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.
Carry On
Chris de Burgh Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And you will ask her, why she had to go,
We live and die, we laugh and we cry,
And you must take away the pain,
Before you can begin to live again
So let it start, my friend, let it start,
Let the tears come rolling from your heart,
Carry me like a fire in your heart,
Carre me like a fire in your heart
There is a river rolling to the sea,
You will be with her for all eternity,
But we that remain need you here again,
So hold her in your memory,
And begin to make the shadows disappear;
Yes let it start, my friend, let it start,
Let the love come rolling from your heart,
And when you need a light in the lonely nights,
Carry me like a fire in your heart,
Carry me like a fire in your heart
So let it start, my friend, let it start,
Let the love come rolling from your heart,
And when you need a light in the lonely nights,
Carry me like a fire in your heart,
Carry me like a fire in your heart,
Carry me like a fire in your heart,
Carry me like a fire in your heart.
The song "Carry On" by Chris de Burgh is a poignant reflection on grief and loss, and it speaks to the universal human experience of dealing with the death of a loved one. The lyrics speak to the idea that even though someone we care about deeply may be gone from our physical lives, they will always live on in our hearts and memories. The first stanza refers to the idea that there may be an answer as to why someone has died, but ultimately, it is up to the people who remain behind to find a way to heal and move forward. The idea of "taking away the pain" is an acknowledgement that grief is a difficult and complicated process that cannot be rushed or ignored.
In the second stanza, the lyrics encourage the listener to embrace their emotions and not be afraid to let their feelings show. The phrase "Carry me like a fire in your heart" suggests that the memory of the loved one can serve as a source of inspiration and strength, even in the darkest of times. The third stanza reinforces this idea, emphasizing that the love that the listener has for the person who has passed away can inspire them to live a more fulfilling life. The closing repetition of the phrase "Carry me like a fire in your heart" is a rallying cry, encouraging the listener to honor the memory of their loved one by carrying them with them always.
Overall, "Carry On" is a moving tribute to the power of love and the resilience of the human spirit in the face of loss.
Line by Line Meaning
There is an answer, some day we will know,
The truth behind the person's departure will eventually come to light.
And you will ask her, why she had to go,
You'll wonder why the person left.
We live and die, we laugh and we cry,
Life is full of ups and downs, joys and sorrows.
And you must take away the pain,
You need to heal from the hurt to move forward.
Before you can begin to live again
You can't move on until you've dealt with the pain.
So let it start, my friend, let it start,
Begin the healing process.
Let the tears come rolling from your heart,
Let yourself feel the emotions.
And when you need a light in the lonely nights,
When you feel lost and alone.
Carry me like a fire in your heart,
Hold onto me for comfort and strength.
There is a river rolling to the sea,
Life goes on and people move on.
You will be with her for all eternity,
You'll eventually be reunited with the person when you pass away.
But we that remain need you here again,
But for now, we need you to be present in our lives.
So hold her in your memory,
Remember the person in your heart.
And begin to make the shadows disappear;
Start to move forward and let go of the pain.
And when you need a light in the lonely nights,
When you feel lost and alone.
Carry me like a fire in your heart,
Hold onto me for comfort and strength.
So let it start, my friend, let it start,
Begin the healing process.
Let the love come rolling from your heart,
Let yourself feel love and happiness again.
And when you need a light in the lonely nights,
When you feel lost and alone.
Carry me like a fire in your heart,
Hold onto me for comfort and strength.
Carry me like a fire in your heart,
Hold onto me for comfort and strength.
Carry me like a fire in your heart,
Hold onto me for comfort and strength.
Carry me like a fire in your heart.
Hold onto me for comfort and strength.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: CHRIS DE BURGH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind