He has never toured the United States, where he is best known for the 1978 single "Fool (If You Think It's Over)", which reached No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 and spent three weeks at No. 1 on the Adult Contemporary chart, earning him a Grammy nomination as Best New Artist in 1978. A decade later, "Working On It" topped the Mainstream Rock chart. He has sold more than 40 million records worldwide.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Rea
Studio albums
Whatever Happened to Benny Santini? (Magnet, 1978)
Deltics (Magnet, 1979)
Tennis (Magnet, 1980)
Chris Rea (Magnet, 1981)
Water Sign (Magnet, 1983)
Wired to the Moon (Magnet, 1984)
Shamrock Diaries (Magnet, 1985)
On the Beach (Magnet, 1986)
Dancing with Strangers (Magnet, 1987)
The Road to Hell (WEA, 1989)
Auberge (EastWest, 1991)
God's Great Banana Skin (EastWest, 1992)
Espresso Logic (EastWest, 1993)
La Passione (soundtrack, EastWest, 1996)
The Blue Cafe (EastWest, 1998)
The Road to Hell: Part 2 (EastWest, 1999)
King of the Beach (EastWest, 2000)
Dancing Down the Stony Road/Stony Road (Jazzee Blue, 2002
Blue Street (Five Guitars) (Jazzee Blue, 2003)
Hofner Blue Notes (Jazzee Blue, 2003)
The Blue Jukebox (Jazzee Blue, 2004)
Blue Guitars (Jazzee Blue, 2005)
The Return of the Fabulous Hofner Bluenotes (Jazzee Blue, 2008)
Santo Spirito Blues (Jazzee Blue, 2011)
Road Songs for Lovers (Jazzee Blue, 2017)
One Fine Day (Rhino, limited release, 2019)
Auberge
Chris Rea Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
On the road to gain
Something gets right through to your telling bone
There's a sudden itch
An electric twitch
Sometimes I swear this body's got a mind of its own
This is the naked truth
This is the light
Auberge
You meet a silent type
On a windy trail
With a shiny cloak and an unseen silver dagger
You can talk till you ache
Give yourself one more break
You can tell by the look on his face
that it just doesn't matter
This is the naked truth
This is the light
There's only one place left to go
Auberge
Give me a weekend
Give me a day
Don't like what I'm seeing though I hear what you say
Think with a dagger
And you'll die on your knees
Begging for mercy
Singing please mister please
This is the naked truth
This is the light
There's only one place left to go
Auberge
The lyrics to Chris Rea's song Auberge discuss the journey of life and the various experiences one goes through, both positive and negative. The opening lines describe the fast-paced nature of the world we live in, with the "hard fast train" representing the relentless forward momentum of time, and "the road to gain" symbolizing the pursuit of success and material wealth. However, despite this external pressure, there is something within us that always manages to communicate the truth of our situation, "right through to your telling bone". This is further emphasized by the "sudden itch" and "electric twitch" that one feels, physical manifestations of our inner struggles and desires.
The second verse introduces a mysterious stranger, symbolized by "the silent type" with "a shiny cloak and an unseen silver dagger". This person may represent an unknown future, an opportunity or a danger to be faced on the path ahead. Despite attempts at conversation and taking a break, there is a sense of futility; "it just doesn't matter". This could be interpreted as either a lack of control over one's destiny or an acceptance of the unpredictability of life. The final verse urges the listener to think wisely and not to become consumed by ambition or greed. The imagery of "thinking with a dagger" suggests that acting ruthlessly will ultimately lead to a miserable, desperate existence with "only one place left to go: Auberge", a symbol of a peaceful, perhaps even spiritual, final resting place.
Line by Line Meaning
On the hard fast train
Traveling quickly towards success or a goal.
On the road to gain
On the path to achieving something important.
Something gets right through to your telling bone
A feeling or sensation that is so strong it hits you to your core.
There's a sudden itch
A strong urge or desire that arises quickly.
An electric twitch
An intense sensation or feeling that is hard to ignore.
Sometimes I swear this body's got a mind of its own
Feeling like your impulses or desires are beyond your control.
This is the naked truth
An honest and direct statement of fact or reality.
This is the light
A moment of clarity or realization.
There's only one place left to go
The only direction to move forward is towards truth and understanding.
You meet a silent type
Encountering someone who is reserved or doesn't speak much.
On a windy trail
Journeying on a path that is difficult or unpredictable.
With a shiny cloak and an unseen silver dagger
Appearing to be trustworthy or virtuous, but actually holding something dangerous or harmful.
You can talk till you ache
Trying to persuade someone to your point of view, even if it exhausts you.
Give yourself one more break
Allowing yourself another chance or opportunity.
You can tell by the look on his face that it just doesn't matter
Realizing that your words or actions won't change anything because the other person has already made up their mind.
Give me a weekend
Asking for time to reflect and gather thoughts.
Give me a day
Asking for a short amount of time to consider something.
Don't like what I'm seeing though I hear what you say
Feeling unsettled or unsatisfied despite being aware of the other person's perspective.
Think with a dagger
Acting with malicious intent or using hurtful tactics to achieve a goal.
And you'll die on your knees
Suffering the consequences of one's own actions or decisions.
Begging for mercy
Asking for leniency or forgiveness.
Singing please mister please
Using a polite or pleading tone to try to sway someone.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: CHRISTOPHER ANTON REA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind