Two Tribes by Frankie Goes to Hollywood Lyrics Meaning – Decoding the Cold War’s Pop Prophecy
Lyrics
A point is all that you can score
(Score them all, score them all)
When two tribes go to war
A point is all that you can score
(Working for the black gas)
Cowboy number one
A born-again poor man’s son
(Poor man’s son)
On the air America
I modeled shirts by Van Heusen
(Working for the black gas)
Yeah
You know
When two tribes go to war
A point is all you can score
(Storm them all, storm them all)
When two tribes go to war
A point is all you can score
Working for the black gas
Switch off your shield
Switch off and feel
I’m working on loving, yeah
Giving you back the good times
Ship it out, out
Working for the black gas
A point is all you can score
When two tribes go to war
When two tribes go to war
A point is all you can score
We got two tribes
We got the bomb
We got the bomb, yeah
Yeah
Sock it to me biscuits, now
Are we living in a land
Where sex and horror are the new Gods?
Yeah
When two tribes go to war
A point is all you can score
In the fiery crucible of the ’80s, amidst a backdrop of nuclear paranoia and political brinkmanship, one band dared to encapsulate the zeitgeist in a relentless synth-pop beat. Frankie Goes to Hollywood’s ‘Two Tribes’ wasn’t just a chart-topping hit of 1984; it was a cultural phenomenon that delved deep into the Cold War’s atavistic anxieties, resonating a poignant message wrapped in an irresistible dance groove.
To the untrained ear, ‘Two Tribes’ may seem like just another rebellious anthem from the era of excess, but its lyrics and production painted a vivid tableau of a world teetering on the edge of mutual destruction. The following discourse ventures into the heart of this auditory missile, dissecting its potent lyrics and the mind of its generation, beat for beat.
A Haunting Echo of the Atomic Age
Beyond its pulsating rhythms, ‘Two Tribes’ captures the gestalt of an age overshadowed by the specter of nuclear war. This song is no mere melody; it’s the rhythm of a countdown clock, the ticking metronome of the Doomsday Clock. ‘When two tribes go to war / A point is all that you can score’ – these opening lyrics deftly set the stage for a critique of the zero-sum game of nuclear diplomacy.
The song’s heartbeat is the rhythmic pumping of civilizational fear, a testament to the polarized world that pitted the West against the Eastern Bloc. The recurring ‘score’ motif suggests that in this high-stakes game of geopolitical chess, there are no true victories, only tallies in a grim arithmetic that could spell annihilation.
The Cowboy and the Shirt: Symbols of Conformity
‘Cowboy number one / A born-again poor man’s son’ sings the narrator, invoking the archetype of the American cowboy, a symbol twisted into a parable of reckless machismo that characterized much of the US foreign policy of the era. This rugged individualism, repackaged and sold through the commercial iconography of fashion—’I modeled shirts by Van Heusen’— skewers the superficiality of capitalist culture in times of profound existential dread.
Amidst the glossy facade of Jackson and Reagan, Frankie Goes to Hollywood dares to peel back the veneer to reveal the ‘working for the black gas.’ This cryptic line evokes imagery of the smog of industry, but also perhaps the ‘black gold’ wars fought in the name of oil, a resource intrinsically linked to the mechanisms of war.
Peeling Back the Nuclear Onion: Unlocking the Hidden Meanings
The repeated command to ‘Switch off your shield / Switch off and feel’ is a call to dismantle the defenses – both literal and emotional – that perpetuate aggression. The ‘shield’ here could symbolize the Strategic Defense Initiative, known colloquially as ‘Star Wars,’ underscoring the illusion of safety these programs promised. On a deeper level, it’s an appeal to reconnect with humanity beyond the propaganda and fear-mongering.
In a cacophony of Cold War dialogues, ‘Two Tribes’ speaks to the individual’s capacity for adjustment, love, and retreating to the ‘good times’ away from hostilities. Yet, the allure of war remains palatable, ‘We got the bomb’ – a simple, bleak refrain, hammering home the reality that at any moment, everything could change with the press of a button.
Sex, Horror, and the Worship of New Gods
‘Are we living in a land / Where sex and horror are the new Gods?’ The song concludes with a question that challenges the ethos of its generation. ‘Two Tribes’ weaves a sardonic narrative, juxtaposing the decadence of the era’s escapism with the existential horrors of the world stage. The query resonates with discomfort, as if to convey that society’s distractions have become as fanatic as the worship of deities.
This duality of a civilization obsessed with both immorality and the fear of impending doom is a sobering commentary. The ‘new Gods’ captivate, draw in, and drive the mass consciousness away from the issues that threaten the very fabric of life, creating an irony that is as palpable now as it was during the song’s inception.
Memorable Lines That Still Resonate
‘You know / When two tribes go to war / A point is all you can score’ – this refrain is not just a catchy hook but an eternal echo of a time when the world truly seemed at the mercy of ‘two tribes.’ Here lies a hushed truth, in the simplicity of their repetition, the lines morph from a warning siren into an almost seductive chant.
As much as ‘Two Tribes’ is a product of its era, its beats continue to reverberate into the contemporary moment, finding relevance in new conflicts and the ever-present shadow of nuclear capabilities. The phrase ‘When two tribes go to war’ is as haunting today as it was when first uttered, a reminder that the dance of global politics is perennial, and the music is far from over.
