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
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, 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
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



Lyrics submitted by Novartza

Track duration: 03:31

"Games Without Frontiers" as written by Peter Gabriel

Lyrics © EMI Music Publishing

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Games Without Frontiers song meanings
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45 Comments

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  • 0
    General Comment:So its clearly an anti-war song, the military whistling gives it away.

    It says to me that leaders play games and dont think of their actions.

    Games as in war games, without frontiers they move into other lands with impunity, he is creating a conjunction of war with Children's games and equating them to the same level.

    It was pretty common during this era to take an anti war stance in the UK
    Flag angrieron April 03, 2013   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Finally it has dawned on me all these years that he's really singing about It's a Knockout and Jeux Sans Frontiers! for years I thought could be about I A K or J S F but mainly I thought it was a rough comment on children playing sex games and war!. But hell no, it's was about a T.V gameshow all along! Though to be honest it was only a European thing so the Chinese bits were throwing me, ignoring them it really is about people in big costumes throwing water at each other, it's not all as daft as it seems as I remember that it was very Nationalistic and we were happy if we beat old Jerry and the Froggies if our Giant crossed over the line first.
    Mostly teams seemed to come from Minehead or Scarborough. I suppose now with one of the presenters with the well known laugh being questioned in Operation Yewtree the children thing might just be possible after all...
    Lyrics funny old things if you can't hear them very well!
    Flag Dead Bang!on January 17, 2013   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:Ok it's a political commitary.
    Flag mickblockon December 01, 2012   Link
  • -1
    General Comment:I think this song is all about cocain and how much cocain Peter Gabriel did.
    Flagged mickblockon December 01, 2012   Link
  • -1
    General Comment:The lyrics are wrong. It's "piss on the coons in the jungle".
    Flagged jejebuon July 14, 2012   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I'm so glad I'm not the only one who thought "Jeux sans frontieres" was "She's so popular". Apparently it's a common misheard lyric... and I swear it still sounds like that to me. I take French in school, even, and I still don't hear it!
    Flagged EnduringChillon May 17, 2012   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:Although Jeux Sans Frontiers the competition show was meant to be amusing and a good natured knock-about it often played out national rivalry as competitors from one country strained to outdo the other country (the same component of human nature that can result in war)- all while dressed in over-size ridiculous costumes (military and war leaders dress up in costumes (uniforms)). In a way it was like a bizarre art metaphor describing the dark farce that war/conflict is.
    War is a 'game without frontiers' - a state that unleashes behaviour that goes beyond any normal boundary to limitless extremes.
    Flag Spuffon May 16, 2012   Link
  • -2
    General Comment:hearing allot of these theories the gameshow idea stands out as the one with the most credibility and well.. evidence, although in my opinion Gabriel himself wouldn't know what half his songs are about
    i personally hate this song (at the moment, taste could change who knows?)
    my ideas are less about the meanings and more about the song structure itself.
    i really think this is a few ideas squashed together to make a song and the whole aldolf does this chian chin has that is a total filler, utter shit think about it, the only good bits are the "whistling tunes we hid... and also the "games without frontiers.. part.
    i believe Gabriel whom i think can write the odd catchy tune, this however is a mix of two good parts and utter crap.
    Flag theshabson May 11, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:As others have said, I think Peter Gabriel is comparing politicians/statesmen with children who play war games,
    and how infantile disputes can appear. Children's war games can be started over the fact that 'Andre has a red
    flag, Chiang Ching's is blue, They all have hills to fly them on except for Lin Tai Yu' and politicians and
    adults in general can have disputes over similar things. If only these games were as harmless as children
    'Dressing up in costumes, playing silly games, Hiding out in tree-tops shouting out rude names' or adults who
    play silly games on 'It's A Knockout/Jeux sans frontieres' where contestants from different countries (in the
    European version at the time) would compete and have a harmless 'war without tears'.
    Flag IntravenusDeMiloon February 23, 2011   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:can u imagine war without tears-never
    Flag captlafl69on January 05, 2011   Link

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