John Chinaman's Appeal

DESCRIPTION: "American, now mind my song, If you would hear me sing, And I will tell you of the wrong" that happened to the Chinese immigrant. He nearly starved on the way. He was punished for eating a dog. He has been attacked. America is dangerous. He is leaving
AUTHOR: Words: Mart Taylor (source: Lingenfelter/Dwyer/Cohen-SongsOfAmericanWest)
EARLIEST DATE: 1856 (Taylor, The Gold Digger's Songbook, according to Lingenfelter/Dwyer/Cohen-SongsOfAmericanWest)
KEYWORDS: immigration hardtimes fight food dog | Chinese
FOUND IN:
REFERENCES (1 citation):
Lingenfelter/Dwyer/Cohen-SongsOfAmericanWest, p. 302, "John Chinaman's Appeal" (1 text, tune referenced)
Roud #V57981
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "Umbrella Courtship" (tune)
NOTES [47 words]: Unlike most songs of the gold rush era, this one is actually sympathetic to the Chinese immigrant, or at least to his sufferings, although it's still racist enough to use a bunch of gibberish and pretend it's Chinese. And it still clearly implies that the Chinese should stay away. - RBW
Last updated in version 6.6
File: LDC302

Go to the Ballad Search form
Go to the Ballad Index Song List

Go to the Ballad Index Instructions
Go to the Ballad Index Bibliography or Discography