This mellow, sweet, short-haired boy, woman offers pull up a seat
Take in one symphony now, we've just begun to battle
Wrap your heel in bones of steel, turn the leg, a twist of color
Autumn waited hold it to you in the colored come another

Seven chinese brothers swallowing the ocean
Seven thousand years to sleep away the pain
She will return, she will return

This mellow, sweet, short-haired boy, woman offers pull up a seat
Take in one symphony now, we've just begun to battle
Wrap your heel in bones of steel, turn the leg, a twist of color
Autumn waded seven seas swimming colored come another

Seven chinese brothers swallowing the ocean
Seven thousand years to sleep away the pain
She will return, she will return

This mellow, sweet, short-haired boy, woman offers pull up a chair
Take in one symphony now, I guess we lost that battle
Wrap your heel in bones of steel, turn the leg, a twist of color
Autumn waded seven seas swimming colored come another

Seven chinese brothers swallowing the ocean
Seven thousand years the Communi did reign
She will return, she will return


Lyrics submitted by xpankfrisst

Seven Chinese Brothers Lyrics as written by Peter Buck Bill Berry

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

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Seven Chinese Brothers song meanings
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  • +2
    General Comment

    Michael had this to say about the song in the April 08 issue of Spin magazine:

    "There are songs I wrote in the past that were gender-specific. 7 Chinese Bros. was about me breaking up a couple – and then dating both of them, a man and a woman, which is a terrible thing to do, but I was young and stupid.”

    In addition I read this interesting take on the song, below, from a site called Pop Songs 07-08:

    "In Bishop’s story (The Five Chinese Brothers)- which is based upon a Chinese folk tale – one of the brothers is able to hold the entire ocean in his mouth, and does so for a boy who wants to gather fish. The boy turns out to be greedy, and does not return to shore when he is beckoned. The brother is unable to breathe and is forced to let the ocean out, which in turn drowns the boy. The brother is later sentenced to death by the townsfolk.

    It doesn’t take a great deal of imagination to see why Stipe would relate his sordid scenario to this tale – it’s pretty clear now that he’s the selfish little boy in this story."

    Lantaon September 03, 2010   Link

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