china girl
David Bowie & Iggy Pop Lyrics
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With my China Girl
I'm just a wreck without
My little China Girl
I'd hear her heart beating
Loud as thunder
Saw the stars crashing
My China Girl
Wake up mornings, there's
No China Girl
I'd hear hearts beating
Loud as thunder
I'd see stars crashing down
I'd feel tragic, like I
Was Marlon Brando
When I'd look at my China Girl
I could pretend that nothing
Really meant too much
When I'd look at my China Girl
I'd stumble into town
Just like a sacred cow
Visions of swastikas in my head
And plans for everyone
It's in the white of my eyes
My little China Girl
You shouldn't mess with me
I'll ruin everything you are
I'll give you television
I'll give you eyes of blue
I'll give you men who want to rule the world
And when I get excited
My little China Girl says
"Oh Jimmy, just you shut your mouth"
She says "shhhh..."
The song "China Girl" is a collaboration between David Bowie and Iggy Pop, released in 1977. It explores the theme of love that seems to be both dangerous and addictive. The song talks about a protagonist who is deeply in love with his "little China Girl" and feels lost and incomplete without her. He compares his love to a drug that he cannot resist, regardless of how damaging it might be for him or his partner.
The singer's love for his China Girl makes him feel like a tragic hero or a rebel without a cause, much like Marlon Brando's characters in some of his movies. He feels like he is part of a world that is about to crash down, with Swastikas and plans for world domination running through his head. He is, however, determined to keep his China Girl with him, even if it means ruining her in the process.
The final lines of the song show the singer's affection for his lover and her calming influence over him. He invokes an image of his China Girl shushing him up when he gets too excited, suggesting that her love is what keeps him grounded and focused.
Overall, "China Girl" is a melodramatic song about addictive and dangerous love, delivered with the theatricality and showmanship for which both Bowie and Iggy Pop were known.
Line by Line Meaning
I couldn't escape this feeling
With my China Girl
I can't shake this feeling that's taken over me when I'm with my Chinese girlfriend.
I'm just a wreck without
My little China Girl
Without my Asian lover, I'm a complete disaster.
I'd hear her heart beating
Loud as thunder
Saw the stars crashing
Whenever I'm with her, her heartbeat sounds as loud as thunder and the sky is filled with crashing stars.
I'm a mess without
My China Girl
Without her, I'm a total wreck.
Wake up mornings, there's
No China Girl
In the mornings, I wake up and she's not there with me.
I'd hear hearts beating
Loud as thunder
I'd see stars crashing down
When we were together, I could hear both of our heartbeats seemingly as loud as thunder and it felt like the stars were falling from the sky.
I'd feel tragic, like I
Was Marlon Brando
When I'd look at my China Girl
Whenever I would gaze upon my Chinese girlfriend, it would evoke a sense of tragedy that resembled the great Marlon Brando.
I could pretend that nothing
Really meant too much
When I'd look at my China Girl
Being with her made me feel like I could ignore the significance of anything else happening around me.
I'd stumble into town
Just like a sacred cow
Visions of swastikas in my head
And plans for everyone
It's in the white of my eyes
Whenever I'm without my China Girl, I am lost and directionless, plagued by visions of swastikas and a desire to have control over everyone in my path.
My little China Girl
You shouldn't mess with me
I'll ruin everything you are
I'll give you television
I'll give you eyes of blue
I'll give you men who want to rule the world
My Chinese girlfriend should beware of me, as I have the power to destroy everything she represents. I could grant her superficial things like a television or different colored eyes, and attract powerful men who wish to rule.
And when I get excited
My little China Girl says
"Oh Jimmy, just you shut your mouth"
She says "shhhh..."
When I become too enthusiastic or overbearing, my Asian woman will often tell me to calm down, shushing or silencing me.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, TINTORETTO MUSIC, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Songtrust Ave
Written by: David Bowie, James Osterberg
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind