Page type: lyric reference
Artist: Jean-Jacques Goldman
Canonical path: /goldman-jean-jacques/born-in-1917-in-leidenstadt
Related lyric paths: 6
Lyric guide
Born In 1917 In Leidenstadt
Read Born In 1917 In Leidenstadt lyrics by Jean-Jacques Goldman on LyroVerse, with linked artist context and related song paths.
person
Curated by Ethan Walker
LyroVerse team
Reference snapshot
The page facts to cite before the commentary
Use this page for the lyric text, linked artist context, and any LyroVerse editor's note attached to the song. Listener comments remain user-generated and should not be treated as the primary source.
Lyrics
Born In 1917 In Leidenstadt
The lyric stays readable and compact here; the note and related paths sit nearby so you do not lose the song while looking for context.
CHORUS:
If I'd been born in 1917 in Leidenstadt
On the ruins of an old battle site
Would I have been a better or worse man
Had I been born a German?
Cradled in hate, ignorance and humiliation
Nourished by dreams of retaliation
Would I have had an offbeat conscience
A simple teardrop amidst raging torrents
If I'd grown up around the dockhands of Belfast
Amidst the hate, the guns and the blast
Could I have found the force to help betray a friend
Think my own way to the end
If I was born white and rich in Johannesburg
Where fear and power's the only word
Could I have heard the cry of change blow in the wind
Never be the same again
Well never really know what we hold inside
Behind all those fronts, we hide
The soul of a hero, a conspirator or a torturer
Either for the worse, or for the better
Would we be fighters or like sheep in a flock
If it meant more than just talk!
CHORUS
And hopefully we may be spared from having to decide
For a long time what shall be our side
Quick answers
What this page can answer fast
Who performs "Born In 1917 In Leidenstadt"?
Jean-Jacques Goldman performs "Born In 1917 In Leidenstadt", and this lyric page sits inside the Jean-Jacques Goldman catalog on LyroVerse.
Are there related songs to explore after "Born In 1917 In Leidenstadt"?
Yes. The related section below points to Moi, Je File Un Rancard and Je voudrais vous revoir with a short reason for opening each page next.
Where can I find more songs by Jean-Jacques Goldman?
Use the artist link near the top of the page or the related paths section below to keep moving through Jean-Jacques Goldman's lyric pages.
Song Room
Open Song Room
Interpretations, questions, and corrections for this song
Interpretations, questions, memories, and correction notes live together here. The room stays noindex while the best insights are reviewed.
Listener comments
What people are saying
No listener comments on Born In 1917 In Leidenstadt yet.
A strong comment here is specific: the phrase you keep hearing, the mood you come back for, or the reason this song stays in rotation.
Sign in to post the first listener note. Reporting stays open to everyone.