Friday Night Jukebox, Vol. CCLXVII--Peter Gabriel: Biko

I noted last week how easy it is to forget that rock and roll can sometimes be a lot of fun, but it's equally as easy to forget just how powerful it can be...as this week's song surely attests.

Peter Gabriel has had a long and successful career, beginning with his work as the lead singer for Genesis in 1967, and continuing on with his solo work from his departure from Genesis in 1975 to the present day.  As a solo artist, Gabriel has released nine albums, six of which hit the top ten in his native U.K., but only three of which have done the same here in the States.  He's also recorded four soundtracks, six live albums, and six compilation albums.  He's only had one single here in the U.S. to hit the top ten ("Sledgehammer"), but it went all the way to #1.  He's had three top ten singles in England.  For his career, Gabriel has won three Brit Awards, six Grammy Awards, 13 MTV Music Video Awards (the record), and been elected into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame both as a member of Genesis (2010) and as a solo artist (2014).  In addition to a highly successful music career, Gabriel has supported numerous political causes and humanitarian concerns including human rights, animal rights, anti-war, and left leaning politicians, as well as being a leading advocate for world music.  There's actually a lot more, but I only have a paragraph....

"Biko" was released in 1980 on his third album, the ever so inventively titled, Peter Gabriel (more on that later).  It was never released as a single in the United States, but did hit #38 on the British charts.

Fun Fact:  Gabriel's first four albums were all titled...Peter Gabriel.   To differentiate them, they are referred to either as 1,2,3, or 4, or else by their album's cover picture Car, Scratch, Melt, or Security.  Fortunately for Gabriel, clever LP titles are not a requirement for rock and roll success.

For those not familiar, "Biko" is a eulogy for Steve Biko, an anti-apartheid activist who was beat to death while in the custody of South African state security services for his political activities on September 12, 1977.  Over 20,000 people attended his funeral, and his death was a catalyst for many of the struggles to come in South Africa.  While there are parts of the song that almost read like a newspaper article, in the end, all you need is to listen to Gabriel chant Biko's name with the triumphant drums echoing the strength and power of one man--it's a call to arms and a rousing exaltation of the man and his aspirations for black South Africans.  Gabriel uses lyrics from South African songs that were played at Biko's funeral, and to me it gives the song an almost hymnal quality.   In the end, Gabriel's paean for Steve Biko is an inspiring tribute to a man who gave his life for racial justice, and is a plea to all of our better angels.

Lyric Sheet:  Oh Biko, Biko, because Biko..."

Enjoy:

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emaycee