"Mr. Lee" is a common name for a stock character that used to show up a lot in movies and TV shows: a Chinese man who either owns a laundromat or helps with espionage. The lyric was written by Television lead singer Tom Verlaine in his typically abstract style. It's not clear what's going on in the song or why the dog is turning red. Verlaine has suggested that the dog is either embarrassed or a communist.
This was the first single Television released after re-forming in 1992. After issuing their debut album in 1977 and their follow-up in 1978, they broke up, or as they sometimes put it, went on an extended hiatus.
Even Tom Verlaine's bandmates didn't know what this song is about. "I've had people ask, 'In 'Call Mr. Lee,' is Mr. Lee a Korean spy?,' guitarist Richard Lloyd told Songfacts. "And I'm like, 'I don't know - I have no idea.' To me, it's just fantasy."
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