The song begins by mentioning the great rivers of China, Yangtze and Yellow River, and that they are part of the cultural memories the songwriter. It relates that while the songwriter was born "under the feet of the dragon", he shares with the people of China the same genetic and cultural heritage and identity. The original lyrics contain a reference to the Opium War, and convey a sense of grievance against unnamed outside enemies. Originally the lyrics described "Westerners" () as the enemy, but this was changed to "appeasers" () on publication. The song ends by exhorting the "great dragon", i.e. China, to open its eyes to see and regain its greatness.