Siouxsie and the Banshees – Hong Kong Garden

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  My Interpretation:bad Feng Shui / paranoia in Chinatown / the Caucasian fear of furtive Oriental cruelty / urban legends about Chinese food / foot-binding / opium dreams & white slavery / Chinese mercantile prowess / thousands of years of Dynastic rule to a transaction over a take-out counter / those circular Chinese calligraphy things they hang on paper lanterns / stereotypes on hallucinogens

  Flag NomadMonadon May 18, 2013   Link

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  My Opinion:saying that the song is anti-racist is meaningless. i cannot think of a single way that the lyrics of the latter half of the song could be interpreted in a sympathetic fashion.
  
  siouxsie: "oh, i feel so bad about how you've been treated. here, let me write a song to show how bad i feel"
  *writes*
  Slanted eyes meet a new sunrise
  A race of bodies small in size
  Chicken Chow Mein and Chop Suey
  
  
  
  the first part of the song is social critique, and shouldn't bother anyone. but the those last few lines cannot be anything but racist

  Flag sporuson October 26, 2011   Link

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    +1

    How exactly? Maybe not the most correct or sensitive language to use, but that doesn't mean its out and out racist.
    
    Also if the song is dealing with racism, why can't it contain some racist elements? The whole song feels like a very rough impression of a scene with lots random and unconnected lyrics. Perhaps those final lines are part of the song that illustrates the scene from the perspective of the skinheads?
    
    Maybe the lines are racist, doesn't mean the song is.

    Flag adashon February 19, 2012  
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  General Comment:I love this song, and the story behind it, too.
  It's nice to hear a song based on an attempt to confront ignorant racism.

  Flag hurricaneseyeon October 30, 2010   Link

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  Song Meaning:If you think the title sounds like the name of a Chinese restaurant, you're right. Said Siouxsie: "I'll never forget, there was a Chinese restaurant in Chislehurst called 'The Hong Kong Garden.' Me and my friend were really upset that we used to go there and like, occasionally when the skinheads would turn up it would really turn really ugly. These gits were just go in on mass and just terrorize these Chinese people who were working there. We'd try and say 'Leave them alone,' you know. It was a kind of tribute." (from Punk Top Ten Interview , August 6, 2001.

  Flag laurelinwyntreon December 30, 2008   Link

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  General Comment:the meaning of this song has been established already, by Erasercuts... although I agree that through this tale the deeper themes of zeroglitter are explored. Contrary to what many in the media suggest I do not think this song shows S& the B to be racist, the narration is self depricating

  Flag devotionon May 22, 2008   Link

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  General Comment:i feel like it means stereotypical western tourists being very ignorant about the southeastern asian culture...

  Flag floatingworldon January 28, 2008   Link

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  General Comment:brilliant song
  it probably is about a restaurant, but more about the people and culture of the restaurant than just the actual restaurant and its food or other mundane things.

  Flag robot in disguiseon July 17, 2007   Link

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  General Comment:Although this is a simple two chord song, I think it is amazing. The riff just really fits in and Siouxsie just tops it off with her voice.

  Flag Whatsername1251on June 18, 2005   Link

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  General Comment:Erasercuts is right. I'm currently reading the Banshees biography and that's what Siouxsie says. Though they could be singing about a deeper meaning as well; the Cure does this with so many of their songs that they base on stories, books, etc. to give them a broader scope.

  Flag lokithecaton April 18, 2005   Link

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  General Comment:This song is a tribute to a Chinese takeaway in Chiselhurst where Siouxsie witnessed the racist abuse the Chinese owners recieved from the local skinhead population

  Flag Erasercutson December 19, 2004   Link

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