Cover art for Biko (Live) by Peter Gabriel
19831 viewer

Biko (Live) Lyrics

[Verse 1]
September '77
Port Elizabeth weather fine
It was business as usual
In police room 619

[Chorus]
Oh Biko, Biko, because Biko
Oh Biko, Biko, because Biko
Yihla moja, yihla moja
The man is dead
The man is dead

[Interlude]

[Verse 2]
When I try and sleep at night
I can only dream in red
The outside world is black and white
With only one colour dead

[Chorus]
Oh Biko, Biko, because Biko
Oh Biko, Biko, because Biko
Yihla moja, yihla moja
The man is dead
The man is dead
[Interlude]

[Verse 3]
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

[Chorus]
Oh Biko, Biko, because Biko
Oh Biko, Biko, because Biko
Yihla moja, yihla moja
The man is dead
The man is dead

[Post-Chorus]
And the eyes of the world are
Watching now, watching now

How to Format Lyrics:

  • Type out all lyrics, even repeating song parts like the chorus
  • Lyrics should be broken down into individual lines
  • Use section headers above different song parts like [Verse], [Chorus], etc.
  • Use italics (<i>lyric</i>) and bold (<b>lyric</b>) to distinguish between different vocalists in the same song part
  • If you don’t understand a lyric, use [?]

To learn more, check out our transcription guide or visit our transcribers forum

About

This song bio is unreviewed
Genius Annotation

Recorded at Blossom Music Centre, Cleveland, on 27 July 1987. Originally released with “Biko” single, 1987. Re-released in support of Cry Freedom.

Q&A

Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning

  1. 27.
    Biko (Live)
Credits
Release Date
1983
Biko (Live) Is A Live Version Of
Tags
Comments