I spent a year working in China from summer 2003 – 2004 and always loved hearing how my students learnt loads more English vocabulary through songs, as well as western ideas and lifestyles in general coming across in the lyrics. I personally taught my students the lyrics to Wham’s ‘Last Christmas’, they loved the romantic story line.

I think the song ‘Heavenly peach banquet’ from Monkey – Journey to the West is amazing and the first Chinese song, even though I do like a few Jolin and A-do Chinese pop songs, that is actually quite easy and not too lengthy to learn. I saw the show at the 02 on Saturday, it is a fascinating piece of theatre – really cleverly put together. The music is excellent all the way through and the whole show is so artistically done. I highly recommend it.

I recently got my chinese beginner level certificate through the post after 6 months of lessons and it seems only right I branch out into singing in mandarin. These are the lyrics to Damon Albarn’s beautiful melody in PinYin and English translation – why not learn a Chinese song too:

WANG MU NIANG NIANG
The Queen Mother of Heaven

ZHONG DE PAN TAO SHU
Has grown a Peach Garden

TAO HUA DUO DUO
Charming, full of buds

WAN RU YAN ZHI
Rosy, blossoming, intoxicating

TAO ZI GE GE
Each peach

YAN RU MEI REN
Looks like a little beauty

FAN REN CHI LE ZHE TAO ER A
Should you eat a peach

CHENG XIAN DE DAO
A long life you’ll lead and The Way you’ll understand

TI JIAN SHEN QING
Your limbs will grow strong, your body light

XIA JU QI FEI
Should you eat one of the ripest ones, you can fly

CHANG SHENG BU LAO
And eternal youth and immortality you’ll enjoy

La la la la la…