Nineteen hunnerd and ninety-three,
Immigration card labeled "Refugee";
Took a bus to Chattanooga, Tennessee;
And the only thing I knew to say was "Me Chinee".

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Local folks tryin' hard to not be rude;
Talkin' at my back about the yellow dude;
Sounds like a turkey, eats some crazy food;
I got used to livin' with their deep-south attitude.

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Then I figured, What the hell--
No matter what I do ain't never gonna sell;
Can't make 'em understand me,
So I'll just have to rebrand me:

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SOUTHERN CHANG,
SOUTHERN CHANG;
You need to call me, shout out SOUTHERN CHANG;
From now on, that's how I'll hang;
Years from now that say I once was Chao Wang Fang;
Ever to be known to you as SOUTHERN CHANG.

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Walkin' down the street no one looks like me;
Everybody glued to my anatomy;
Never knew a noodle--bet they've seen Bruce Lee;
Can I ever mix in with the home-town society?

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Then I figured, What the heck--
No matter what I do I'll never be a red-neck;
The way I look, they just can't stand me;
So I'll just have to rebrand me:

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SOUTHERN CHANG,
SOUTHERN CHANG;
Let me hear you call me in that country twang;
Take me in your local gang,
Just forget whatever brang me from Zenjiang;
If you see me, you just call me SOUTHERN CHANG.