Biko

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Peter Gabriel's Single Cover for His Third Solo Album

Biko is a song which was first released by Peter Gabriel 18th August, 1980[1]. The song was taken from Peter's third solo album under Charisma Records, A British record label[2]. The song features Jerry Marotta on drums, Phil Collins on surdo, David Rhodes on guitar, Larry Fast on bagpipes and synth, screeches by David Ferguson and Peter on piano and drum pattern[3]. The song is devoted to commemorating Bantu Stephen Biko's death, a black South African anti-apartheid activist[4].

Peter Gabriel's Single Cover Which Contains Biko's Information

Controversy

Peter Gabriel best believes that Biko's role was really important that he was potentially to brought a positive force in Africa and could be a leader that young people all over the world could have identified with[5]. Biko's death news was so shocking to Peter Gabriel. Biko was badly beaten; stripped and manacled for 20 days before he was transferred to the Sanlam Building in Port Elizabeth, where the Security Police were based. He was told to remain standing, but he defied his captors and sat down. Infuriated, a Captain Siebert manhandled him, but Steve fought back[6]. Unjustly, alone in police room 619, Biko died in September 12th, 1977 due to injuries he got during an interrogations by the South African Security Police[7]. Thus, after hearing this news, Peter Gabriel wrote how he was feeling regarding the news in his diary and two years later, the words he wrote inspired him to turn it into a song[8].

Here is part of Peter Gabriel's Song lyrics about how the world was being too unfair to Black people, especially Biko:

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

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

References