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)
The Beat Goes On
Chris Rea Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You'll see them every day
So many words, so many reasons
About the ship that sailed away
Was it something to do with business
Was it love that done them wrong
Always somebody else to blame it seems,
For the half chance been and gone
I say the beat goes on
The beat goes on
drinking in the corners,
Be amazed at what they say
They've all got their tears and stories
About the big one that got away
There are always so many reasons
Why they missed that place that day
Tales of woe and treason
About the ship that sailed away
Yeah, the beat goes on
I see them everyday,
And. The beat goes on
In Chris Rea's song The Beat Goes On, the lyrics paint a picture of everyday people talking on the street corner about the ship that sailed away. The ship is a metaphor for chance and opportunity, and the people are discussing the many reasons why they missed out on it. Some blame business, some blame love, and others look for someone else to blame. The tone of the lyrics feels a bit melancholic, with a sense of regret and loss - especially when the people talk about "the big one that got away".
At the same time, however, the chorus reminds us that life goes on despite missed opportunities. The beat, which could be interpreted as a metaphor for life itself, continues on no matter what, even though we may feel stuck in our own personal narratives of loss. The repetition of "the beat goes on" reinforces the idea that life keeps moving forward, whether we're ready for it or not.
Line by Line Meaning
See them talking on the corner
Observe those individuals gathered around the street corner engaging in conversation
You'll see them every day
This is a daily occurrence
So many words, so many reasons
Discussion is abundant with various explanations abound
About the ship that sailed away
The subject matter of these discussions revolve around a particular ship that has departed
Was it something to do with business
Perhaps the reason for its departure was due to monetary purposes
Was it love that done them wrong
Maybe the cause was due to a relationship, causing emotional distress
Always somebody else to blame it seems
Finger-pointing is commonplace in these conversations, with fault always directed at another individual
For the half chance been and gone
Regret is expressed over a missed opportunity
The beat goes on,
Despite all of this talk, life continues forward
I say the beat goes on
I affirm that life continues moving along
The beat goes on
The cycle of life persists
Contributed by Jonathan F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.