Gleason could not read or write music in a conventional sense; he was said to have conceived melodies in his head and described them vocally to staff help. He did likewise with the well-remembered themes of both The Jackie Gleason Show ("Melancholy Serenade") and The Honeymooners ("You're My Greatest Love"). There has been some controversy over the years as to how much credit Gleason should have received for the finished products; it has been written that beyond the possible conceptualizing of many of the songs, Gleason had no direct involvement such as conducting in the making of these recordings. However, his main musical companion, cornetist and trumpeter Bobby Hackett once said: "Jackie knows a lot more about music than people give him credit for. I have seen him conduct a sixty-piece orchestra and detect one discordant note in the brass section. He would immediately stop the music and locate the wrong note. It always amazed the professional musicians how a guy who technically did not know one note from another could do that. And he was never wrong."
Born February 26, 1916 in Brooklyn, New York, United States. He died on June 24, 1987
Chinatown My Chinatown
Jackie Gleason Lyrics
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That's the time the fes-tive chink starts to wink his oth-er eye,
Starts to wink his dream-y eye, la-zi-ly you'll hear him sigh.
Strang-ers ta-king in the sights, pig-tails fly-ing here and there.
See that brok-en wall street sport, still thinks he's a mil-lion-aire.
Still thinks he's a mil-lion-aire, pipe dreams ban-ish ev-'ry care.
Where the lights are low,
Hearts that know no oth-er land,
Drift-ing to and fro.
Dream-y dream-y chi-na-town,
Al-mond eyes of brown,
Hearts seems light and life seems bright,
In dream-y chi-na-town
The lyrics to Jackie Gleason's song "Chinatown My Chinatown" paint a picture of a bustling and vibrant Chinatown at night. The first stanza describes the "fes-tive chink" who starts "to wink his oth-er eye", a reference to the stereotypical depiction of Chinese people with slanting or almond-shaped eyes. The second stanza mentions "strang-ers" taking in the sights of Chinatown, and a "brok-en wall street sport" who still thinks he's a millionaire despite the poverty evident in Chinatown. These lyrics allude to the stark contrast between the glitz and glamor of mainstream American culture and the struggles of ethnic minority communities.
The chorus of the song repeats the phrase "Chi-na-town, my chi-na-town", conveying a sense of pride in and attachment to the neighborhood. The lyrics suggest that Chinatown is a place where people can feel at home even if they are far from their country of origin. The words "where the lights are low" capture the romantic, mysterious ambiance of Chinatown at night, and the phrase "hearts that know no oth-er land" implies a sense of belonging and shared culture among the residents.
Overall, "Chinatown My Chinatown" is a celebration of the unique community and culture of Chinatown, while also acknowledging the discrimination and hardship faced by its residents.
Line by Line Meaning
When the town is fast a-sleep, and it's mid-night in the sky,
During the night when the town is quiet and dark,
That's the time the fes-tive chink starts to wink his oth-er eye,
It is the time when Chinese people start to enjoy themselves,
Starts to wink his dream-y eye, la-zi-ly you'll hear him sigh.
They start to relax and take in the night with a carefree attitude.
Strang-ers ta-king in the sights, pig-tails fly-ing here and there.
Tourists observing the Chinese culture and the people going about their business.
See that brok-en wall street sport, still thinks he's a mil-lion-aire.
There's a man in Chinatown who used to be wealthy, but now he just pretends to be.
Still thinks he's a mil-lion-aire, pipe dreams ban-ish ev-'ry care.
He clings to his past glory, and forgets his worries by imagining a better future.
Chi-na-town, my chi-na-town
My beloved Chinatown,
Where the lights are low,
A place where there are no bright lights,
Hearts that know no oth-er land,
A community of people who have roots in China and have not known other lands as their home,
Drift-ing to and fro.
Their journey through Chinatown is carefree, as if they are drifting along.
Dream-y dream-y chi-na-town,
Chinatown is a surreal, dream-like place.
Al-mond eyes of brown,
The beauty of Chinese people's brown almond-shaped eyes is exquisite.
Hearts seems light and life seems bright,
In Chinatown, people feel carefree and their lives seem brighter.
In dream-y chi-na-town
In the surreal Chinatown.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Jean Schwartz, William Jerome
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind