Chinese Laundry Blues
| "Chinese Laundry Blues" | |
|---|---|
Sheet music cover of "Chinese Laundry Blues" | |
| Song by George Formby | |
| Released | 1932 |
| Genre | Comic song |
| Songwriter | Jack Cotterill (or Cottrell) |
"Chinese Laundry Blues" is a 1932 comic song written by Jack Cotterill (or Cottrell) and associated with the British comedian George Formby. Formby recorded it for Decca Records on 1 July 1932. The song takes place in Limehouse (a traditional Chinatown) where the owner of a laundry has fallen in love, and is no longer paying attention to his job. It subtly uses the Oriental riff.
The song featured in the 1934 comedy Boots! Boots![1] It became one of Formby's signature tunes, and introduced the character of "Mr Wu", who appeared in a succession of songs, such as "The Wedding Of Mr Wu", and most notably "Mr Wu's a Window Cleaner Now" which shares its subject matter with "When I'm Cleaning Windows".
References
- ^ St. Pierre p. 169
Bibliography
- St. Pierre, Paul Matthew. Music Hall Mimesis in British Film, 1895–1960: On the Halls on the Screen. Associated University Presse, 2009.