During the 1980s, his reputation was established through frequent touring and recurring performances on A Prairie Home Companion. Subsequently, his work has been nominated for Grammy awards. He also founded his own record label and named it Red House Records after a home he lived in in Iowa. Red House Records is an independent record label specializing in folk music, based in St. Paul, Minnesota. Well known folk artists have signed with Red House Records over the years include Ramblin' Jack Elliot, Tom Paxton and Loudin Wainwright III. A Red House Records compilation, A Nod to Bob, was said to be a tribute from a Minnesota label to a favorite native son - guess who?
On November 21, 2002 he married the singer-songwriter Iris DeMent. His daughters (from a previous marriage) are also musicians.
From: Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greg_Brown_%28folk_musician%29
China
Greg Brown Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
china, chi-nay, far away
baby said how long you gonna stay in china
china, chi-nay, far away
I said I'll be back as soon as I can from china
china, chi-nay, far away
I said babe I hope you understand about china
I'm walkin' with my baby but man I'm in china
china, chi-nay, far away
I'm talkin' with my baby but mmm I'm in china
china, chi-nay, far away
I come in on the run from china
china, chi-nay, far away
I tried to hug my baby some, she's in china
china, chi-nay, far away
O maybe somewhere down the line O china
china, chi-nay, far away
we'll get back the same time from china
china, chi-nay, far away
baby said looks like you're on your way to china
china, chi-nay, far away
baby said how long you gonna stay in china
china, chi-nay, far away
The song "China" by Greg Brown is a poignant love ballad. The lyrics describe a situation where the singer is physically present with his lover, but his mind and heart are elsewhere in China. This is metaphorical for being emotionally distant from the one he loves, and feeling a sense of longing for something or someone else.
The opening lines "baby still looks like you're on your way to china" suggest that the singer's partner is noticing that he is not completely present with her. She asks "how long you gonna stay in china" indicating that she is aware that he is emotionally distant. The singer responds by saying that he will be back from China as soon as he can, implying that he is not happy being emotionally distant, but feels compelled to be so.
The repetition of the phrase "china, chi-nay, far away" highlights the distance that the singer feels from his emotions and from his partner. He wishes to reconnect with his partner and hopes that they can experience the same feelings at the same time, as expressed in the line "maybe somewhere down the line O china, we'll get back the same time from china." Overall, "China" is a beautifully crafted song that portrays the complexities of love, distance, and emotional connection.
Line by Line Meaning
baby still looks like you're on your way to china
My baby still thinks that I'm heading to a distant country - China.
baby said how long you gonna stay in china
My baby asked me about my duration of stay in China.
I said I'll be back as soon as I can from china
I assured my baby that I'll return from China as soon as I can.
I said babe I hope you understand about china
I explained to my baby about China and hoped that she would understand the situation.
I'm walkin' with my baby but man I'm in china
Although I'm walking with my baby, my mind is still consumed with thoughts of China.
I'm talkin' with my baby but mmm I'm in china
Even during the time I'm talking to my baby, my thoughts still wander off to China.
I come in on the run from china
I quickly arrived after returning from China.
I tried to hug my baby some, she's in china
I wished to embrace my baby, but she was still in China.
O maybe somewhere down the line O china
Perhaps someday in the future, I'll again end up in China.
we'll get back the same time from china
Maybe we'll return from China together, at the same time.
baby said looks like you're on your way to china
My baby thinks that I'm still on my way to China.
baby said how long you gonna stay in china
My baby had asked me again about my stay duration in China.
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