Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nazareth_(band)
Studio albums
Nazareth (1971)
Exercises (1972)
Razamanaz (1973)
Loud 'n' Proud (1973)
Rampant (1974)
Hair of the Dog (1975)
Close Enough for Rock 'n' Roll (1976)
Play 'n' the Game (1976)
Expect No Mercy (1977)
No Mean City (1979)
Malice in Wonderland (1980)
The Fool Circle (1981)
2XS (1982)
Sound Elixir (1983)
The Catch (1984)
Cinema (1986)
Snakes 'n' Ladders (1989)
No Jive (1991)
Move Me (1994)
Boogaloo (1998)
The Newz (2008)
Big Dogz (2011)
Rock 'n' Roll Telephone (2014)
Tattooed on My Brain (2018)
Surviving the Law (2022)
Shanghai'd In Shanghai
Nazareth Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Waiting for the man to come along
She comes up to me and says " Too bad, too sad"
You know that he's been dead and gone.
L.A. lady, kinda shady
She picked him up and took him home
And I knew that it had been blown
Early in the morning sitting in a hotel
Moscow's looking fine through the wine
Spaced out I crashed out
When the K.G.B. came on the line.
It's a cold one, bein' sent down
It's gotta be fifty below
Mama here's a postcard to let you know
I'm in a saltmine and looking for coal
Shanghai'd in Shanghai
Stood on in Tucson
Ripped off and kicked right out the bed
Flyin' across the desert from Texas to Tucson
But we're headed for a southern star
The captain says it's fine in Havana
This dude behind me needs a cigar.
He's a big one, he's got a big gun
I guess we better go along
Mister we've got a gig in Arizona
Second billing to the rolling stones
Shanghai'd in Shanghai
Stood on in Tucson
Ripped off and kicked right out the bed
Shanghai'd in Shanghai
Laid low in 'Frisco
Done in and left behind for dead
The song "Shanghai'd In Shanghai" by Nazareth describes a series of misadventures experienced by the singer while traveling through America, Russia, and Cuba. The song is told through a series of vignettes that have a loose connection to each other. The first verse describes the singer waiting for someone in Los Angeles when a woman tells him that the person he's waiting for is dead. The second verse takes place in a Moscow hotel where the singer receives a call from the KGB. In the third verse, the singer is in a salt mine and sends a postcard to his mother. In the fourth verse, the singer is on a plane to Arizona with a man who has a gun. They are headed to a gig where they are playing second billing to the Rolling Stones.
The lyrics of the song suggest a certain level of disillusionment and disorientation experienced by the singer. The repetitive refrain of "Shanghai'd in Shanghai" suggests a feeling of being tricked or deceived. The scattered and disconnected nature of the verses implies that the singer is struggling to make sense of his surroundings. The last verse, where the singer is "done in and left behind for dead," implies that he has been abused and taken advantage of.
Line by Line Meaning
Standing on a corner in downtown L.A.
I was standing and waiting for someone in bustling Downtown Los Angeles.
Waiting for the man to come along
I was eagerly waiting for someone specific to arrive.
She comes up to me and says 'Too bad, too sad'
A woman approaches me and speaks regretfully.
You know that he's been dead and gone
She informs me that the person I'm waiting for is no longer alive.
L.A. lady, kinda shady
The woman I encountered in Los Angeles was suspicious and of questionable character.
She picked him up and took him home
The woman took the person I was waiting for home with her.
I woke up groggy my sight was smoggy
I woke up feeling foggy and disoriented.
And I knew that it had been blown
I realized that I had been tricked or misled.
Early in the morning sitting in a hotel
I found myself sitting in a hotel early in the morning.
Moscow's looking fine through the wine
After drinking wine, Moscow seemed appealing to me.
Spaced out I crashed out
I passed out while feeling disconnected from reality.
When the K.G.B. came on the line.
Suddenly the K.G.B. contacted me.
It's a cold one, bein' sent down
I'm being sent to a place with drastically colder temperatures.
It's gotta be fifty below
The temperature was estimated to be approximately minus 50 degrees Celsius.
Mama here's a postcard to let you know
I'm sending a postcard to my mother to inform her of my location.
I'm in a saltmine and looking for coal
I'm currently working in a salt mine and searching for coal.
Stood on in Tucson
I was stranded with no money or resources in Tucson.
Ripped off and kicked right out the bed
I was robbed and abruptly evicted from my temporary home.
Flyin' across the desert from Texas to Tucson
I was traveling quickly across the desert from Texas to Tucson.
But we're headed for a southern star
Our destination is a bright star in the southern hemisphere.
The captain says it's fine in Havana
The captain assures us that everything is acceptable in Havana.
This dude behind me needs a cigar.
A man behind me is requesting a cigar.
He's a big one, he's got a big gun
The man behind me carries a large firearm and is physically imposing.
I guess we better go along
We agree to accompany the man with the gun.
Mister we've got a gig in Arizona
We have a performance opportunity scheduled in Arizona.
Second billing to the rolling stones
Our band is promoted second to the Rolling Stones.
Laid low in 'Frisco
I remained inconspicuous and undiscovered in San Francisco.
Done in and left behind for dead
I was physically or emotionally defeated and abandoned.
Shanghai'd in Shanghai
I was forcibly taken from Shanghai.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Darrell Anthony Sweet, Manuel Charlton, Peter Agnew, William Mccafferty
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@NatandGeorge
LYRICSShanghai'd In Shanghai
Standing on a corner in downtown L.A.
Waiting for the man to come along
She comes up to me and says "too bad, too sad"
You know that he's been dead and gone.
L.A. lady, kinda shady
She picked him up and took him home
I woke up groggy my sight was smoggy
And I knew that it had been blown
Early in the morning sitting in a hotel
Moscow's looking fine through the wine
Spaced out I crashed out
When the K.G.B. came on the line.
It's a cold one, bein' sent down
It's gotta be fifty below
Mama here's a postcard to let you know
I'm in a saltmine and looking for coal
Shanghai'd in Shanghai
Stood on in Tuscon
Ripped off and kicked right out the bed
Flyin' across the desert from Texas to Tuscon
But we're…
@barbdrinnan1867
Thank God for my four older brothers … otherwise would have never known this amazing music
@julieglover6484
The louder the better 🎸🎶 just got to love this track.....
@markandromeda9022
Crank the volume
@gabrielledormuth4634
Singer Dan McCafferty,lead guitarist Manny Charlton,bass player Pete Agnew and drummer Darryl Sweet made up this incredible band
@darrellstandingsoldiersr3697
Seen them in London 88
@markandromeda9022
I think Agnew is the only one left.
@timteichrib3282
Played this on my first road trip in the mid 80s in a 64 Falcon I was 15. Good times
@Jake1marc
RIP Dan 😪🙏🍻
@aleisterblacke
R.I.P. Dan McCafferty.
@williamcallihoe501
I had this on 8 track when it came out,17 y/o
I had a car a job and partied hard......I found the ladies just love this best of Nazereth even to this day. It is a MASTER PIECE COLLECTION