Games Without Frontiers

For the longest time I thought Kate Bush was saying "she's so popular" instead of "jeux sans frontieres" and I couldn't figure out how it connected to the song. At least I finally figured it out lol.

It's an analogy of modern international relations. At the heart of it, war is just a childish game. All these little children represent the different nations among the world, and their "silly games" are just what war is. Even if looks could kill they probably will... Hiding out in treetops, whether you're "shouting out rude names", or "shooting out" bullets, it's all the same in the end.

There are two things I want to add to this discussion: 1) The phrase "It's a knock-out!" appears – this was the British title of the (hilarious) Jeux Sans Frontiers TV show/tournament and the all-UK version as teams vied for the right to compete against our European neighbours. 2) In terms of the deeper themes in the song, the political angles are covered by some key moments in the lyrics. All the children have hills to fly their flags on, except one – whom I am guessng from their Oriental name is representative of Taiwain or some other country occupied/repressed by China (likewise Tibet)

I think the hiding out in treetops and kissing baboons in the jungle is referring to geurilla warfare. The song is clearly referencing war leaders in a microcosm just like 'Lord of the Flies'

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!

Okay, these have popped up through the thread, but here's a recap:

• The lyrics contain "Jeux Sans Frontiers", "Games Without Frontiers", and "It's a Knockout"
• "Jeux Sans Frontiers" is French for "Games Without Frontiers"
• "Jeux Sans Frontiers" was also the name of a ridiculous TV game show in which teams of regular everyday people would have to complete physical tasks with novelty props and the danger of falling in tanks of water, etc.
• The British version of that show was called "It's a Knockout".

PG draws a clear parallel between three lines of thought

• a ridiculous, pointless game show in which people perform physical challenges to score points and beat each other
• Childhood games, including how kids will pick on exclude each other, making rules to say who can come in their fort, and so on
• The international arena of politics and warfare

Essentially, the main message is that politics and war are stupid, childish pastimes, and our world leaders should just grow up. It is peppered with references to past public figures, such as Hitler.

My research suggests Enrico is Enrico Fermi, a key player in The Manhattan Project...?

Lin Tai-Yu is not some book character. He is actually Nyugen Thaiu , head of South Vietnam and the key to winning the communist victory in 1975. But he was later killed in exile, hence ''hill to fly them on apart from Lin Tai Yu''

can u imagine war without tears-never

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.

Loving this song right now. In addition to the political allegories which many other users have commented on eloquently, this song makes me think of Lord of the Flies.