"Slow Boat to China" genre: Folk
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	A folk song about sharing and reaching out to China and Chinese people. It's a great adventure!
	MP3.com CD: Waiting for a Chinese Sun... - buy it! CD: Waiting for a Chinese Sun... to Shine   Label: self-released in Hong Kong (pm productions) Credits: written, arranged, recorded and performed by Paul Meredith. Mastering help in HK from Simon Hui
	Story Behind the Song The song is in C, standard tuning. The second guitar slides up to an F, Eb, and D chords using the same fingering, the sound of which I like. This is one of my favorite songs from the Chinese Sun CD, possibly the one that I'd most like to share with people. Maybe it's because of the American folk traditions hidden in the song. Folkies out there should recognize my taking of the old Appalacian "Come All Ye Fair and Tender Maidens" riff, which I always loved, particularly for the way the 4 of the scale (the C in the key of G in this case) hangs in the melody. Well maybe fair and tender humans is a bit hokey, but I'm gonna stick with it! I also felt happy with the sort of minimal lyric, with an image of us all together aboard an ark tossed in rocky seas, not quite knowing where we all will end up -- but truly hoping for the best. I thought it felt good for the song. I can't describe my achy breaky feelings of love for the Chinese people, language, culture, and the gratitude for all that I have learned from the experience of over a decade of living here... Better to sing about it, or I'd get all mushy. This song, however inadequate, conveys something of my feeling. I sincerely hope you like it, and thanks for listening. Lyrics SLOW BOAT TO CHINA Slow boat to China We could sail the Pearl together See not just the difference On this ark we're all birds of a feather Storm gonna shake us Got to make our hearts illumined Come all you fair and tender humans Take this ship of oneness to the sky I will wear your China silk robe You can wear my baseball cap Come all you fair and tender humans Scratch these borders off the map It's a slow boat to China Do we drift or sail to peace on unity ark? Dark, gettin' dark now Can't make out the shore that's loomin' Come all you fair and tender humans c) Paul Meredith, 1999

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