Send us a song that features a book, author, fictional character, or other literary reference and we'll try to post it on the blog. Be sure to read the Ground Rules first!
The title of this song, from R.E.M.'s second album Reckoning (1984), is apparently a reference to a children's book called The Five Chinese Brothers by Claire Huchet Bishop, with illustrations by Kurt Wiese, published in 1938. This retelling of a Chinese folk tale features five identical brothers with superhuman powers, including one who can "swallow the sea." The cryptic lyrics of the song refer to Seven Chinese brothers swallowing the ocean. Interestingly, a different version of the same story was published under the title The Seven Chinese Brothers in 1990--six years after "7 Chinese Bros." was released. (While recording this song, lead singer Michael Stipe--trying to find his vocal groove--"sang" the liner notes of a Gospel album, which happened to be in the recording studio, over the "7 Chinese Bros." melody. This warm-up exercise later appeared as Voice Of Harold on R.E.M.'s 1987 rarities album Dead Letter Office.)
Don Henley/Drivin' With Your Eyes Closed
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Drivin’ With Your Eyes Closed, from Don Henley's 1984 album Building the
Perfect Beast, mentions two 19th century French poet...
Smoke Signals: Secret Notes From Inside Conclave
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From The Huffington Post: According to Italian media reports, a diary has
surfaced written by an anonymous cardinal who participated in the recent
Vatican ...
in 1990--six years after "7 Chinese Bros." was released. (While recording this song, lead singer Michael Stipe--trying to find his vocal groove--"sang" the liner notes of a Gospel album, which happened to be in the recording studio, over the "7 Chinese Bros." melody. This warm-up exercise later appeared as Voice Of Harold
on R.E.M.'s 1987 rarities album Dead Letter Office
.)
Nice blog you have thanks for posting
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