Bowie said it’s using racism to fight racism. He didn’t know the girl, Geeling Ching, beforehand. She was waiting tables in Sydney, Australia when she got the part. They did have a brief relationship afterwards.
This song was actually originally from Iggy Pop's 1977 album The Idiot, which David produced and co-wrote most tracks on. The lyrics were written by Iggy Pop and the song has two different meanings. On one side, it's about cocaine. China White. That version, Iggy's version, isn't too deep. On the other hand, David's version is about a man who feels guilt for white appropriation of cultures and industrialization. He's warning this girl that he's going to destroy her because of his heritage. The lines about sacred cows and swastikas reference Hinduism and how the Nazis popularized hamburgers and the swastika in the west for their evil purposes. He loves this girl and wants to make their interracial relationship work. It's a very counterintuitive song that challenges racism. The music videos for the Let's Dance cycle were mostly filmed in Australia, so they worked with what they had. In the Chinatown in Sydney, I believe. The Let's Dance album is David's best-selling and it made him an international superstar who sold out stadiums. Not usually a favorite album of the hardcore fans, but it had more popular appeal than anything else he ever recorded. The rest of the 80s are widely considered a period where he tried to replicate his Let's Dance success. For some, it's an incredibly upbeat, fun era. Still thought provoking, as you can tell. Blues Rock legend Stevie Ray Vaughan played lead guitar on this album, and Nile Rodgers from Chic produced it and played rhythm guitar. I'm glad this song intrigued you and you put so much depth into your analysis. It's a lot to break down.
All this is missing a point unrelated to the specific song. It's sickeningly hypocritical for OTL for be making a pro-free-speech point here given her displays of support elsewhere for such affronts to reality and affronts to individual personhood as the concept of "white fragility" (attempting to enforce a denial of white persons' right to speak and be heard re certain issues), the pro-censorship activism of Black Lives Matter (successfully defining an architectural term which do not refer to either "race" or warfare as racist - right, Lady A? - and forcing the likes of Matt Lucas to apologise for nothing at all), AND the anti-male/anti-teenager/sexually-dishonest strain of "feminism which now exerts unchecked psychological terrorism over us all". Add to that her expressions of support in the Covid era for lockdowns - a crime against humanity, as well as scientifically worthless. Anyone who's forced themself to watch multiple OTL reaction videos will know that in truth she herself is as vile and horrifying as those she pretends to condemn in this video. More so, in fact, because her "ideological type" has all the power because no-one is courageous enough to actually wage war on them.
Thank you! Great breakdown. Bowie is incredibly deep and this song is obviously referencing colonialism and the Western surge into the East. The flip side is his own addiction and dangerous attraction to China White (ie. cocaine)…but again it is it’s own reference to the addiction to Western culture and all the beauty and horror it offers.
He had black girlfriends in the 70s and ended up marrying a Somali. He did go on record criticising MTV for their ignoring of black artists around the time this song and video were made. He also had a relationship with the Chinese girl in the video. The imagery in the video depicts colonialism, the supreme white man. This song is very much an anti-racism thing. Bowie was highly intelligent and the way he expressed himself often gets lost on those that see things only at face value. Nuance was his game.
The swastika symbol ... is an ancient religious icon in the cultures of Eurasia. The left-facing version may also be referred to as sauwastika. It is used as a symbol of divinity and spirituality in Indian religions, including Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism. Wikipedia
He didn't hate the song. He reworked it into his Storytellers set with Mike Garson to give it a soulful piano intro. His choices were always very deliberate, and he axed songs he didn't like.
Happy Sunday! Great reaction to one of my favorite artist of all time. I'm glad that you got the MTV version of the video because there is the uncensored version of China Girl which the ending is a little more...let's just say "passionable". But with the song, him and Iggy Pop wrote the song together back in 1977 where the latter first did the song on The Idiot album.
I always loved this song, my favorite of David Bowie's. It wasn't that popular but I didn't care! You're right about the world and how we need to embrace our differences and the great cultures out there . It's supposed be beautiful not threatening!♥️😥♥️
This song is actually one of David's biggest hits. Let's Dance, Modern Love, and China Girl were massive hits and that's why the album is his best-selling of them all.
the song was from Iggy Pop and Bowie produced by Bowie in 1977 but he had a fling with the girl in the video in that period so I suppose it's quite sincere.
I think in this song he represents "America" and the West and its influence on Asian culture like when he says "I'll give you television, I'll give you eyes of blue, etc.
Bowie was no white supremacist. He married the Somali model, Iman. Actually, my friend introduced them. That friend said that when she walked into the room at a party he threw, the rest of the world ceased to exist for them.
I'm not surprised. If David Bowie or Iman walked into a room, most people would probably have their jaws drop. They respected and loved each other so much.
Yes, he married Iman and also called out MTV in an interview for not showing black artists. Because then the only black artists they would show were at 2 or 3 A.M.
Some David Bowie songs that I think you would really love reacting to are: Quicksand Life on Mars? Five Years My Death (Live Hammersmith 1973) Lady Grinning Soul Young Americans (Live Dick Cavett Show 1975) Word on a Wing Heroes As the World Falls Down Bring Me the Disco King (Reality album version) These tracks are entirely phenomenal and they capture a lot of his range. You'd be in for quite a treat.
Another aspect of this song that really only shows when you watch the video is the conflict going on with his China girl. She’s grown up in the east under an oppressive regime, or at least with the culture and ideology of the east. But she loves this man from the west, with an entirely different mindset and way of living. It makes me sad that this video, exactly as it is, would never be released today.
Does any one know anything about the filming of this video? I have loved it forever, especially the transformation scene that goes from b&w to colour. Just amazing!
Political correctness ruins a lot of things...ive heard this song countless times and never noticed anything derogatory. David was married until his death to the stunning Iman
@@OffTapLife I agree the BS POLITICALLY CORRECT. This day As an Asian American or Chinese Vietnamese American , I can’t say - WHAT’S UP WITH THE N WORD OR N***ER to a black person or black people. They would be all trigger as Hell and find it offensive and angry as crazy person HAHAHAHAHA LOL 😂😂😂😂😂👍👍👍👍👍🇨🇳🇨🇳🇨🇳🇨🇳🇨🇳🇨🇳🇨🇳🇨🇳🇨🇳🇨🇳🇨🇳🇨🇳🇨🇳🇨🇳🇨🇳🇨🇳🇨🇳🇻🇳🇻🇳🇻🇳🇻🇳🇻🇳🇻🇳🇻🇳🇻🇳🇻🇳🇻🇳🇻🇳🇻🇳🇻🇳🇻🇳🇻🇳🇻🇳🇷🇺🇷🇺🇷🇺🇷🇺🇷🇺🇷🇺🇷🇺🇷🇺🌹🇷🇺🇷🇺😈😈💀💀!!!
I agree the BS POLITICALLY CORRECT. This day As an Asian American or Chinese Vietnamese American , I can’t say - WHAT’S UP WITH THE N WORD OR N***ER to a black person or black people. They would be all trigger as Hell and find it offensive and angry as crazy person HAHAHAHAHA LOL 😂😂😂😂😂👍👍👍👍👍🇨🇳🇨🇳🇨🇳🇨🇳🇨🇳🇨🇳🇨🇳🇨🇳🇨🇳🇨🇳🇨🇳🇨🇳🇨🇳🇨🇳🇨🇳🇨🇳🇨🇳🇻🇳🇻🇳🇻🇳🇻🇳🇻🇳🇻🇳🇻🇳🇻🇳🇻🇳🇻🇳🇻🇳🇻🇳🇻🇳🇻🇳🇻🇳🇻🇳🇷🇺🇷🇺🇷🇺🇷🇺🇷🇺🇷🇺🇷🇺🇷🇺🌹🇷🇺🇷🇺😈😈💀💀!!!
In fact it is about white heroin... Had it once, it was fun while it lasted... been sick for weeks. The lyrics will be clear after this. Look up the meaning of a swastika in Indian culture. It is the love / hate relationship of a junky with his addiction! Mary Jane was not a girl either, so do not worry about prejudice or critique, they just do not get it. You know the animal Kangaroo, that word litterer y means I do not understand what you say, hahaha... when the first settlers from Europe arrived in Australia, they asked the locals what kind of animals they were, they politely answered Kangaroo...
I think he was referring to the Europeans coming into different countries and homogenise the culture with our "standards" and our consumerism, etc. The Nazi thing was a reference to the extreme version of trying to wash away a culture. Bowie wasn't racist. He dated the girl in the video and was married to Iman. I suggest the video of him challenging MTV for not giving Black artists air time.
The fact that you are asking these questions is evidence of just how sick with the inevitably fatal disease of "wokeness" and "political correctness" we are in America today...
I agree the BS POLITICALLY CORRECT. This day As an Asian American or Chinese Vietnamese American , I can’t say - WHAT’S UP WITH THE N WORD OR N***ER to a black person or black people. They would be all trigger as Hell and find it offensive and angry as crazy person HAHAHAHAHA LOL 😂😂😂😂😂👍👍👍👍👍🇨🇳🇨🇳🇨🇳🇨🇳🇨🇳🇨🇳🇨🇳🇨🇳🇨🇳🇨🇳🇨🇳🇨🇳🇨🇳🇨🇳🇨🇳🇨🇳🇨🇳🇻🇳🇻🇳🇻🇳🇻🇳🇻🇳🇻🇳🇻🇳🇻🇳🇻🇳🇻🇳🇻🇳🇻🇳🇻🇳🇻🇳🇻🇳🇻🇳🇷🇺🇷🇺🇷🇺🇷🇺🇷🇺🇷🇺🇷🇺🇷🇺🌹🇷🇺🇷🇺😈😈💀💀!!!
In this song, the singer warns the China Girl that he will destroy her culture by imparting Western values of materialism and superficial beauty ("I'll give you television, I'll give you eyes of blue, I'll give you a man who wants to rule the world").
Bowie said it’s using racism to fight racism. He didn’t know the girl, Geeling Ching, beforehand. She was waiting tables in Sydney, Australia when she got the part. They did have a brief relationship afterwards.
And this song was written by Iggy Pop, who was in a relationship with a Chinese girl.
This song was actually originally from Iggy Pop's 1977 album The Idiot, which David produced and co-wrote most tracks on. The lyrics were written by Iggy Pop and the song has two different meanings. On one side, it's about cocaine. China White. That version, Iggy's version, isn't too deep. On the other hand, David's version is about a man who feels guilt for white appropriation of cultures and industrialization. He's warning this girl that he's going to destroy her because of his heritage. The lines about sacred cows and swastikas reference Hinduism and how the Nazis popularized hamburgers and the swastika in the west for their evil purposes. He loves this girl and wants to make their interracial relationship work. It's a very counterintuitive song that challenges racism.
The music videos for the Let's Dance cycle were mostly filmed in Australia, so they worked with what they had. In the Chinatown in Sydney, I believe.
The Let's Dance album is David's best-selling and it made him an international superstar who sold out stadiums. Not usually a favorite album of the hardcore fans, but it had more popular appeal than anything else he ever recorded. The rest of the 80s are widely considered a period where he tried to replicate his Let's Dance success. For some, it's an incredibly upbeat, fun era. Still thought provoking, as you can tell. Blues Rock legend Stevie Ray Vaughan played lead guitar on this album, and Nile Rodgers from Chic produced it and played rhythm guitar.
I'm glad this song intrigued you and you put so much depth into your analysis. It's a lot to break down.
All this is missing a point unrelated to the specific song. It's sickeningly hypocritical for OTL for be making a pro-free-speech point here given her displays of support elsewhere for such affronts to reality and affronts to individual personhood as the concept of "white fragility" (attempting to enforce a denial of white persons' right to speak and be heard re certain issues), the pro-censorship activism of Black Lives Matter (successfully defining an architectural term which do not refer to either "race" or warfare as racist - right, Lady A? - and forcing the likes of Matt Lucas to apologise for nothing at all), AND the anti-male/anti-teenager/sexually-dishonest strain of "feminism which now exerts unchecked psychological terrorism over us all". Add to that her expressions of support in the Covid era for lockdowns - a crime against humanity, as well as scientifically worthless. Anyone who's forced themself to watch multiple OTL reaction videos will know that in truth she herself is as vile and horrifying as those she pretends to condemn in this video. More so, in fact, because her "ideological type" has all the power because no-one is courageous enough to actually wage war on them.
@@Grithron2 Tl;dr
I'm here to give information on a song. Unrelated political crap isn't important here.
Thank you! Great breakdown. Bowie is incredibly deep and this song is obviously referencing colonialism and the Western surge into the East. The flip side is his own addiction and dangerous attraction to China White (ie. cocaine)…but again it is it’s own reference to the addiction to Western culture and all the beauty and horror it offers.
I remember the movie 'The Wedding Singer' when I hear this song. It makes me smile whenever I remember that movie.
I love this song!! I'm so glad you reacted to it. It's so hot!! His voice is amazing in it.
He had black girlfriends in the 70s and ended up marrying a Somali. He did go on record criticising MTV for their ignoring of black artists around the time this song and video were made. He also had a relationship with the Chinese girl in the video. The imagery in the video depicts colonialism, the supreme white man. This song is very much an anti-racism thing. Bowie was highly intelligent and the way he expressed himself often gets lost on those that see things only at face value. Nuance was his game.
The swastika symbol ... is an ancient religious icon in the cultures of Eurasia. The left-facing version may also be referred to as sauwastika. It is used as a symbol of divinity and spirituality in Indian religions, including Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism. Wikipedia
She is a model. He married a black model named Iman. They were married over 20yrs till he died in 2016. He actually grew to hate this song.🔥🔥
As far as I know Bowie had an affair with that model at the time of the video (1984). 😁
@@mori1bund Bowie had an affair with everyone. 🤣
@@Terri6868 That's so true! 😜
He didn't hate the song. He reworked it into his Storytellers set with Mike Garson to give it a soulful piano intro. His choices were always very deliberate, and he axed songs he didn't like.
Happy Sunday! Great reaction to one of my favorite artist of all time. I'm glad that you got the MTV version of the video because there is the uncensored version of China Girl which the ending is a little more...let's just say "passionable". But with the song, him and Iggy Pop wrote the song together back in 1977 where the latter first did the song on The Idiot album.
I always loved this song, my favorite of David Bowie's. It wasn't that popular but I didn't care! You're right about the world and how we need to embrace our differences and the great cultures out there . It's supposed be beautiful not threatening!♥️😥♥️
This song is actually one of David's biggest hits. Let's Dance, Modern Love, and China Girl were massive hits and that's why the album is his best-selling of them all.
@@chrismeadows4216 EXACTLY!
My dad is white and I'm half Chinese, he says this is his song for me. I love it
the song was from Iggy Pop and Bowie produced by Bowie in 1977 but he had a fling with the girl in the video in that period so I suppose it's quite sincere.
I think in this song he represents "America" and the West and its influence on Asian culture like when he says "I'll give you television, I'll give you eyes of blue, etc.
Not so much America but Western Europe like the UK as he was British.
Bowie was no white supremacist. He married the Somali model, Iman. Actually, my friend introduced them. That friend said that when she walked into the room at a party he threw, the rest of the world ceased to exist for them.
I'm not surprised. If David Bowie or Iman walked into a room, most people would probably have their jaws drop. They respected and loved each other so much.
Yes, he married Iman and also called out MTV in an interview for not showing black artists. Because then the only black artists they would show were at 2 or 3 A.M.
I came here to see a reaction to a song but left with so much more. Really interesting video with legitimate points raised. Thank you 🙏
Some David Bowie songs that I think you would really love reacting to are:
Quicksand
Life on Mars?
Five Years
My Death (Live Hammersmith 1973)
Lady Grinning Soul
Young Americans (Live Dick Cavett Show 1975)
Word on a Wing
Heroes
As the World Falls Down
Bring Me the Disco King (Reality album version)
These tracks are entirely phenomenal and they capture a lot of his range. You'd be in for quite a treat.
Look up the opium wars. (Some) Brits might feel (some) existential guilt.
You have a good way with words-well spoken on your part
Another aspect of this song that really only shows when you watch the video is the conflict going on with his China girl. She’s grown up in the east under an oppressive regime, or at least with the culture and ideology of the east. But she loves this man from the west, with an entirely different mindset and way of living. It makes me sad that this video, exactly as it is, would never be released today.
The song is actually a condemnation of white Imperialism over other cultures
Try his more avant-garde stuff, I’d recommend Aladdin Sane, Station to Station, or Black Star
It could be referencing British rule over Hong Kong at the time.
Does any one know anything about the filming of this video? I have loved it forever, especially the transformation scene that goes from b&w to colour. Just amazing!
Iggy Pop wrote "China Girl" and recorded it first.
David Bowie was the primary writer of the song and Iggy Pop contributed.... check Iggy’s original recording....
@@pseudoism I stand corrected
@@pseudoism Yes. David co-wrote many of his Iggy Pop’s songs. He also produced the song.
Like I said ,Shut up. Great song. Don't over think it
Political correctness ruins a lot of things...ive heard this song countless times and never noticed anything derogatory. David was married until his death to the stunning Iman
Hey Susan I totally agree with you!! Thank you for the comment!! Happy New Year!!
@@OffTapLife I agree the BS POLITICALLY CORRECT. This day As an Asian American or Chinese Vietnamese American , I can’t say - WHAT’S UP WITH THE N WORD OR N***ER to a black person or black people. They would be all trigger as Hell and find it offensive and angry as crazy person HAHAHAHAHA LOL 😂😂😂😂😂👍👍👍👍👍🇨🇳🇨🇳🇨🇳🇨🇳🇨🇳🇨🇳🇨🇳🇨🇳🇨🇳🇨🇳🇨🇳🇨🇳🇨🇳🇨🇳🇨🇳🇨🇳🇨🇳🇻🇳🇻🇳🇻🇳🇻🇳🇻🇳🇻🇳🇻🇳🇻🇳🇻🇳🇻🇳🇻🇳🇻🇳🇻🇳🇻🇳🇻🇳🇻🇳🇷🇺🇷🇺🇷🇺🇷🇺🇷🇺🇷🇺🇷🇺🇷🇺🌹🇷🇺🇷🇺😈😈💀💀!!!
I agree the BS POLITICALLY CORRECT. This day As an Asian American or Chinese Vietnamese American , I can’t say - WHAT’S UP WITH THE N WORD OR N***ER to a black person or black people. They would be all trigger as Hell and find it offensive and angry as crazy person HAHAHAHAHA LOL 😂😂😂😂😂👍👍👍👍👍🇨🇳🇨🇳🇨🇳🇨🇳🇨🇳🇨🇳🇨🇳🇨🇳🇨🇳🇨🇳🇨🇳🇨🇳🇨🇳🇨🇳🇨🇳🇨🇳🇨🇳🇻🇳🇻🇳🇻🇳🇻🇳🇻🇳🇻🇳🇻🇳🇻🇳🇻🇳🇻🇳🇻🇳🇻🇳🇻🇳🇻🇳🇻🇳🇻🇳🇷🇺🇷🇺🇷🇺🇷🇺🇷🇺🇷🇺🇷🇺🇷🇺🌹🇷🇺🇷🇺😈😈💀💀!!!
Right? It's like...."Dude. Chill."
Loved Bowie my entire life. OMG. Shut up
In fact it is about white heroin... Had it once, it was fun while it lasted... been sick for weeks. The lyrics will be clear after this. Look up the meaning of a swastika in Indian culture. It is the love / hate relationship of a junky with his addiction!
Mary Jane was not a girl either, so do not worry about prejudice or critique, they just do not get it.
You know the animal Kangaroo, that word litterer y means I do not understand what you say, hahaha... when the first settlers from Europe arrived in Australia, they asked the locals what kind of animals they were, they politely answered Kangaroo...
I think he was referring to the Europeans coming into different countries and homogenise the culture with our "standards" and our consumerism, etc. The Nazi thing was a reference to the extreme version of trying to wash away a culture. Bowie wasn't racist. He dated the girl in the video and was married to Iman. I suggest the video of him challenging MTV for not giving Black artists air time.
He was married to an African Somali woman
this song is about cocaine
china is/was slang for coke.
He is not in love, he is addicted.
stevie ray vaughn on solo guitar...just sayin':)
Yup video is NOT for minors hahaha... But it was on day TV in The Netherlands back then...
Amen tyty 5:18
The fact that you are asking these questions is evidence of just how sick with the inevitably fatal disease of "wokeness" and "political correctness" we are in America today...
I agree the BS POLITICALLY CORRECT. This day As an Asian American or Chinese Vietnamese American , I can’t say - WHAT’S UP WITH THE N WORD OR N***ER to a black person or black people. They would be all trigger as Hell and find it offensive and angry as crazy person HAHAHAHAHA LOL 😂😂😂😂😂👍👍👍👍👍🇨🇳🇨🇳🇨🇳🇨🇳🇨🇳🇨🇳🇨🇳🇨🇳🇨🇳🇨🇳🇨🇳🇨🇳🇨🇳🇨🇳🇨🇳🇨🇳🇨🇳🇻🇳🇻🇳🇻🇳🇻🇳🇻🇳🇻🇳🇻🇳🇻🇳🇻🇳🇻🇳🇻🇳🇻🇳🇻🇳🇻🇳🇻🇳🇻🇳🇷🇺🇷🇺🇷🇺🇷🇺🇷🇺🇷🇺🇷🇺🇷🇺🌹🇷🇺🇷🇺😈😈💀💀!!!
React to numb linkin park
WLM
Omg why do you have to interrupt every ten seconds! You lost me.
You talk way too much.
Will never subscribe here. Too much rambling
Annoying!!!!!
Hey Jason thanks for watching all the best!!😊❤
In this song, the singer warns the China Girl that he will destroy her culture by imparting Western values of materialism and superficial beauty ("I'll give you television, I'll give you eyes of blue, I'll give you a man who wants to rule the world").
Exactly hit the mark.
Genius song.