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)
Road to Hell
Chris Rea Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It boils with every poison you can think of
Then I'm underneath the streetlights
But the light of joy I know
Scared beyond belief way down in the shadows
And the perverted fear of violence chokes a smile on every face
And common sense is ringing out the bells
Oh no, this is the road to Hell
And all the roads jam up with credit
And there's nothing you can do
It's all just bits of paper flying away from you
Oh, look out world
Take a good look what comes down here
You must learn this lesson fast and learn it well
This ain't no upwardly mobile freeway
Oh no, this is the road
Said, this is the road
This is the road to Hell
The opening lines of Chris Rea's song "The Road to Hell" paint a picture of a desolate and polluted world devoid of life. The river doesn't flow, but boils with every poison imaginable. And yet, in the midst of this devastation, there are still streetlights shining. But even they cannot bring any joy or hope. The singer is scared, down in the shadows, and the people around him are not smiling. Instead, they have perverted fears of violence that choke any semblance of happiness.
The second verse introduces an interesting contrast between the world of technology and the world of real life. While technology may help us in many ways, it cannot solve the problems of the world such as overpopulation, pollution, and poverty. The roads are jammed with credit, and all that's left is pieces of paper flying away from us. The final lines of the song make it clear that this is not a journey to wealth or success. This is, instead, the road to hell.
Overall, the lyrics of the song The Road to Hell paint a bleak picture of modern society. The world is polluted, full of violence and devoid of hope. Despite our reliance on technology and credit, we are still trapped on this road to hell. It's a thought-provoking commentary on the state of the world and a warning of the dire consequences that await if we don't take action.
Line by Line Meaning
We'll I'm standing by a river but the water doesn't flow
I'm in a stagnant place, feeling stuck and uninspired.
It boils with every poison you can think of
The situation is toxic and harmful, filled with negativity.
Then I'm underneath the streetlights
I'm surrounded by the artificial brightness of city life.
But the light of joy I know
I long for genuine happiness and fulfillment.
Scared beyond belief way down in the shadows
I feel intimidated and frightened by the darkness lurking around me.
And the perverted fear of violence chokes a smile on every face
The constant threat of aggression and harm is suffocating and draining people's happiness and positivity.
And common sense is ringing out the bells
People are aware of the rational and logical way to live, yet they choose to ignore it.
This ain't no technological breakdown
The root of this situation is not a malfunction of technology.
Oh no, this is the road to Hell
This is a path leading to misery, despair, and destruction.
And all the roads jam up with credit
Society is being clogged with debt and materialism.
And there's nothing you can do
Individuals feel powerless amidst the chaos and destruction.
It's all just bits of paper flying away from you
Possessions and wealth hold no real value, they are meaningless in the grand scheme of things.
Oh, look out world
Be wary and cautious of what's happening in the world.
Take a good look what comes down here
Examine and reflect on the reality of what's happening around us.
You must learn this lesson fast and learn it well
It's essential to understand the gravity of the situation and take action before it's too late.
This ain't no upwardly mobile freeway
This is not a path of progression and success.
Said, this is the road
This is the direction we're heading in.
This is the road to Hell
This is the path towards a disastrous future.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Christopher Anton Rea
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Binh Nguyen
Lyrics:
Stood still on a highway I saw a woman by the side of the road
With a face that I knew like my own, reflected in my window
Well, she walked up to my quarter light and she bent down real slow
A fearful pressure paralysed me in my shadows
She said: Son, what are you doing here?
My fear for you has turned me in my grave
I said: Mama, I come to the valley of the rich, myself to sell
She said: Son, this is the road to hell
~
On your journey 'cross the wilderness from the desert to the well
You have strayed upon the motorway to hell
~
Well, I'm standing by a river but the water doesn't flow
It boils with every poison you can think of
Then I'm underneath the streetlights, but the light of joy I know
Scared beyond belief way down in the shadows
And the perverted fear of violence chokes a smile on every face
And common sense is ringing out the bells
This ain't no technological breakdown, oh no, this is the road to hell
~
And all the roads jam up with credit and there's nothing you can do
It's all just bits of paper flying away from you
Look out world, take a good look what comes dawn here
You must learn this lesson fast and learn it well
This ain't no upwardly mobile freeway
Oh no, this is the road, this is the road, this is the road to hell
Randy Stein
If the guitar doesn't rip your heart out, his voice and lyrics will. Excellent tune.
Trix are for kids
That’s exactly what great music does …
Tombro1856
Yes 100%
Michael Fitzharris
Here here! 👍.
Dim A
True,true,true !
0 0
@Michael Fitzharris .
marshalloneill
This still sends shivers down my spine. The quality of Chris’ voice and that playing is just brilliant. Stay strong Chris
Christel Van der Velde
Great song
Carol Toscano
StThomas Rock and Roll woman and friends
Ray Smith
it is reaLLy one of thee best!!