In the last quarter of the last century when I was in my teens, I was a very big fan of Monty Python. On one of the albums was a song that called ‘We Love the Yangtze’, which I knew by heart. At that time I had no idea what the Yangtze was, where it is. Nor did I understand the mash up comedy that the Pythons were singing. The sketch is about Yangtze river, fish, poetry , football goalies and football barracking songs. However, I liked Monty Python and would sing along.
So imagine my surprise when I found 长江 Cháng Jiāng (Yangtze river) in my vocabulary list for NPCR Lesson 31 new words list. 
The sketch was from the record album “Monty Python’s Previous Record” 1972.
Even better a quick visit to YouTube to find this.
Monty Python–We Love the Yangtze
Found a transcript of the sketch
Narrator[Terry Jones]:Yangtze Kiang. The Great Yellow River which from time in memorial has fascinated and tantalized the hearts and minds of men from all corners of the earth. Bob Wilson, Arsenal.Bob[Graham Chapman]: A Wondrous river. Broad banks are swelling, home to a race of fish.
Narrator: Peter Shilton, Leicester.
Shilton[Eric Idle]:O Yangtze. O Yangtze, Beautiful river. River full of fish.
Narrator: Sprake, Leeds-united.
Spake [John Cleese]:Yangtze Kiang, river of the eastern dream. Teeming with carp and trout and perch and bream.
Narrator: Why is it that so many of Britain’s top goalies feel moved to by the river Yangtze. Brian Clough.
Craft [Eric Idle]: Well, I must remember, David, that these goalies, especially Wilson, and on occasion, Gordon West of Everton, are the romantics, the dreamers. The Yangtze is symbol for them, for them it’s a box, David, a temple is far as a spiritual a continuity.
Narrator: Bill Shaklee.
Shaklee [Michael Palin]: Och, it’s a river of many moods. To young goalie like a Peter Stilton, Yangtze is a beautiful river. To more seasoned goalie like Phil Parkes of Wolves, Yangtze a river bring me to of dissolution of disillusioned ambition.
I did a quick search for the lyrics…I hadn’t forgotten them honestly.
We love the Yangtze, Yangtze-Kiang,Flowing from Yushu down to Ching-Kiang,
Passing through Chung King, Wuhan and Hoo-Kow
Three thousand miles, but it gets there somehow.
Oh! Szechuan's the province and Shanghai is the port,
And the Yangtze is the river that we all support.
We love the Yangtze, Yangtze-Kiang,
Flowing from Yushu down to Ching-Kiang,
Passing through Chung King, Wuhan and Hoo-Kow
Three thousand miles, but it gets there somehow.
Oh! Szechuan's the province and Shanghai is the port,
And the Yangtze is the river that we all support.
[clapping]
Yangtze!
[clapping]
Yangtze!
Now everyone in the early part of the 21st C can enjoy “We Love the Yangtze”.
But wait there’s more
I think some of the Killer Facts in this sketch are wrong.Some of the geography in the song must be wrong.
So now I know where the Yangtze river is
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