British pop group founded in 1973, featuring Phil Pickett, Georg Kajanus, H… Read Full Bio ↴British pop group founded in 1973, featuring Phil Pickett, Georg Kajanus, Henry Marsh and Grant Serpell. The band was still performing in 2007, albeit with personnel changes.

The group's musical line-up incorporates such diverse instruments as mandolins, glockenspiels, accordion, military bass-drum, and the legendary Nickelodeon, an extraordinary instrument designed and built for the purpose of delivering Sailor's definitive sound.

Their first album, released in 1974, included the hit "Traffic Jam". The album achieved Gold status in Holland. But it was the second album "Trouble" that established Sailor throughout the world. "A Glass of Champagne" was a massive hit throughout the world in 1975, followed by "Girls Girls Girls" in 1976.

The original line-up changed regularly from the end of the 1970s. In 1980 Phil and Henry released a new album together with Gavin David and Virginia David. In 1989 a new album was released after a ten year silence, featuring two singles "The Secretary" and "La Cumbia", so after a long gap they went back on tour again. In 1995 Georg Kajanus departed the band to pursue a solo career, leading to the introduction of Peter Lincoln, a respected guitarist and singer. Original member Henry Marsh left the band in late 1999, to be replaced by Anthony England. He was replaced in turn by Rob Alderton in 2001.

In 2004 Sailor were voted the 45th most successful pop band of the last 40 years in Germany.

In July 2005 Rob Alderton departed, but a few weeks later, original member Henry Marsh returned to his place at the Nickelodeon. In 2006 Peter Lincoln decided to leave after ten years to join The Sweet. Afterwards, Henry's son Oliver Marsh joined the band as their new singer to continue the journey...

Trouble in Hong Kong
Sailor Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Kajanus

Deep in the heart of the midnight world (down in the red light)
The story was told of a beautiful girl (Queen of the red light)
She was born on a sampan, never knew her dad
But her looks were filled with fortune
And for this, they knew she'd be an ocean of
Trouble in Hong Kong

Trouble in Hong Kong
People may live by the rules of the town (down in the red light)
But she made her own by the strength of her crown (Queen of the red light)
She would aim with a shotgun to chase the pimps away
But one night, they came too many
And the price was always high for any
Trouble in Hong Kong
Trouble in Hong Kong
So she ran through the streets and the alleyways
Down to the docks (Why didn't she call the cops?)
I don't know
But from those kind of guys,
No one ever gets away...
Keeping it silent is what they prefer
Nobody knows what happened to her
But a newspaperman said
That you don't go far
When you go against the underworld
Boy, they bring you down, down, down...
Trouble (Trouble) in Hong Kong

Trouble (Trouble) in Hong Kong
She was an ocean of Trouble (Trouble) in Hong Kong

Overall Meaning

The song "Trouble in Hong Kong" by Sailor tells the story of a beautiful and fierce woman who was born on a sampan and never knew her father. Despite this, her looks were filled with fortune and she became known as the Queen of the red light in the heart of the midnight world. While others lived by the rules of the town, she made her own by the strength of her crown. She aimed her shotgun to chase away the pimps, but one night, they came too many and the price was high for her. She ran through the streets and alleyways down to the docks, but nobody knows what happened to her. A newspaperman said that you don't go far when you go against the underworld, and they will bring you down.

The song is a raw and emotional portrayal of the dangers and injustices faced by women in Hong Kong’s red light district. It depicts how the woman’s strength and defiance were ultimately unable to protect her against the ruthless and violent world of the pimps and criminals. The lyrics convey a sense of tragedy and loss, emphasizing the cost of rebellion in a world ruled by the brutal forces of the underworld.

Line by Line Meaning

Deep in the heart of the midnight world
The story begins in the dark and dangerous world of Hong Kong's red light district.

The story was told of a beautiful girl
The story is about a woman who is known for her beauty and strength in the red light district.

She was born on a sampan, never knew her dad
The woman was born on a boat and grew up without a father.

But her looks were filled with fortune
Despite her difficult upbringing, the woman's beauty brought her wealth and power.

And for this, they knew she'd be an ocean of Trouble in Hong Kong
Despite her success, the woman's power and defiance of the rules in the red light district made her a target for trouble.

People may live by the rules of the town
While many people in the red light district follow its strict rules, the woman does not.

But she made her own by the strength of her crown
The woman made her own rules and had the power to enforce them.

She would aim with a shotgun to chase the pimps away
The woman was known for using force to protect herself and other women in the district from pimps.

But one night, they came too many
One evening the woman was outnumbered and unable to defend herself.

And the price was always high for any
The cost of standing up to the pimps and the underworld was always high.

So she ran through the streets and the alleyways
Knowing she couldn't fight off her attackers, the woman fled through the streets and alleys of the district.

Down to the docks (Why didn't she call the cops?)
The woman fled all the way to the docks to try to escape, but it's not clear why she didn't call for help from the police.

I don't know
The reason why she didn't call the cops is unclear.

But from those kind of guys, No one ever gets away...
In this district, it's unlikely for a woman to escape from violent attackers or from the criminal underworld.

Keeping it silent is what they prefer
The attackers and the criminal underworld prefer that their violent acts go unreported and that people stay silent.

Nobody knows what happened to her
The woman's fate is unknown, although it's likely that she was hurt or killed by her attackers.

But a newspaperman said That you don't go far
According to a newspaperman, those who go against the rules and the criminal underworld don't get very far.

When you go against the underworld, Boy they bring you down, down, down...
Going against the criminal underworld in the red light district is very dangerous and can have deadly consequences.

Trouble (Trouble) in Hong Kong
The woman's story is an example of the kind of trouble that can be found in Hong Kong's red light district.

She was an ocean of Trouble (Trouble) in Hong Kong
The woman's power and defiance caused a lot of trouble in the red light district.

Contributed by Lillian O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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