In which song does the lyric sound like China a lot?

August 31, 2015 1:58 AM

Which song has a lyric which sounds like "China, china, chinaaaaa...." I think it's from the 90s. Possibly Britpop or indie. I remember hearing it being sung emphatically in an advert for a compilation album.
posted by feelinglistless to Media & Arts (24 answers total)

Complete guess, based more on the short/short/long phrasing than the lyrics, but could it be Underworld's Born Slippy?
posted by crocomancer at 2:09 AM on August 31, 2015

Is it Tattva by Kula Shaker?
posted by greycap at 2:12 AM on August 31, 2015

Response by poster: Let me have a listen.
posted by feelinglistless at 2:12 AM on August 31, 2015

China
posted by persona au gratin at 2:20 AM on August 31, 2015

Response by poster: Nope, none of those three. It's possible he wasn't singing China but something which sounded like it.
posted by feelinglistless at 2:22 AM on August 31, 2015

"Shiny Shiny"?
posted by thetortoise at 2:32 AM on August 31, 2015

Am assuming you have ruled out Shine On by House of Love, but just in case... (was on a few of those 90s indie compilations, such as Shine).
posted by greycap at 2:32 AM on August 31, 2015 [2 favorites]

Violence of Summer by Duran Duran? (The "China, China-na-na-na" part starts at 3:15)
posted by wheek wheek wheek at 3:05 AM on August 31, 2015

Tori Amos?

China
posted by zizzle at 3:57 AM on August 31, 2015 [2 favorites]

"Candy" has that rhythm--https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bLOjmY--TA

Do you remember if it was a male or female singer?
posted by shortyJBot at 4:16 AM on August 31, 2015

China by Huang Chung ( later to become Wang Chung).
posted by thatwhichfalls at 4:23 AM on August 31, 2015

greycap inspired my guess: 1996's Fountains of Wayne - "Radiation Vibe":

Baby baby baby
Come on, what's wrong
It's a radiation vibe I'm groovin' on
Don't it make you want to get some sun
shine on, shine on, shine ooooooon ?
[YT link to lyric at 1:00]
posted by mean square error at 5:53 AM on August 31, 2015 [1 favorite]

China, by Red Rockers.

One of my most favoritest songs ever.

(It's from 1981.)
posted by Lucinda at 5:59 AM on August 31, 2015 [4 favorites]

(chorus starts at 0:40)
posted by Lucinda at 6:34 AM on August 31, 2015

Lucinda has it.
posted by humboldt32 at 9:23 AM on August 31, 2015

Except that OP has already ruled out Red Rockers.
posted by greycap at 9:41 AM on August 31, 2015 [2 favorites]

Not David Berkeley's Shiloh, right? The best instance of the applicable part kicks in around 2:50 mark.
posted by daisyace at 10:32 AM on August 31, 2015

Response by poster: Sorry guys its none of those. So either I've imagined it or the song is still out there and my memory has fogged up the reality. Like I said it might not even be "China".
posted by feelinglistless at 2:51 PM on August 31, 2015

Response by poster: Oh crumbs, it might be something Bollywood.
posted by feelinglistless at 2:57 PM on August 31, 2015

Could it be Cut Your Hair by Pavement? Around 2:30 he says "career" a bunch of times, and it sounds like he's saying Korea. Sure, Korea ≠ China, but if your memory of the song is that hazy, maybe this is it.
posted by kitty teeth at 5:27 PM on August 31, 2015 [1 favorite]

It's from 2008, but perhaps "Shine On" by the Kooks?
posted by Seeking Direction at 5:58 PM on August 31, 2015

And it was in a commercial for Michelob Ultra back in 2008, and perhaps covered on Kidz Bop, according to my searches.
posted by Seeking Direction at 6:05 PM on August 31, 2015

Long shot, but it isn't Karma Chameleon by Culture Club, is it?
posted by MadamM at 9:35 PM on August 31, 2015

China, my China, from Taking Tiger Mountain by Strategy by Brian Eno? Earlier than the 90s but it was ahead of its time.
posted by Schmucko at 11:39 PM on September 1, 2015