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)
That's What They Always Say
Chris Rea Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
They rise up from where they lay
And look down with the promise in their hands
A promise to get out
This ain't what it's all about
There's always lots of reasons for their plans
When that golden sun shines through
There's always one more thing to do
That's what they always say
I'm getting out
That's what they always say
Ain't that just what they always say
That's what they always say
Just one more little thing left in my way
That's what they always say
Ain't that just what they always say
I'm getting out, I'm holding on
I'm hanging in, the time is wrong
And every morning brings another reason
A piece of cake, no lion share
Just one more dice and you'll be there
That golden bridge is just around the bend
That's what they always say
I'm getting out
That's what they always say
Ain't that just what they always say
That's what they always say
Just one more little thing left in my way
That's what they always say
Ain't that just what they always say
Tomorrow is another day
The money junkie fades away
That golden bridge is just around the bend
That's what they always say
I'm getting out
That's what they always say
Ain't that just what they always say
That's what they always say
Just one more little thing left in my way
That's what they always say
Ain't that just what they always say
The lyrics of Chris Rea's song "That's What They Always Say" talk about the never-ending desire of people to achieve something, to get out of where they are, and to reach their goals. The song describes how people start their day with the promise that they will work towards getting out of their current situation, and there are always multiple reasons to support their plans. The golden sun shining through symbolizes the hope that people have, and they always believe that there is one more thing they can do, one more stab they can take into the wishing well, and one more little thing they need to do to reach their goal.
Rea describes the never-ending cycle of people's desires, how they always say they are getting out, but there is always one more little thing left in their way. He talks about holding on and hanging in, even though the time may not be right. He mentions the "piece of cake" and "no lion share" to describe the struggles that people go through to achieve their goals. The "golden bridge" is a metaphor for the opportunities that people believe are just around the bend, and they keep trying despite the numerous obstacles that come their way.
The song also talks about how tomorrow is another day and how the "money junkie fades away." This line refers to how people become so engrossed in their goals that they forget about everything else, including themselves. Despite their struggles, they keep pushing themselves to achieve their goals, constantly repeating the phrase, "that's what they always say."
Overall, Chris Rea's "That's What They Always Say" is a commentary on the never-ending cycle of people's desires and their unending efforts to achieve their goals, no matter what comes in their way.
Line by Line Meaning
At the first bell of the day
As soon as the day begins
They rise up from where they lay
People wake up from their sleep
And look down with the promise in their hands
They start the day with the hope of achieving their goals
A promise to get out
A promise to escape their current situation
This ain't what it's all about
Their current situation is not what life is all about
There's always lots of reasons for their plans
They have many reasons for wanting to leave their situation
When that golden sun shines through
When the sun rises and brings hope for a new day
There's always one more thing to do
There is always something else that needs to be done
Just one more stab into the wishing well
Just one more effort to try to achieve their goals.
That's what they always say
This is a common refrain among people with unfulfilled goals
I'm getting out
I am going to leave this situation
Ain't that just what they always say
This is a common refrain among people with unfulfilled goals
Just one more little thing left in my way
There is only one more obstacle in the way of achieving their goals
I'm holding on
I am persevering in my efforts to achieve my goals
I'm hanging in, the time is wrong
I am waiting for the right time to achieve my goals
And every morning brings another reason
Every day brings a reason to continue striving for their goals
A piece of cake, no lion share
It will be easy and they won't have to share the reward with anyone else
Just one more dice and you'll be there
All they need is one more lucky break to achieve their goals
Tomorrow is another day
There is always hope for a new day and new opportunities to achieve their goals
The money junkie fades away
The desire for money becomes less important
That golden bridge is just around the bend
Success and happiness are just within reach
Ain't that just what they always say
This is a common refrain among people with unfulfilled goals
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: CHRISTOPHER ANTON REA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind