'cause it's so hard to see

[Mike Mendelson <MJM@ZYLAB.MHS.CompuServe.COM>]

Jeffy offers:
> occasionally use incorrect grammar.  My favorite (and the most
> personally annoying!) example is Gabriels "Games Without Frontiers"
> in which he sings "If looks could kill they probably will."  There's an
> obvious disagreement between "could" and "will."  The easiest 
correction,
> and one which scans, would have been "If looks *can* kill they probably
> will" and I'll never understand why Gabriel didn't use that.

Man, this has *always* bothered since I first heard the song.
Just grates on my linguistic sensibilities.

But, I have *never* thought it was unintentional.
To wit, PG could be saying "If looks could kill (they probably will)",
read If looks could kill... (and they probably will),
rather than the literal (and ungrammatical) If looks could
kill, then they will.

Alternately, he could be going for the rhyme with kill,
and really mean would instead of will.
Thus, read If looks could kill they probably would...
but (poetic licence) "will".  This is in my mind the most likely
reason for the poor grammar.  
Or maybe he is intentionally *trying* to make you feel
uncomfortable... it's not exactly a happy song, ay?

-mjm