This song is a tribute to Stephen Biko, a South African activist who was beaten to death in 1977 while in police custody. His murder was an event that exposed the underlying brutality of the apartheid regime. Peter Gabriel would often end his shows during the apartheid era with this song, encouraging the audience to sing with him. The performance footage in this video is from one such show. The other footage is from the movie Cry Freedom, which is also about Biko.
eric3579says...

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

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