Peter Gabriel against apartheid

dimanche 5 avril 2015
par Me Esse

Listen to this song by Peter Gabriel about Steve Biko, a noted black South African anti-apartheid activist. Biko had been arrested by the South African police in late August 1977. After being held in custody for several days, he was interrogated in room 619 of the Walmer Street prison in Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape. Following the interrogation, during which he sustained serious head injuries, Biko was transferred to a prison in Pretoria, where he died shortly afterwards, on 12 September 1977. The album version of the song is bookended by a recording of the South African song "Senzeni Na ?" as sung at Biko’s funeral. It was first played on South African TV and radio stations after apartheid was abolished in 1990.

- BIKO LYRICS :

September ’77

Port Elizabeth weather fine

It was business as usual

In police room 619

Oh Biko, Biko, because Biko

Oh Biko, Biko, because Biko

Yihla Moja, Yihla Moja

The man is dead

When I try to sleep at night

I can only dream in red

The outside world is black and white

With only one colour dead

Oh Biko, Biko, because Biko

Oh Biko, Biko, because Biko

Yihla Moja, Yihla Moja

The man is dead

You can blow out a candle

But you can’t blow out a fire

Once the flames begin to catch

The wind will blow it higher

Oh Biko, Biko, because Biko

Yihla Moja, Yihla Moja

The man is dead

And the eyes of the world are

watching now

watching now

- This video shows images from the 1987 British drama film directed by Richard Attenborough, entitled CRY FREEDOM