China in Your Hand

Bruno Bertone Sound Orchestra, T'Pau

About China in Your Hand

"China in Your Hand" is a song by the British band T'Pau, released from their album Bridge of Spies. A re-recorded version was released as a single in October 1987, spending five weeks at number one in the UK and is arguably the song for which the group is best known in their native Britain, though their debut single "Heart and Soul" was a much bigger hit in the United States. "China in Your Hand" was the 600th single to top the UK charts and kept George Harrison's "Got My Mind Set on You" from hitting the top spot. The song also peaked at number 1 in Belgium, Iceland, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway and Switzerland. In 2015, the power ballad was voted by the British public as the nation's 11th favourite 1980s number one in a poll for ITV. 


Year:
1987
#2

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It was a theme she had
On a scheme he had
Told in a foreign land
To take life on earth
To the second birth
And the man was in command
It was a flight on the wings
Of a young girl's dreams
That flew too far away
And we could make the monster live again

Oh hands move and heart beat on
Now life will return in this electric storm
A prophecy for a fantasy
The curse of a vivid mind

Don't push too far
Your dreams are china in your hand
Don't wish too hard
Because they may come true
And you can't help them
You don't know what you might
Have set upon yourself
China in your hand

Come from greed
Never born of the seed
Took a life from a barren hand
Oh eyes wide
Like a child in the form of man
A story told
A mind of his own
An omen for our time

Don't push too far
Your dreams are china in your hand
Don't wish too hard
Because they may come true
And you can't help them
You don't know what you might
Have set upon yourself
China in your hand
Oh your hand
Your dreams are china in your hand, wooah
Here in your hand
China in your hand

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T'Pau

T'Pau is a British pop rock group led by singer Carol Decker. They had had a string of Top 40 hits in the UK in the late 1980s, most notably "China in Your Hand" and "Heart and Soul", and several hits in the United States and Europe, before disbanding in the early 1990s. Decker still performs under the name T'Pau at solo shows and 1980s nostalgia concerts. more »

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Written by: CAROL ANN DECKER, RONALD PHILLIP ROGERS

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind


11 facts about this song

Chart Performance
"China In Your Hand" was a major hit for T'Pau, reaching the number one spot on the UK Singles Chart in 1987. It held the top position for five weeks.
Song Inspiration
The song's title, "China In Your Hand", was inspired by a Chinese vase. It uses the fragility of porcelain as a metaphor for things not always being what they seem.
Song Meaning
The song’s lyrics famously refer to the Mary Shelley novel 'Frankenstein', and indicate the dangers of playing god or trying to reshape nature.
Record Breaker
"China In Your Hand" was the final number one of three for a female-lead band in 1987, setting a record for the UK Singles Chart.
Live Performance
Despite its success, T'Pau rarely performed the song in full live because it was too vocally demanding for the lead singer, Carol Decker. They typically performed a shortened version instead.
Band Recognition
This song is arguably the most recognized song by T'Pau, which made this band famous worldwide.
Misconception
Despite common belief, the song is NOT about China, the country. The title presumably refers metaphorically to a certain kind of fragile, precious entity that one needs to handle carefully.
Carol Decker's View
Carol Decker, the lead singer and co-writer of the song, calls it her 'pension plan,' acknowledging that the song's enduring popularity has provided her with ongoing income.
Sales Achievement
"China In Your Hand" was a massive commercial success and became the 600th single to top the UK charts.
No US Release
Ironically, although the song was a massive hit in the UK and several other countries, it was not released as a single in the United States.
Interpretation
The song has been interpreted as an anthem of self-empowerment, with the China in your hand representing control over one's own destiny.

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