"China Girl" 1983 from David Bowie on Vimeo.
The co-star of Bowie’s 1983 video, "China Girl," New Zealander Geeling Ching, spoke out today about how her turn as the legendary rock star’s love object — which transcended video magic as a real-life romance — absolutely changed her life.
Ching was a 23-year-old waitressing at a Sydney cafe when the living whirlwind that is Bowie swept her off her feet, AP reports. "There was something quite other-worldly about him. He was beautiful. Just beautiful,” Ching told AP.
But has “China Girl” aged well? It’s been maintained for decades that the racial stereotypes blatant throughout the video were always intended as satire. Bowie himself was an admirably progressive proponent of racial diversity and inclusion. That much is evident from this clip, wherein he called out MTV for essentially segregating black artists for fear that the channel would alienate their largely white viewership.
Popular culture and media are more often held accountable for cultural appropriation today than in the 1980s, to be sure. The video ostensibly parodies southeast Asian stereotypes that, sadly, still persist today, perpetuating the Western world’s fetishization of Asian women. Still, when Bowie pulls at the corners of his eyelids, then laughs, one can’t help but cringe.
In critical texts, “The ‘China Girl’ Problem” has been scrutinized not as a negative reflection on Bowie (or Iggy Pop, with whom “China Girls” was written, first appearing on 1977’s The Idiot) but as something inevitably problematic regardless of how well-intentioned the song’s message was. “Though Bowie may mean to parody what people say about 'China girls', the video seems, by so clearly endearing the stereotypes, to be in danger of supporting them by not critiquing them enough, or by making the critique too subtle,” according to a new book, David Bowie: Critical Perspectives, released last year. “By shifting the song's intention from personal romance to something like politics or ideological critique, Bowie opened the text to multiple interpretations, but also destabilised meaning in the song, creating possibilities that he was perhaps not able fully to anticipate or control."
What we all loved about David Bowie was just that: he was unafraid to make a statement, however divisive it might be to a whitewashed media fueled by the unenlightened attitudes of the American (and European) public. And, in retrospect, he was very likely aware that some people wouldn’t get that “China Girl” was a parody. But this justification for the work only applies within this specific context. If we didn’t know Bowie better, “China Girl” would look like an egregiously racist video today. It goes to show that Bowie was a visionary in ways we may not have even considered until now: He practically foresaw the advent of Poe’s Law.
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LyricsOh, oh, oh, little China girl
Oh, oh, oh, little China girlI could escape this feeling, with my China girl
I feel a wreck without my, little China girl
I hear her heart beating, loud as thunder
Saw they stars crashing
I'm a mess without my, little China girl
Wake up mornings where's my, little China girl
I hear her heart's beating, loud as thunder
Saw they stars crashing down
I feel a-tragic like I'm Marlon Brando
When I look at my China girl
I could pretend that nothing really meant too much
When I look at my China girl
I stumble into town just like a sacred cow
Visions of swastikas in my head
Plans for everyone
It's in the whites of my eyes
My little China girl
You shouldn't mess with me
I'll ruin everything you are
You know, I'll give you television
I'll give you eyes of blue
I'll give you men's who want to rule the world
And when I get excited
My little China girl says
Oh baby, just you shut your mouth
She says, sh-sh-shhh
She says, sh-sh-shhh
She says
She says
And when I get excited
My little China girl says
Oh baby, just you shut your mouth
And when I get excited
My little China girl says
Oh baby, just you shut your mouth
She says, sh-sh-shhh
She saysOh, oh, oh, little China girl
Oh, oh, oh, little China girl
Oh, oh, oh, little China girl
Oh, oh, oh, little China girl
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").
Paul Trynka, the author of David Bowie's biography Starman, claims the song was inspired by Iggy Pop's infatuation with Kuelan Nguyen, a beautiful Vietnamese woman. She was staying at the studio and Bowie encouraged the couple's relationship. It has also be argued that the song is about heroin addiction, as "China White" is slang for the drug.
Iggy Pop wrote this with Bowie. It first appeared on Iggy's 1977 album The Idiot. The song did not see commercial success until later performed by Bowie.
Iggy Pop was a very influential musician, but he didn't sell a lot of albums and was often low on cash. The proceeds from this gave him some financial stability for the first time. >>
In the 2018 documentary American Valhalla, Pop revealed that "China Girl" was indeed about a real woman - it was somebody's wife that Pop "got to know."
In this scene, Josh Homme is reading a typed note from Pop that mentions a French singer as being the husband of this woman. This indicates that the song's subject is indeed Kuelan Nguyen, who was dating (although not married to) Jacques Higelin, a French singer.
Stevie Ray Vaughan is the lead guitarist on this song and most of the album. Bowie discovered him after seeing him at a music festival. Bowie got him to play on his album and asked him to tour with him, but Stevie surprisingly declined. He believed in his group Double Trouble and thought they could make a go of it on their own.
The original Iggy Pop version of this song didn't have the famous oriental guitar riff that featured on Bowie's recording. Bowie's version was produced by Nile Rodgers, who came up with that guitar riff.
According to Rodgers, they had finished recording the song "Let's Dance," and Bowie game him a recording of the original "China Girl," explaining that it could be a hit if they could come up with a hook. Rodgers went literal, playing off the word "China" to come up with the riff, which he knew bordered on parody. Said Rodgers: "David was either going to hate this so much he would fire me, or he was going to get the comedic value of writing this silly little poppy thing."
Rodgers was nervous when he played Bowie the riff, but David loved it straightaway. With this riff and a much smoother production, the song sounded little like Iggy Pop's version, and the song became a hit.
The video was banned in many countries, but it went over very well on MTV. It won the first ever award for Best Male Video at the 1984 Video Music Awards. New Zealand waitress Geeling Ng was chosen by Bowie to play his object of affection. She is now a TV presenter. Ng recalled to Q magazine June 2009: "David was my idol. When I met him, it was terrifying. But he was very easy to get on with." She added: "David and I started dating soon afterwards, but I didn't enjoy the lack of privacy."
In the video, Ng has a beach romp with Bowie. She told Q magazine: "Can I point out, contrary to popular belief, David and I did not have sex on the beach! It was shot at 5am; the water was freezing and wasn't a great lubricant and we were being watched by a film crew and joggers passing by. Not very romantic."
In the film, The Wedding Singer, Drew Barrymore's character, Julia, sings this song in a nightclub.
More songs from David Bowie
More songs with names of countries in the title
More songs that won MTV Video Music Awards
More songs about the dangers of materialism
More songs with famous guest musicians
More songs produced by Nile Rodgers
More songs with a spoken part
More hit songs originally recorded by other artists
More songs from 1983
Lyrics to China Girl
David Bowie Artistfacts
Comments: 44
Francis from NycChina Girl was written by Iggy Pop and David Bowie helped with the musical arrangement. Iggy released the song on his 1977 “The Idiot” album. The song wasn’t inspired by Iggy’s relationship with a Vietnamese woman.
Like many of the songs on that album, China Girl was ultimately a metaphor for Iggy’s career with the defunct Stooges.
Bowie released China Girl as a single in 1983, with a more commercial arrangement.
Iggy released the best version of China Gir in 2017 in his Live at the Royal Albert Hall album with guitarist Josh Homme and some of the Artic Monkeys backing them.
Bruce from San Jose, Calif.Always enjoyed the primal, tugging beat of this song (dare I say, a great beat for lovemaking? [blush]) and as a young guy, it also got me interested in "Yellow Fever" at the time...
Clare from AustraliaTwo things - Bowie did NOT have different coloured eyes. His eyes were blue, it was only his damaged pupil in his left eye that made it appear a different colour. The condition is called anisocoria.
Geeling Ng has stated time and again that she did not have sex with Bowie in this clip. Marlow of Perth, you are thinking of Lori Mattix as the consenting 16 year old!
Arthur from San DiegoDoesn't anyone think this song might just be a double entendre? Video portrays it as a white guy falling in love with an Asian woman and warning her of the stigmas and problems with the white mans society. Truth of the song was that it was written about China white heroin? I think it has two meanings and can be interpreted either way that is the beauty of it.
Jodie from XxIt's about heroin, definitely.
Pekay from Warringah, AustraliaThe film was filmed at Long Reef beach on Sydney's northern beaches, I surf there and have done for 35+ years.
Michael from San Diego, CaThat's maus; like cat and mouse game in a cat house!
Michael from San Diego, CaAlso as I learned in 'vulgar' standard German: 'ich lieben sie mause, wollen sie zug-zug?' to come-on to a 'street walker' (I love you honey, would you like to have sex?).
Michael from San Diego, CaI thought that this video was about the Japanese invasion of British Manchuria; like in the movie "Empire of the Sun" (an axis force member of Nazi Germany).
Steve from London, United KingdomLet's take this song and video at face value...It's a love song, a western man full of western values falls in love for a chinese girl, get's addicted to her, misses her when she's not around, loves her wildness, is scared of succumbing to her totally........references to Nazism, power, and domination are his attempts to warn her to stay away even though he wants her he doesn't want her corrupted....
Dave from Norfolk , VaStevie Ray Vaughan almost did do the tour, however Bowie told him that he would have to where the costumes and dance the choreography as the rest of the band. The other comments made are true about why SRV did not as well however the reason that SRV gave to Bowie was the dancing.
Holly from Hamburg, GermanyI find it interesting, that in 1983 Bowie was a huge fan of an Icelandic Band called Kukl, whose female singer had a somewhat asian look. This girl later became famous as Bjork ....
Aerok from Paris, FranceThat Song Was recorded In LE Chateau D herouville That Was managed at the Time by Yves Jaget there was also a T Rex Album recorded there
The song was written at the wery Lat minute Cause Iggy was inspired By a "china girl" (vietnamese in fact) That lived in a big house depending of the castle So he meet That Girl in the Park and wrote the song very quickly That Laday was at the time the wife of a frenchy Singer So I will not Write her Name in here but it starts with a K
Don from Munster, InI always thought it was about a relationship between the male abuser and his female enabler. The first part (verses through the first part of the bridge) depict a man looking for his woman and growing more and more agitated. The second part ("My little China Girl...to Rule the World") has the guy at a moment of remorse, telling the girl to go away from her, and the final part (And when I get excited..."Just you shut your mouse") is the girl enabling the guy and, in a way, saying she's not leaving.
Ella from Basel, Sierra LeoneBob from Lakewood, you are a complete and total idiot for writing this huge heap of crap about psychotic people being 'mentally afflicted' and them not knowing they're experiencing an illness. I despise intolerably ignorant and dumb people like you and hope you all die out within the next minute.
China Girl is one of the great songs.
Karina from Blieskastel, GermanyI find it a bit exaggerated to call Joey Feer a racist. In the LP version, you can recognize that Bowie kind of imitates the way a prototypical non-native Asian speaker of English would pronounce the sentence "just you shut your mouth". It's not only the pronunciation of "mouth" but the whole diction that sounds somewhat "non-native". Hope you allow me to say this given that I'm a non-native speaker, too, and we all have our troubles with your nice little "th"es. Anyway, a nice detail in the song, makes the speaker appear somewhat dubious and ambiguous (like Bowie in the video).
Ian from Paddock Lake, WiFinding out more about the idea I wrote about below, I did find out that Iggy Pop and David Bowie moved to Berlin around the same time to wean themselves of their drug addictions (don't know how it would help but that's what WP says). This was among the songs they wrote together in Berlin, which could explain the swastika thing, because through the division of the city, you could see the effects of WWII and the "swastika" era "in the whites of your eyes." So that explains mixing swastikas, stumbling into town, and drug addiction all together.
Ian from Paddock Lake, WiI don't argue that it's about drugs. It definitely is. After all, Iggy did co-write it. It's a portrait of an addict, possibly himself. The swastika and sacred cow thingy might refer to when he lived in West Berlin in the late '70s, during which he recorded the landmark "Heroes." And Joey Freer from NY, you are a racist.
Jeff from Long Beach,Actually, Bob in Lakewood, OH, many people with a mental disorder DO KNOW that they have one. All of my clients do. Also, its the BIPOLARS who most often suffer the feelings of grandiosity - NOT the psychotics. Don't state facts if you don't know what you're talking about.
Jeff Chudner, MA, CGACII
Joey Freer from Kingston, NyDavid Bowie Says Oh Baby Just Your Shut Your Mouse than mouth because the china girl can't say mouth.