NINE MILLION BICYCLES  (by Katie Melua)

There are nine million bicycles in Beijing
That's a fact,
It's a thing we can't deny
Like the fact that I will love you till I die.

We are twelve billion light years from the edge, 
That's a guess, 
No-one can ever say it's true 
But I know that I will always be with you. 
I'm warmed by the fire of your love everyday 
So don't call me a liar, 
Just believe everything that I say 
There are six BILLION people in the world 
More or less 
and it makes me feel quite small 
But you're the one I love the most of all 
[INTERLUDE]
We're high on the wire 
With the world in our sight 
And I'll never tire, 
Of the love that you give me every night 
There are nine million bicycles in Beijing 
That's a Fact, 
it's a thing we can't deny 
Like the fact that I will love you till I die 
And there are nine million bicycles in Beijing 
And you know that I will love you till I die!











Katie says: 
"We were being shown around Beijing by our interpreter, who also has a qualification as a 
tourist guide, and was a very sweet girl. She was holding a microphone on 
the bus and telling us how old the dynasties were, how many people lived in Beijing now, 
and various other facts, such as "there are nine million bicycles in Beijing". 
Mike immediately wrote this down as a potential song title and he wrote this song a couple 
of weeks later, back in England, not long before we finished the album. On the track is the 
masterful Adrian Brett, who plays all the ethnic flutes. On this track he used an ocarina for 
the low (first) sound you hear, and a chinese bamboo flute for the very piercing, high flute sound. 
Mike first met Adrian in 1978 when Adrian played ethnic flutes on Mike's "Caravans" album. 
He plays most nights in the London production of "Lion King". 
I like this song because it is a simple juxtaposition of a trivial idea ("nine million bicycles")  
against an important idea ("I will love you til I die").