anonymous November 1st, 2005 11:53AM  
I read the song is somehow about a Civil War in Central America. Not sure exactly how, just what I read.

anonymous August 4th, 2006 09:44PM  
During the 70s and early 80s, there used to be a european kids gameshow called "it's a knockout", in which adults from different countries would dress up in silly costumes and frolic about on an obstacle course, with each contestant representing their own country. This song was peter's response to said gameshow, which he felt was rather childish. These silly adults all competing against eachother, basically going, "yeah! Ours is the best country! Yeah!". Kind of losing the overall point that it was supposed to be a kids show in the name of fun, but many lost the plot and turned it into a competition for geographical greatness. This scathing response from Peter is dripping in irony, and mocking the stupidity of those that took the show far too seriously.

Musically speaking, it's an instantly memorable song. It's wonderfully tuneful, encompassing those simple, yet cheerful whistles. And who can forget that opening (and continuing at various points) refrain of "she's so popular"? See, it's actually, "jeux sans frontieres", but the former is the common misconception that's almost grown into a long standing joke. You can thank kate bush for providing the vocals behind that line. It's worth noting that the song was edited from the original form, that contained the line; "whistling tunes we p!Ss on the goons in the jungle", the radio friendly version being; "whistling tunes we're kissing baboons in the jungle".

anonymous September 8th, 2006 05:39AM  
The european gameshow was called "jeux sans frontiers", trans: game without frontiers. It involved towns from different european countries playing silly games against each other. This was always light-hearted and I doubt that pg was attacking the show. I think he was using it as an analogy for conflict between countries generally. It can't be coincidence that he uses the name adolf, and other historical political characters (discussed on many other sites). The show in great britain where towns competed against each other for the right to represent gb at "jeux sans frontiers" was called "it's a knockout".

anonymous October 13th, 2006 06:09PM  
Although the name games without frontiers (jeux san frontieres") is a reference to a european game show, the english version of which was called "it's a knockout" (hence the reference in the song) the song was actually written about the olympics and how childish the actions of the countries competing are.

HowCouldYou June 5th, 2009 08:54PM  
Hello, this song is weird, have no idea what the language of juice or 'she's so popular' as someone already said, I always thought, 'She's so funky OH' I like it that way, and the 'playing with' parts is about how everyone seems to be having sex but me, and knowing that when I see the ones that I would like to be with that I will give them the eye and be angry and jelous and ignore them. About a game show, forget that, so it is history, they hid in the dunes was a good time so what history is history, and we file and destroy and burn it like adolf burning the books of history and the 'rich' play with it, commercialize it, sell the whole idea to the world and they buy it because sex and romance and death and destruction of all types is what people want to see, but that is history and I am burning it, and selling it to you now, silencing my name calling to move ahead, and the whistling reminds me of a jail term from HH, and how humor was used to juxtapose the reality of war. Finally, the full story comes back to bush and her popular song wuthering heights, from the kick inside album opus and how she misses her lover the flawed hero, saying its me its me, I am so happy I found you! and as I save you you save me, saying we are not that different, looking for love, warm impassioned embraces that help us feel good about ourselves when seems nothing else will, enjoy life to its fullest because it can be taken away or never given the opportunity to even begin if you continue to mask and do not
TAKE THE TIME TO NURTURE YOURSELF FIRST
Good Luck!
bonne chance