Christopher Anton Rea (born 4 March 1951) is an English rock and blues sing… Read Full Bio ↴Christopher Anton Rea (born 4 March 1951) is an English rock and blues singer and guitarist from Middlesbrough. A "gravel-voiced guitar stalwart" known for his slide guitar playing, Rea has recorded twenty five solo albums, two of which topped the UK Albums Chart. Described as "rock's ultimate survivor", given his recovery from several bouts of serious illness, Rea was "a major European star by the time he finally cracked the UK Top 10" with his single "The Road to Hell (Part 2)". The album, The Road to Hell (1989), topped the album chart, as did its successor, Auberge (1991). His many hit songs include "I Can Hear Your Heartbeat", "Stainsby Girls", "Josephine", "On the Beach", "Let's Dance", "Driving Home for Christmas", "Working on It", "Tell Me There's a Heaven", "Auberge" and "Julia". He also recorded a duet with Elton John, "If You Were Me". Rea was nominated three times for the Brit Award for Best British Male Artist: in 1988, 1989 and 1990.

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)

Every Time I See You Smile
Chris Rea Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Sat out a card game in a motel room
Don't let the muzak drive you crazy late at night
They tell me it's all part of the deal I'm in
Well I close my eyes, put memory into sight

Every time I see you smile

Now the lady tabs your case, leaves you thinking

An hour or so: I hope she's right on time
And you dream away your touchdown destination
Now single file and put yourself back in line

But oh, every time I see you smile

Now this old world don't give much for choosing
You can spend a lifetime driving yourself wild

But I can take it's punches laughing - don't mind losing
Just as long as I get to see you smile every once in a while

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Chris Rea's "Every Time I See You Smile" depict a man sitting alone in a motel room, evidently contemplating the challenging situation he has found himself in. As he sits out a card game, he tries to ignore the monotonous background music that threatens to drive him crazy. The character reflects on his life, acknowledging that he may not have much control over his circumstances. However, he finds solace and comfort in the smile of his significant other.

As he thinks of the lady who had taken his case, he hopes he reaches his destination on time. His mind drifts away to dreams of being with his lover, seeing her smile again. Though he's aware that the world can be a tough place to live in, and even though he might not have the power to change his life, he knows that her smile makes everything worthwhile. It is this smile that he can count on to give him the positivity and strength that he needs to face life's challenges.

Overall, the song appears to be navigating themes of hope, determination, love, and the affection for a partner. The lyrics suggest that the simple joy of seeing your loved ones smile can make life's pitfalls and uncertainties bearable.

Line by Line Meaning

Sat out a card game in a motel room
I skipped playing cards with my friends and stayed in a motel room.

Don't let the muzak drive you crazy late at night
I am telling myself not to get irritated by the loud music playing at night.

They tell me it's all part of the deal I'm in
People say that the situation I am in is something that I have to accept.

Well I close my eyes, put memory into sight
I close my eyes and imagine the memory of a happy moment.

Every time I see you smile
Whenever you smile, my heart is filled with joy.

Now the lady tabs your case, leaves you thinking
The lady who handles your case makes you think about the future.

An hour or so: I hope she's right on time
I hope that the lady arrives on time, within an hour or so.

And you dream away your touchdown destination
Your mind wanders, and you imagine reaching your destination safely.

Now single file and put yourself back in line
Now, follow the rules and position yourself back in line.

But oh, every time I see you smile
But, every time I see you smile, I forget all my worries.

Now this old world don't give much for choosing
The world does not give us many choices in life.

You can spend a lifetime driving yourself wild
You can spend your entire life feeling restless and discontent.

But I can take it's punches laughing - don't mind losing
But I can handle life's challenges, even if I lose at times.

Just as long as I get to see you smile every once in a while
As long as I get to see you smile every now and then, everything else becomes insignificant.

Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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