"7 Chinese Bros." is a song by R.E.M. that was first released on their 1984 album '' Reckoning''.

Lyrics and music

The lyrics to "7 Chinese Bros.", as with many R.E.M. songs of this period, are somewhat mysterious. The title and some of the lyrics were influenced by the 1938 children's book ''

The Five Chinese Brothers ''The Five Chinese Brothers'' is an American children's book written by Claire Huchet Bishop and illustrated by Kurt Wiese. It was originally published in 1938 by Coward-McCann. The book is a retelling of a Chinese folk tale, '' Ten Brothers''. P ...

'' by

Claire Huchet Bishop Claire Huchet Bishop (30 December 1898 – 13 March 1993) was a Swiss children's writer and librarian. She wrote two Newbery Medal runners-up, ''Pancakes-Paris'' (1947) and ''All Alone (Claire Huchet Bishop novel), All Alone'' (1953), and she w ...

. In the book, the five brothers each have a special power, and the brother capable of swallowing the ocean agrees to do so in order that a young boy can collect fish from the dry seabed. This seems to be the basis for the lyrics in the refrain about "Seven Chinese brothers swallowing the ocean," even though in the book only one of the brothers swallows the ocean. Another line in the refrain, "She will return," has been interpreted to be a reference to Carol Levy, a friend of the band who had died in a car accident. Lead singer Michael Stipe has stated that the song was about him once "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." This incident may be the inspiration for another line in the refrain "Seven thousand years to sleep away the pain." Allmusic critic Denise Sullivan describes

Bill Berry William Thomas Berry (born July 31, 1958) is an American musician who was the drummer for the alternative rock band R.E.M. Although best known for his economical drumming style, Berry also played other instruments, including guitar, bass guitar ...

's drumming as giving the song "a danceability unfound in most R.E.M. tracks." However, Stipe felt that the drumming was too loud in the mix on ''Reckoning''. Sullivan states that Peter Buck's guitar "creeps along in melodic jangle tones throughout." '' Rolling Stone'' critic Christopher Connelly states that "Buck does it all: curt, distorted background chords, icy piano notes, warm chordal plucking and high-string riffs that drone."

Co-producer A film producer is a person who oversees film production. Either employed by a production company or working Independent film, independently, producers plan and coordinate various aspects of film production, such as selecting the script, coordina ...

Mitch Easter has stated that "7 Chinese Bros." was "another classic modal-sounding R.E.M. song where the guitar had this familiar and yet slightly odd quality about it. It had that sort of simple but real memorable guitar line that they were real good at." According to ''Northwest Herald'' critic Bryan Wawzenek, Mike Mills' "melodic

bass Bass or Basses may refer to: Fish * Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species Music * Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in the bass range: ** Bass (instrument), including: ** Acoustic bass gui ...

" dovetails with Buck's guitar lines.

Writing and recording

According to Stipe, "7 Chinese Bros." was written in North Carolina. Stipe had difficulty recording "7 Chinese Bros." and in particular his first attempts at recording the vocal were too soft. In an effort to get Stipe into a better mood to record, co-producer Don Dixon threw him the Revelaires gospel album ''The Joy of Knowing Jesus''. Stipe sang the liner notes to that album to the music of "7 Chinese Bros.", which inspired him to record a usable vocal performance of the lyrics to "7 Chinese Bros." The recording of the liner notes to ''The Joy of Knowing Jesus'' was issued as a b-side to the 12" single of "

So. Central Rain (I'm Sorry) "So. Central Rain (I'm Sorry)" is a song by the American alternative rock band R.E.M. It was released in May 1984 as the first single from the group's second studio album, '' Reckoning''. R.E.M. performed a rough version of the song on the NBC ...

" under the title "Voice of Harold". The "Voice of Harold" track was also included on the compilation '' Dead Letter Office''.

Reception

Allmusic critic

Stephen Thomas Erlewine Stephen Thomas Erlewine (; born June 18, 1973) is an American music critic and senior editor for the online music database AllMusic. He is the author of many artist biographies and record reviews for AllMusic, as well as a freelance writer, occ ...

called "7 Chinese Bros." a "classic," praising its "pulsating riffs." Connelly states that "the song flows with elegiac grace."

Cover versions

Chris and Rich Robinson of The Black Crowes covered "7 Chinese Bros." in an acoustic show in Portland 2020, with Peter Buck joining them as a guest guitarist.

References

{{authority control 1984 songs R.E.M. songs Songs written by Bill Berry Songs written by Michael Stipe Songs written by Peter Buck Songs written by Mike Mills Song recordings produced by Mitch Easter Song recordings produced by Don Dixon (musician)