She studied art in Paris and in the 60s moved to London. During this period she got to know the most prominent designers, musicians and artists belonging to the artistic circles she frequented. Her preferences were predominantly for the Surrealist movement and for bodily expression, since she has also studied the art of mime. The meeting with Dali changed her life.
In the following 15 years she became the only woman friend, the muse and confidant of the great artist and his wife Gala. She lived in their house in Cadaquès (Spain) and accompanied them when they moved to New York and Paris in the winter. Although he had declared that a woman should never paint, Dali became her mentor, allowing her to work alongside him and teaching her all she knows about art and its techniques.
He took her to visit all the great museums of the world, acting as her guide in the discovery of artists from his own highly individual point of view. Famous throughout the world as a pop singer, she soared to celebrity when her first song entered the international hit parades, but this not lead her to neglect the passion of her life: painting.
In 1975, disillusioned by a shallow but surprisingly conservative fashion industry and encouraged by boyfriend David Bowie, who paid for singing and dancing lessons, Lear decided to launch a career in music. Bowie recommended her a Hungarian voice coach Florence Wiese-Norberg, with whom he also worked.[16] She would record a demo song called "Stars" with him, however, the track still remains unreleased
In 1980 she had her first show in Rotterdam. Encouraged by the success of this and the publicity generated by the media, she went on to display in Paris, Berlin, Milan and Geneva, attracting the attention of the European collectors. She likes to recall the fact that she waited 20 years before having the chance to show her paintings and she is grateful to Dali for having been her friend and teacher. Pop icon Amanda Lear has recorded 15 studio albums and has released some 60 singles to date and has so far sold approximately 15 million albums and 25-30 million singles worldwide.
2012 saw the release of a new album "I Don't Like Disco", from which a few single were taken including La bete et la belle and I Don't Like Disco.
Her latest news can be read on her official site: www.amanda-lear.com.
Queen Of China-Town
Amanda Lear Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Babyface girl from Shanghai never smile and never cry.
She now rules the underworld down in Chinatown
She runs all the opium den down in Chinatown.
Bring her your gold bring her your worries
And when life gets a bit too dreary to stand
Give a ring to the Queen of Chinatown.
Go down
Go down
To the Queen of Chinatown
She'll pick you up when you're feeling down.
Go down
Go down
To the Queen of Chinatown
And she'll soon blow your blues away.
It was down in Chinatown
When I met the opium Queen
Babyface girl from Shanghai never smiled and never cried.
When love isn't what it sounds go to Chinatown
When your friends have let you down got to Chinatown.
When life is pain
When love is sorrow
And it gets more than you can possibly stand
Give a ring to the Queen of Chinatown.
Go down
Go down
To the Queen of Chinatown
She'll pick you up when you're feeling down.
Go down
Go down
To the Queen of Chinatown
And she will blow your blues away.
It was down in Chinatown
When I met the opium Queen
Babyface girl from Shanghai never smiled and never cried.
Go down
Go down
To the Queen of Chinatown
When your life gets a bit dreary
When you're down
When you're feeling low
Give a ring to the Queen of Chinatown
The lyrics of Amanda Lear's "Queen of China-Town" tells the story of an opium queen who rules the underworld of Chinatown. The singer first meets her as a baby-faced girl from Shanghai who never smiles nor cries. Later in the song, the singer describes the Queen of Chinatown as someone to turn to when life gets too difficult to bear. She is depicted as the powerful and mystical figure able to pick people up when they are feeling down and blow their blues away with a single call. The lyrics are a tribute to the power of this mysterious figure in the seedy underworld of Chinatown.
The lyrics of "Queen of China-Town" explore the darker side of life and love. The opium den and its queen are depicted as a refuge from a world that can be painful and cruel. The song suggests that the queen is seen as a source of power and strength to those who are downtrodden and need help getting back on their feet. It's also important to note that the song is an ode to the mystique and exoticism of Chinatown - a part of town and a culture that has inspired a great deal of art and music over the years.
Line by Line Meaning
It was down in Chinatown that I met the opium Queen
I met the leader of the underworld who runs the opium den in Chinatown
Babyface girl from Shanghai never smile and never cry.
She is emotionless and remains expressionless
She now rules the underworld down in Chinatown
She is the current leader of the underground activity that takes place in Chinatown
She runs all the opium den down in Chinatown.
She has complete control over the opium den in Chinatown
Bring her your gold bring her your worries
You can give her your money and your problems
And when life gets a bit too dreary to stand
When life becomes unbearable and tiresome
Give a ring to the Queen of Chinatown.
Contact the underground leader in Chinatown for help
Go down
Go down
To the Queen of Chinatown
She'll pick you up when you're feeling down.
Head to Chinatown and the underground leader will help you when you are feeling sad
And she'll soon blow your blues away.
She will make your sadness disappear quickly
When love isn't what it sounds go to Chinatown
When love is not what it seems, visit Chinatown
When your friends have let you down got to Chinatown.
Head to Chinatown when your friends have disappointed you
When life is pain
When love is sorrow
And it gets more than you can possibly stand
Give a ring to the Queen of Chinatown.
When life becomes unbearable and painful, contact the underground leader in Chinatown for help
Go down
Go down
To the Queen of Chinatown
She'll pick you up when you're feeling down.
Visit Chinatown and the underground leader will help you when you are feeling sad
And she will blow your blues away.
She will make your sadness go away
When your life gets a bit dreary
When you're down
When you're feeling low
Give a ring to the Queen of Chinatown
When life becomes boring or depressing, contact the underground leader in Chinatown for help
It was down in Chinatown
When I met the opium Queen
Babyface girl from Shanghai never smiled and never cried.
I met the emotionless leader of the underworld who runs the opium den in Chinatown
Go down
Go down
To the Queen of Chinatown
Visit the underground leader in Chinatown
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: AMANDA LEAR, ANTON MONN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@hansjoachimzuell4507
Ich bin heute noch fasziniert von ihr... Wow Amanda Lear..... Ich liebe diesen Song auch heute noch..... Ich war 1978 Acht Jahre alt und es lief in den Kneipen non - stop..... Bin heute 50 Jahre alt und keiner, der diese Zeit erlebt hat wird jemals dieses Gefühl von Freiheit kennenlernen, wie wir es in den 70er und 80er Jahren hatten.
@vikulya78
Einverstanden!
@sybillconstancedebuer3651
Ich kenne die Lieder von Amanda Lear vom Tanzkurs 1978.
@KurtI2525
What a weird, often wonderful world, we’ve created for ourselves.
@kulturistrexkulturistrex2560
Best comment!
@Keybumpz
Amanda Lear is an international treasure. Protect her at all costs.
@lorofcb3
I could not agree more, a unique gem, a star, a queen.
@dazzlingAndy
She is both material and immaterial cultural patrimony.
@gabriellacapitani2910
Amanda sei bellissima mi piace molto come canti sei un mito ella
@paddy1941
Protect her from what?