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)

Summer Love
Chris Rea Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Once there was a summer love
Long ago and far away
The autumn whispers to the falling leaves
Summer love can't stay

This was their place, this was where
Just for one moment, without cares
Two lovers dreaming of how the world should be

Please bring back my summer love to me

Did you have to go, did I have to stay
Did you have to go, away
Now it's all gone, but who can forget
Summer love, sweet summer love

I see your shadow everywhere
I feel your smile though you're not there

A kiss for every star in the sky way above
You'll always be my one and only summer love

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to "Summer Love" by Chris Rea are about a nostalgic long-lost love from summertime. The first verse sets the scene of a distant past where two lovers were in love during the summer season. However, as autumn approaches, the love fades away, and it cannot remain as people move on from the summer season. The second verse then paints a picture of the memory that remains, and although it is all gone, the singer cannot forget their sweet summer love.

The nostalgic feeling of the singer is captured in the chorus, as he reminiscences on the place where the couple shared their love, and pleads for the return of his summer love. He muses on the separation that occurred, questioning whether they had to go or stay, and alluding to the pain that comes with remembering the past. The closing verse affirms the enduring memory, as the lover sees the shadow and smile of their partner everywhere, acknowledging that the love will always be remembered.

Overall, the lyrics of "Summer Love" are a poignant reflection on nostalgia, the passing of time, and the beauty of love that is now lost in the past.

Line by Line Meaning

Once there was a summer love
There was a love affair that happened that summer.

Long ago and far away
It happened a long time ago somewhere far away.

The autumn whispers to the falling leaves
Fall is here, and with it comes the end of summer love.

Summer love can't stay
Summer love is fleeting and cannot last forever.

This was their place, this was where
This was the location where they used to meet.

Just for one moment, without cares
They enjoyed being together without any worries for a short while.

Two lovers dreaming of how the world should be
The couple was envisioning a better world where they could be together as they dreamed.

Please bring back my summer love to me
The person is pleading for their former lover to return.

Did you have to go, did I have to stay
The person is questioning why their lover had to leave while they stayed.

Did you have to go, away
The person is asking why their lover had to leave them behind.

Now it's all gone, but who can forget
Although the love ended, it still remains in the person's memory.

Summer love, sweet summer love
The love that was experienced during summer is cherished and remembered fondly.

I see your shadow everywhere
The person is reminded of their former lover frequently throughout the day.

I feel your smile though you're not there
Although their lover is not physically present, their memory still brings the person joy.

A kiss for every star in the sky way above
The person sends a kiss to their lover who is now far away, represented by the stars above.

You'll always be my one and only summer love
The person acknowledges that their lover was their one and only summer love and that they will always be remembered as such.

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: CHRISTOPHER ANTON REA

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS