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.
Something Else Again
Chris de Burgh Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She loves without a reason, she gives without a word,
There are those who make me smile, brighten up my day,
But oh this woman she is something else again;
All the nights I've ever known are waiting in her eyes,
Sparkling like the silver, brimming like the wine,
Other lovers laid me down, took my breath away,
Oh she is a friend to me,
Holds me in my tears,
She said "Yes, you will be young again
When you look back through the years"
So take your woman by the hand, love her till she dies,
Be strong when she needs you, hold her when she cries,
And if a man should say to you, love just brings you pain,
You tell him "No, my woman's something else again,
Oh my woman's something else again, oh my woman's something else again"
The lyrics of Chris de Burgh's "Something Else Again" is dedicated to a woman who embodies peace, understanding, love, and generosity. She loves and gives without reason and word, and her wisdom is marked by the serenity she exudes. The singer acknowledges that other women have made him happy, but there's just something special about the woman he speaks of. Her eyes brim with joy and are filled with love, and being in her company makes him feel young again. This woman is a friend who has always supported him during his times of tears and pain.
In the end, the singer gives advice to other men to take their women by the hand, love them till they die, be strong when they need them, and hold them when they cry. He also says that if any man ever doubts the power of love, that they should look to this woman as proof that there is something different about true love. The singer believes that love shouldn't cause pain, and real love is something that brings happiness and contentment, and embodies the spirit of the woman he sings about. The song is a beautiful ode to the power of love and the joy that it can bring into our daily lives.
Line by Line Meaning
Peace and understanding is the wisdom of her world,
She values peace and understanding above all and it guides everything she does.
She loves without a reason, she gives without a word,
She loves selflessly and gives without expecting anything in return.
There are those who make me smile, brighten up my day,
There are people who make me happy and improve my day, but she surpasses them all.
But oh this woman she is something else again;
But she is something truly special and unique that words cannot fully express.
All the nights I've ever known are waiting in her eyes,
Her eyes hold all the memories of my past nights, both good and bad.
Sparkling like the silver, brimming like the wine,
Her eyes shine brightly and overflow with emotion like silver and wine.
Other lovers laid me down, took my breath away,
I've been with other lovers who impressed me, but she leaves me speechless in a different way.
But oh this woman she is something else again;
But she is something truly special and unique that words cannot fully express.
Oh she is a friend to me,
She is not just a lover, but also a true friend to me.
Holds me in my tears,
She supports me and holds me when I am vulnerable and emotional.
She said "Yes, you will be young again
She encourages me and gives me hope, making me feel youthful again.
When you look back through the years"
When I reflect on my life and memories, I will feel young again because of her love.
So take your woman by the hand, love her till she dies,
Take care of your woman, cherish her and love her for as long as she lives.
Be strong when she needs you, hold her when she cries,
Be a pillar of strength for her when she is weak and comfort her when she is sad.
And if a man should say to you, love just brings you pain,
If someone tells you that love only causes pain,
You tell him "No, my woman's something else again,
Tell him that your woman is special and not like anyone else you have ever met.
Oh my woman's something else again, oh my woman's something else again"
This line is repeated again to show the depth of his love and admiration for this woman who is truly one of a kind.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: CHRIS DE BURGH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind