China Crisis is a British pop/rock group formed in 1979 in Kirkby on Mersey… Read Full Bio ↴China Crisis is a British pop/rock group formed in 1979 in Kirkby on Merseyside, with a core band of vocalist/keyboardist Garry Daly and guitarist Eddie Lundon. They've produced pop music similar in style to that of the new romantic movement. Yet they've also had strong similarities to the post-punk movement of the early 80s, particularly inclusion of a broader range of musical influences and occasional flirtation with political commentary.

Sharing an affection for Stevie Wonder, David Bowie, and Brian Eno, Daly and Lundon had become burned out from playing with various Knowsley post-punk groups. Daly quit school and then spent much of his time indoors tinkering with synthesizers and a drum machine. Along with Lundon, Daly began writing songs using his high-tech toys. Feeling creatively stifled by the drum machine, the pair eventually asked percussionist Dave Reilly to join them, and in 1982 they released the single "African & White" as China Crisis on the independent label Inevitable. Later re-released by Virgin Records, "African & White" was also China Crisis' first hit in the U.K..

Throughout their career, China Crisis has seen moderate success in the United Kingdom, western Europe, Australia,Philippines and the Americas. Adding Gary "Gazza" Johnson and Kevin Wilkinson to the lineup, they recorded their debut album Difficult Shapes & Passive Rhythms. Another single, "Christian", hit U.K. #12, followed by two singles from second album, Working with Fire and Steel Possible Pop Songs, Vol. 2.

China Crisis spent 1984-1985 making their biggest chart run, beginning with their first top-ten hit, "Wishful Thinking". Third album Flaunt the Imperfection was produced by the sympathetic Walter Becker, and resulted in the hit singles "Black Man Ray" and "King in a Catholic Style (Wake Up)". The album was followed up in 1986 with What Price Paradise, though China Crisis worked with Becker once more on 1989's Diary of a Hollow Horse, which earned critical raves though not much commercial movement.

Sometimes misunderstood by critics, China Crisis distinguished themselves from Liverpudlian peers like Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, The Teardrop Explodes, and Echo & The Bunnymen by digesting a cornucopia of musical genres, everything from jazz to progressive rock. Despite the stylistic deviations, China Crisis maintained their distinctive sound through a number of albums in the '80s and '90s. Tragically, Wilkinson hanged himself on July 17, 1999. In 2000, Daly contributed a track to a tribute compilation to Wilkinson, Green Indians.

African And White
China Crisis Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Africana, african and white
You're closer than you really ever know
And we all run the risk of
To remain silent
I don't know

We need your faith and hostility
To be certain of a change

And could you ever recover from

Forever recover from this prejudice

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to China Crisis's song "African And White" speak to the idea that despite our differences, we are all closer to each other than we may initially realize. The repetition of "Africana, African and white" puts emphasis on the idea that there is a connection between these disparate groups. The following lines call attention to the idea that we all "run the risk of / To remain silent", suggesting that our silence on matters of prejudice and discrimination can be harmful. Then there is the plea for faith and hostility to be channeled towards positive change, acknowledging the difficulty of breaking down biases and prejudices. Finally, the question posed in the last line is: "could you ever recover from / Forever recover from this prejudice", asking if we could ever truly move past our ingrained prejudices and biases.

Overall, the song seems to be urging listeners to recognize our shared humanity and to work towards understanding and empathy, rather than remaining in a state of intolerance.

Line by Line Meaning

Africana, african and white
The unity of different races - Africans, half-breeds, and Caucasians.

You're closer than you really ever know
Despite our differences, we're all connected more than we're aware of.

And we all run the risk of
There's a danger in staying silent.

To remain silent
Choosing to be quiet about racism.

I don't know
Uncertainty about what can be done to achieve true equality.

We need your faith and hostility
We need to channel our anger towards bringing about change.

To be certain of a change
We must be committed and have conviction for there to be any real progress.

And could you ever recover from
It's difficult to imagine if those who have suffered generations of racism can fully recover.

Forever recover from this prejudice
The damage done by racism can seem irreversible and ongoing.

Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: DAVID THOMAS REILLY, EDDIE LUNDON, GARY DALY

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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