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 China Town
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 song 'Chinatown My China Town' narrates the story of a slumbering town, particularly Chinatown, where the Chinese residents are still wide awake, immersed in their festive mood. It describes the Chinese culture, the way they celebrate, and the customs that they have. It vividly captures the slow and dreamy atmosphere of the Chinatown at night. The lyrics also touch upon the attitude of some people towards the Chinese residents in the area. They observe everything that's happening and the writer describes the people there as those who know no other land. The people are content in their place, drifting to and fro with a light heart and bright life, all happening in the dreamy Chinatown.
The song has a sentimental feel of nostalgia, showcasing the fondness of the writer for the Chinatown's unique atmosphere. This is particularly evident when he sings the line "Hearts that know no other land, Drifting to and fro." He expresses that though he might not know everything about the history and culture of the place, he loves and cherishes the beauty of Chinatown, which keeps him coming back. The lyrics also describe the sound and sight of Chinatown, where the festive Chink starts winking his other eye and his almond eyes brightly shining. The picture painted is a delightful one of a peppy Chinatown.
Line by Line Meaning
When the town is fast a-sleep, and it's mid-night in the sky,
At midnight, when the town is asleep,
That's the time the fes-tive chink starts to wink his oth-er eye,
It's the time when the Chinese people become festive and playful,
Starts to wink his dream-y eye, la-zi-ly you'll hear him sigh.
They start to wink their eyes and sigh lazily with dreamy looks on their faces,
Strang-ers ta-king in the sights, pig-tails fly-ing here and there.
Tourists are taking in the sights, with Chinese people moving around with their pig-tails flying,
See that brok-en wall street sport, still thinks he's a mil-lion-aire.
There is a broken Wall Street businessman who still believes he is a millionaire,
Still thinks he's a mil-lion-aire, pipe dreams ban-ish ev-'ry care.
Despite his broken state, he still holds onto his pipe dreams, freeing him from all of his worries,
Chi-na-town, my chi-na-town
This is Chinatown, a town that has become synonymous with Chinese culture and traditions,
Where the lights are low,
This town has dim lighting,
Hearts that know no oth-er land,
These people hold affection only for their Chinese heritage,
Drift-ing to and fro.
They are always drifting and moving around,
Dream-y dream-y chi-na-town,
Chinatown has a dreamlike quality to it,
Al-mond eyes of brown,
Chinese people often have brown or black eyes, which they consider precious like almonds,
Hearts seems light and life seems bright,
In Chinatown, life is optimistic and full of hope,
In dream-y chi-na-town
Chinatown is indeed a magical place,
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group, BMG Rights Management
Written by: LUTHER HENDERSON, WILLIAM JEROME, JEAN SCHWARTZ
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind