manipulated by the powers that be. The imagery is probably supposed to be disturbing. The big cowboy float would be President Reagan. This song is as relevant today as it was back then.