China Grove

[JKL2000]

It's funny how easy it's always been (for me, anyway) to really ignore the words in certain classic rock songs. Yesterday I heard the Doobie Brothers song "China Grove" on the radio and it was the ONLY time I've ever paid any attention to ANY of the words - I'd heard the song many times, but first of all didn't even know it was the Doobie Brothers, and second, I didn't even know "China Grove" was what they were singing. I thought it was "China Dog," actually. Somehow I grew up hearing a lot of songs like that on autopilot - it didn't matter to me what the words were. So then I heard them mention Texas, and realized China Grove was a place in Texas. I just had to look it up, actually.

So, what the heck is this song really about, anyway?

Also, does anyone know of a safe lyrics site on the internet? I've found lyrics sites to be really unsafe as far as viruses, so I avoid them.

[syncopatico]

Isn't China Grove about that *secret* camping facility in the California redwoods forest where rich US conservative Republican politicians and their cronies (and a couple of famous 'rock musicians'), congregate in the woods for some all-male, weirdo fun-and-games and pseudo-pagan religious rites? Oh no, that's "Bohemian Grove" !

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bohemian_grove

[Tangram]

So, what the heck is this song really about, anyway?

Check this out, supposedly from a Tom Johnston interview.

http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=1309

[JKL2000]

Isn't China Grove about that *secret* camping facility in the California redwoods forest where rich US conservative Republican politicians and their cronies (and a couple of famous 'rock musicians'), congregate in the woods for some all-male, weirdo fun-and-games and pseudo-pagan religious rites? Oh no, that's "Bohemian Grove" !

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bohemian_grove

No offense to anyone, but there's no way that they're not boning each other up the ass there.

[Dave (in MA)]

Check this out, supposedly from a Tom Johnston interview.

http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=1309

"And when I came up with the term 'China Grove,' I thought I was just making it up because of the words being about this crazy sheriff with a Samurai Sword."
And which country are the Samurai from, again?

[Banquo]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bohemian_grove

That's the weirdest fucking thing I've ever heard of.

[Tangram]

"And which country are the Samurai from, again?

Tommy got the hemisphere right

[JKL2000]

"And when I came up with the term 'China Grove,' I thought I was just making it up because of the words being about this crazy sheriff with a Samurai Sword."
And which country are the Samurai from, again?

In the classic rock world, there's no difference between China and Japan.

[Progmatic]

In the classic rock world, there's no difference between China and Japan.

what is this statement referring to?

[Scott Bails]

Post #5

[JKL2000]

I fixed my post to indicate it.

[Jefferson James]

In the classic rock world, there's no difference between China and Japan.

Steely Dan made the distinction perfectly clear: the shine in your Japan, the sparkle in your China.

They were the thunking man's rock band.