De Burgh was born in Venado Tuerto, Argentina, to Colonel Charles John Davison, MBE, a British diplomat, and Maeve Emily de Burgh, an Irish secretary. His maternal grandfather was Sir Eric de Burgh, a British Army officer who had been Chief of the General Staff in India during the Second World War. He took his mother's name, "de Burgh", when he began performing. His father had substantial farming interests, and Chris spent much of his early years in Malta, Nigeria and Zaire, as he, his mother and brother accompanied Colonel Davison on his diplomatic and engineering work.
The Davisons finally settled in Bargy Castle, County Wexford, Ireland, which was somewhat dilapidated at the time. It was a twelfth-century castle which Eric de Burgh bought in the 1960s. He converted it into a hotel, and the young Chris sang for the guests there.
After attending Marlborough College in Wiltshire, England, de Burgh went on to graduate from Trinity College, Dublin, with a Master of Arts degree in French, English and History.
Chris de Burgh signed his first contract with A&M Records in 1974, and supported Supertramp on their Crime of the Century tour, building himself a small fan base. His début album, Far Beyond These Castle Walls, was a folk-tinged stab at fantasy in the tradition of the Moody Blues. It failed to chart upon its release in late 1974. A few months later, he released a single called "Turning Round" from the album, released outside the UK and Ireland as "Flying". It failed to make an impression in the UK, but it stayed on top of the Brazilian charts for 17 weeks. This became a familiar pattern for the singer/songwriter, as every one of his 1970s albums failed to chart in the UK or US while they racked up big sales in continental European and South American countries.
In 1975 his second album, Spanish Train and Other Stories, was released. Whilst (again) not a huge commercial success, the album and tour expanded the fan base, with de Burgh starting to attract a cult following. Along with the epic title track, other fan favourite tracks from the album included "Patricia The Stripper" and "A Spaceman Came Travelling" (the latter released the following year as a single).
1977's third album, At the End of a Perfect Day, whilst well received and featuring both former Fairport Convention drummer Dave Mattacks and later Fairport drummer Gerry Conway, failed to push de Burgh's career significantly, leading to the release of his fourth album Crusader in 1979. Crusader took a more electric direction, including guitar contributions from Ian Bairnson (formerly of Pilot), bass player David Paton (also of Pilot), and drummer Stuart Elliott (formerly of both Cockney Rebel and of Steve Harley and Cockney Rebel), all of whom were also working, at the time, with Kate Bush. The album also featured Sky keyboard player Francis Monkman and Mike Moran. Whilst it attracted a significant number of new fans, Crusader still failed to break through in the UK and US. 1980's Eastern Wind also failed to build further on the (still cult) following in the major territories.
In 1981 de Burgh had his first UK chart entry with Best Moves, a collection culled from his early albums. It set the stage for 1982's Rupert Hine produced The Getaway, which reached number 30 in the UK charts and number 43 in the US, thanks to the eerie single "Don't Pay the Ferryman". Chris de Burgh's follow-up album, Man on the Line, also performed well, charting at 69 in the US and 11 in the UK.
Chris de Burgh had an across-the-board success with the ballad "The Lady in Red" in late 1986; the single became a number one hit in the UK (number three in America) and its accompanying album, Into the Light, reached number two in the UK (number 25 in the U.S.). That Christmas season, a re-release of de Burgh's 1976 Christmas song "A Spaceman Came Travelling" became a Top 40 hit in the UK. Flying Colours, his follow-up to Into the Light, entered the British charts at number one upon its 1988 release, yet it failed to make the American charts. De Burgh never hit the US charts again and his commercial fortunes began to slide slightly in Britain in the early 1990s, yet he retained a following around the world. This is mainly due to inactivity of his previous recording label A&M Records UK division in the U.S.
In 1997 de Burgh composed a song entitled "There's a New Star Up in Heaven Tonight", dedicated to Diana, Princess of Wales. The song was released as a 100-copy limited edition and included on the compilations The Ultimate Collection (2000) and Now and Then (2009).
In 2007 a concert in Tehran was planned for mid-2008, together with local band Arian, which would have made Chris de Burgh the first western pop singer to perform in Iran since the 1979 revolution. However, the concert never went ahead because he had not been given permission by the Iranian authorities to perform in the country.
He was the first Western act to play in Lebanon after the Lebanese Civil War.
On 25 June 2019, The New York Times Magazine listed Chris de Burgh among hundreds of artists whose material was reportedly destroyed in the 2008 Universal fire.
Brazil
Chris de Burgh Lyrics
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Misty land of music where the feet are never still,
And pretty senoritas dressed up for the kill,
They'll be glad that you're coming to Brazil, yeah, me too,
So glad that you're coming to Brazil
Ooh, next thing you know you're out here dancing in the streets,
Working with the people on that Boss-a-Nova beat,
In Brazil where the Carnival is king, yes,
Brazil where the Carnival is king, everybody's singing,
Ah la la Brazil,
Ah la la Brazil,
Ah la la Brazil,
Ah la la Brazil,
Ooh, Rio de Janeiro is the kind of place for me,
Dancing in the moonlight, making love down by the sea,
From Copacabana to the Corcovado hill,
Everybody's always singing in Brazil,
Yeah, everybody's, ooh singing, in Brazil,
All together now
Ah la la Brazil
Cancao do Brazil
(Song of Brazil)
Tudo beum Brazil
(All's well in Brazil)
The lyrics to Chris de Burgh's song Brazil evoke images of a mythical land of music, dancing, and beauty. The singer expresses his eagerness to visit Brazil and immerse himself in the country's vibrant culture. The song exudes a sense of joy and excitement as it portrays Brazil as a place where one can indulge in music, dance, and good food. The lyrics depict the country's famous Carnival, with everyone dancing and singing along to Bossa Nova beats. The singer goes on to describe how he would be delighted to discover the charms of Brazil with its pretty Senoritas and wine.
Furthermore, the lyrics to Brazil also seem to have another dimension that goes beyond the surface level. The song talks about Brazil as a place where one can escape from their mundane routines and embark on an adventure full of life and passion. The song suggests a longing for a place where one can be truly free and unencumbered by the concerns of daily life. Brazil embodies that ideal land of freedom, where one can dance and sing to their heart's content without a care in the world.
Line by Line Meaning
Ooh, next time I see you, I'll be singing in Brazil,
When I meet you next time, I will be enthralled in Brazil's mystical land of music where the music never ceases.
Misty land of music where the feet are never still,
A country shrouded in the mist of music, where the rhythm never lets anyone stand still.
And pretty senoritas dressed up for the kill,
Beautiful ladies dressed to kill in Brazil will welcome you with pleasure.
They'll be glad that you're coming to Brazil, yeah, me too,
Those women, as well as me, will be extremely happy to see you arrive in Brazil.
So glad that you're coming to Brazil
Delighted that Brazil is the place of your forthcoming visit.
Ooh, next thing you know you're out here dancing in the streets,
Once you're in Brazil, you'll be seen dancing with joyous energy in the streets.
Working with the people on that Boss-a-Nova beat,
Immersed in the Bossa Nova beat of Brazil, you'll be working along with the locals.
And some dark-eyed lady brings you wine and a chicken wing,
A beautiful lady with dark eyes offers you a glass of wine and a chicken wing in Brazil.
In Brazil where the Carnival is king, yes,
Brazil, which is ruled by the carnival, is the land where you'll experience these delights.
Brazil where the Carnival is king, everybody's singing,
The Carnival is the supreme ruler of Brazil, and everybody is seen singing in its honor.
Ah la la Brazil,
Everybody is chanting 'ah la la Brazil.'
Ah la la Brazil,
Everybody is chanting 'ah la la Brazil.'
Ah la la Brazil,
Everybody is chanting 'ah la la Brazil.'
Ah la la Brazil,
Everybody is chanting 'ah la la Brazil.'
Ooh, Rio de Janeiro is the kind of place for me,
Rio de Janeiro is the most suitable place for me to be in Brazil.
Dancing in the moonlight, making love down by the sea,
Under the moonlight, dancing and making love by the seaside are leisure activities in Brazil.
From Copacabana to the Corcovado hill,
From Copacabana to Corcovado hill, there is music, and dance, in every corner of Brazil.
Everybody's always singing in Brazil,
People in Brazil are always in a celebratory mood, singing and dancing to the rhythm of music.
Yeah, everybody's ooh singing, in Brazil, All together now
All the people are singing in unison, at the top of their lungs, in Brazil.
Ah la la Brazil
A chant, 'ah la la Brazil,' is in the air, indicating everybody's festive mood.
Cancao do Brazil(Song of Brazil) Tudo beum Brazil(All's well in Brazil)
There is a song in Brazil that highlights the excellence, and grandeur of the land. All in all, Brazil is fantastic.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: CHRIS DE BURGH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind