Everyone knows the "hoo!" and the "hah!" That's a given. But if you actually try to recite the words to Kung Fu Fighting at a karaoke bar after a couple of drinks, you realize pretty quickly that Carl Douglas was singing a lot more than just some catchy noises. It’s a weirdly specific song.
It’s 1974. Disco is just starting to breathe. Martial arts movies are exploding thanks to Bruce Lee. Then comes this Jamaican-born singer in a London studio, recording a song that was originally meant to be a B-side. It took ten minutes to write. Seriously. Ten minutes. And yet, decades later, we’re still humming about "funky Chinamen from funky Chinatown."
The lyrics are a time capsule. They capture a moment when Western pop culture was obsessed with an idealized, slightly caricatured version of Eastern martial arts. If you look closely at the verses, it's not just about hitting people. It's about the rhythm of the movement.
What Are the Actual Words to Kung Fu Fighting?
The song kicks off with that iconic riff. You know the one. It’s actually a stereotypical melody called the "Oriental Rif," which hasn’t aged perfectly, but in '74, it was the universal shorthand for "something cool from the East is happening."
The opening chorus is the hook that conquered the world:
Everybody was Kung Fu fighting / Those cats were fast as lightning / In fact, it was a little bit frightening / But they fought with expert timing.
It’s simple. It’s effective. It uses "cats" in that quintessential 70s way to describe people who are hip or skilled. But then the verses get into the weeds of the "scene" Douglas is describing. He talks about "funky Billie Jim" and "The Big Boss." These aren't just random names. They’re nods to the characters people were seeing on the big screen in grindhouse theaters.
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"There was funky Billie Jim and crystal Billy."
Who are these guys? They represent the crossover. Martial arts wasn't just staying in Hong Kong; it was hitting the streets of New York, London, and Los Angeles. The song describes a "dance" as much as a fight. When he sings about them "chopping them up" and "chopping them down," he’s mirroring the percussion. The beat is the boss here.
The Story Behind the Lyrics
Carl Douglas didn't think this song would be a hit. Honestly, neither did his producer, Biddu. They were working on a track called "I Want to Give You My Everything." They needed something for the flip side of the vinyl record.
Biddu asked Douglas if he had any lyrics. Douglas pulled out some lines he’d scribbled down. They recorded it in two takes. Two! Most modern pop songs take two hundred.
Because it was a B-side, the words to Kung Fu Fighting weren't scrutinized by a label committee. They were raw. They were playful. They used words like "dazzling" and "skilful" (with the British spelling) to describe the "expert timing."
The line "It’s an ancient Chinese art and everybody knew their part" is probably the most insightful bit of the whole track. It acknowledges that Kung Fu, by the mid-70s, had become a performance. It was a shared cultural language. Everyone "knew their part" because they’d all seen Enter the Dragon.
Why the Lyrics Caused a Stir Later On
We have to talk about the "Chinatown" lines.
"There were funky Chinamen from funky Chinatown / They were chopping them up, they were chopping them down."
In 1974, this was seen as celebratory—bringing "funk" to the culture. By the 2000s, things got more complicated. In 2011, a singer in the UK was actually detained by police after a complaint was made about him performing the song. It was a whole thing. The "words to Kung Fu Fighting" became a flashpoint for discussions on racial stereotyping in vintage media.
But most fans, including many in the British-Chinese community at the time, defended it as a product of its era—a song that actually helped popularize martial arts culture globally. It’s a nuanced line to walk. It’s kitsch, sure, but it’s kitsch with a massive amount of heart and a heavy bassline.
Analyzing the Verse Structure
The song doesn't follow a standard modern pop formula. It’s repetitive, but the repetition is the point. It builds a trance-like state.
- The Call: The "Hoo!" and "Hah!" act as punctuation.
- The Hook: The "Everybody was Kung Fu fighting" line acts as the anchor.
- The Detail: The verses introduce the "players" in the scene.
"He saw the hand make a motion / Like a lightnin' skip / And a gentle breeze / He sang with a little bit of soul / And he could do it with ease."
This verse is fascinating because it blends the physical movement of a strike with the "soul" of the music. Douglas is literally equating a Kung Fu master with a soul singer. Both require ease, timing, and a bit of "gentle breeze" (fluidity).
If you're trying to memorize these for a performance, the hardest part isn't the chorus. It's the "Billy Jim" verse. People always trip up there. They forget who is "funky" and who is "crystal."
Why We Still Care About These Lyrics in 2026
You’d think a novelty song from 1974 would have died out. It didn't.
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Kung Fu Panda happened.
CeeLo Green covered it.
The Vamps covered it.
It’s in every wedding DJ’s "emergency" folder.
The words to Kung Fu Fighting work because they are inclusive. "Everybody was Kung Fu fighting." Not just the experts. Not just the masters. Everybody. It’s a song about a craze that swept the world, and it invites the listener to be part of that craze, even if they can't actually kick higher than their own waist.
It’s also a masterclass in phonetic writing. "Fast as lightning" and "bit frightening" are perfect rhymes for a pop song. They’re easy to shout. They’re easy to remember.
The Technical Side of the Song's Success
Musically, the lyrics are supported by a disco-soul hybrid that was way ahead of its time. Biddu, the producer, was an Indian-British pioneer who basically invented "Euro-disco."
The way Douglas delivers the words is percussive. He isn't just singing; he's hitting the consonants. "Expert timing" sounds like a snare hit. That’s why the song feels so energetic. If he’d sung it in a smooth, crooning style, it would have failed. He had to sing it like a fighter.
Common Misconceptions About the Song
A lot of people think the song is from a movie. It wasn't. It was just a standalone tribute to the genre of martial arts movies.
Others think Carl Douglas was a martial artist. He wasn't really. He was a singer who saw a trend and jumped on it with incredible instinct.
Then there’s the "Chinatown" line. Some people remember it differently or think it’s "Chinatown men." Nope. It's "Chinamen." It’s an archaic term that sounds jarring to modern ears, which is why you’ll often hear live performers change the lyrics to "They were funky people from a funky Chinatown" or something similar to keep the vibe going without the baggage.
Actionable Takeaways for Your Next Karaoke Night
If you’re going to tackle this song, don’t just stand there.
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- Nail the "Hoo" and "Hah": They need to be sharp. Short. Diaphragmatic.
- Watch the Verse Pacing: The verses are faster than you think. "There-was-funky-Billie-Jim-and-crystal-Billy" needs to be almost spoken-word.
- Embrace the Kitsch: This is not a serious ballad. If you don't do at least one awkward hand chop, you're doing it wrong.
- Update the Lyrics if Needed: If you're in a sensitive environment, swapping "Chinamen" for "everybody" or "people" keeps the song fun for everyone without losing the rhythm.
The words to Kung Fu Fighting represent more than just a 70s fad. They represent the moment East met West on the dance floor. It's a song about the "Big Boss" and "expert timing," but mostly, it's a song about how a ten-minute writing session can create a piece of culture that outlives the movies that inspired it.
The next time you hear that riff, listen to the verses. There’s a lot of "soul" in that "motion." Don't just wait for the chorus. Get into the story of Billie Jim and the lightnin' skip. That's where the real funk lives.
To get the most out of this track, try listening to the original 1974 vinyl mix. It has a grit that the modern digital remasters often polish away. You can hear the room. You can hear the "expert timing" of the session musicians who probably thought they were just recording a silly B-side that nobody would ever hear. Little did they know.
Practical Steps for Fans and Performers
- Listen to the 1974 Carl Douglas Original: Notice the "breathy" quality of the vocals. It’s less "produced" than the versions in Kung Fu Panda.
- Read the full lyric sheet: Check out the second verse carefully—it’s the one everyone mumbles through.
- Study the "Oriental Riff": If you're a musician, look up the history of those first few notes. It's a fascinating study in musical shorthand and cultural tropes.
- Respect the Era: When playing this at events, acknowledge it as a 1974 classic. It helps frame the language and the style for a modern audience.
The song is complete, the history is deep, and the beat is still undeniable.