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.

Animals In Jungles
China Crisis Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Rattlesnakes into water
And when they bite, bite I bleed
We're animals in jungles
We're animals

I could go, I could go swimming
I nearly had
I nearly had a goodtime

I could go, I could go swimming
I nearly had
I nearly had a goodtime
I nearly had her

Tropical freedom, my heaven explained
And dolphin love, the ocean wave
We're animals in jungles
We're animals

I could go, I could go swimming
I nearly had
I nearly had a goodtime

I could go, I could go swimming
I nearly had
I nearly had a goodtime
I nearly had her

Summer lawn
And party fun in high rise flats

We're animals in jungles
We're animals

Overall Meaning

In the China Crisis song Animals In Jungles, the lyrics seem to be exploring the primal and animalistic nature of humans, likening us to animals living in a jungle. The line "Rattlesnakes into water, and when they bite, bite I bleed" could possibly be referencing the danger that comes with living in a wild environment, and the vulnerability that humans face when facing natural predators. The following line, "We're animals in jungles, we're animals" drives home the comparison between human beings and animals, suggesting that despite our advancements and modernity, we are still rooted in our most base instincts.

The rest of the lyrics move away from survival and towards the idea of pleasure and freedom. The line "Tropical freedom, my heaven explained, and dolphin love, the ocean wave" appeals to the pleasures of swimming and embracing nature, once again likening us to the animals who call the ocean their home. The repeated line "I could go swimming, I nearly had a good time, I nearly had her" seems to suggest a missed opportunity or an unfulfilled desire, highlighting the idea that despite our primal nature, we are still influenced by societal norms and expectations.

Overall, the lyrics of Animals In Jungles seem to be a commentary on the duality of human existence - that we are simultaneously primal and animalistic, but also restrained by societal expectations and the desire for pleasure and fulfillment.

Line by Line Meaning

Rattlesnakes into water
When snakes are put into water, they become vulnerable and could bite, causing someone to bleed

And when they bite, bite I bleed
If someone gets bitten by a snake, it can be harmful and lead to bleeding

We're animals in jungles
People are like animals in the wild and have primal instincts

We're animals
Humans are just like any other animal in the world

I could go, I could go swimming
The artist has the urge to go swimming

I nearly had
The singer almost had something, likely referring to a good time

I nearly had a goodtime
The singer almost had a fun and enjoyable experience

I nearly had her
The artist almost had a romantic encounter with someone

Tropical freedom, my heaven explained
The feeling of being free in a tropical setting is like heaven to the artist

And dolphin love, the ocean wave
The love of dolphins and the waves of the ocean are things the artist enjoys or admires

Summer lawn
Refers to the grass of a lawn during summer