Ultravox - White China

Studio Performance in 1984

Lyrics:
When pale turns to pink
With a soft unnerving ease
And all you've built around
May just tumble to the ground
We stand or fall
With your future in another's hands
We stand or fall
When your life is not your own
When white turns to red
In the not too distant days
Will force and misery
Be the life you have to lead?
We stand or fall
With your children in anothers world
We stand or fall
When your town is not your own
Chorus:
White China
White China
When crimson takes a hold
When the lights go down on all you've ever known
When all you'll ever do
Is worked out for you
We stand or fall
When the thoughts you have are not your own
We stand or fall
When the freedom slips away

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Ultravox
• White
• China
• Lament
• Ure
• Currie
• Cann
• Cross

[brj1966]

This song is about one thing - freedom, or a lack thereof. It was written in 1983 as a reaction to Britain's Thatcher government whose (ironically) far right policies were increasingly encroaching on individuals freedoms bringing about a bizarre type of capitalist or 'white' China. I enjoyed the fact that Midge often wrote obliquely about poilitcs rather than conventional subject matter. Refer also 'Heart of the Country' which hauntingly expands on the theme of disillusion with governance.

[emt4242]

Love how Midge looks in this vid!!! clean face, pony tail..yummy!!!xxxx

[EdMcF1]

@brj1966 Thatcher increased spending, keeping to Callaghan's plans, and she raised VAT. Get your facts right, it sounds to me more like a criticism of socialism.

[slanyah]

Respond to this video...  brj 1966

[slanyah]

@brj1966 what the fuck u on about

[PhantomLord00]

@FroobleToo UK and China in fact came to the agreement for the future cession of Hong Kong exactly in 1984

[keith4usa]

@GvWeir your comment was absolutely hilarious !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Did you know that heart in the country was really written as Fart in the country !!!!! and vienna was about a short bread cake he bought from tescos,

and feed the world was really about, when he once worked in a soup kitchen one xmas.....but the best one of all

all was ALL STOOD STILL that was when the music stopped in a party game at his house that same xmas !!

[Helthfreak12]

This song is about the west becoming like China, "in the not to distant days' and freedem slipping away, I cant believe people can't see what this song is about! its so in your face!!! and if you dont know Idaho to become 1st Chinese Owned State. kiss goodbye to all you ever knew. :(

[zpoyly]

i love white china ..... but in my veins

[GvWeir]

You're all talking nonsense..... Midge had just bought a new tea set from Harvey Nics and was impressed by how white the china was.....doh :D

[hunkahillbilly]

@brj1966 Bullshiite! This song was obviously prophesying about the influence China would have in the West in the future.

"When pale turns to pink in the not too distant days"...."When all you ever know is worked out for you" - typical liberal leftist agenda.

These guys are prophets!

[FroobleToo]

The song is actually about the hand over of Honk Kong from the British to the Chinese, then due in 1997, after a 99 year "lease" from the Chinese. "White China" actually refers to Hong Kong when in Britain's hands.... it becomes "Red" when Red China takes over. I think the confusion over what this song is actually about is because it was written so long before Hong Kong was actually handed over, if you check out the lyrics you'll realise this is indeed the case. :)