The Doobie Brothers - China Grove

China Grove is a song by American rock band the Doobie Brothers, released in 1973 on their third studio album, The Captain and Me. It was written and sung by the band's original lead singer and songwriter Tom Johnston. The song reached number 15 on the US Billboard Hot 100. While there is a real place named China Grove in Texas, Johnston's lyrics about the community are mostly fictional. The song spent eight weeks in the Top 40.

Lyrics:
When the sun comes up on a sleepy little town
Down around San Antone
And the folks are risin' for another day
Roundabout their homes

The people of the town are strange
And they're proud of where they came

Well, you're talkin bout China Grove (China)
Oh-oh-oh, China Grove, oh-oh-oh

Well, the preacher and the teacher
Lord, they're a caution
They are the talk of the town
When the gossip gets to flyin'
And they ain't lyin'
When the sun goes fallin' down

They say that the father's insane
And dear Mrs. Perkins a game

We're talkin' 'bout the China Grove (China)
Oh-oh-oh, China Grove, oh-oh-oh

But every day there's a new thing comin'
The ways of an Oriental view
The sheriff and his buddies
With their samurai swords
You can even hear the music at night

And though it's a part of the Lone Star State
People don't seem to care
They just keep on lookin to the East

Talkin bout the China Grove (China)
Oh-oh-oh, China Grove, oh-oh-oh