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.
The Tower
Chris de Burgh Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
One morning with a weapon in his hand;
Rich was his castle, he lacked for nothing,
But killing was his plan;
When a white bird flew by she fell from the sky,
Nothing was found, only blood on the ground, she was gone;
Cursing his fortune,
And standing before him was a lovely young woman
With her hand hung in pain,
When he saw her his eyes were filled with desire,
He said "I must have her, she must be mine,
She will be mine"
He offered her silver, he offered her gold,
But she threw it on the ground,
He fell to his knees and he begged her,
"Oh please come with me,
What you wish will be found;"
She said, "Sire, I'll go if you put up your bow,
And spare these creatures, leave them in peace,
You have no need"
But her words were lost in the wind
His eyes were fixed on a queen
And all he saw was a woman
And all she was, was a dream
Oh oh...And all he saw was a woman, and all she was,
Was a dream
He took her and bound her with ropes tied around her
To his castle he did ride;
In the wood was a bower where stood an an old tower
And he threw her deep inside;
Then the birds left the sky and a terrible cry,
Brought thunder and lightning, and rain falling down,
Tears on the ground
All through the days on her face he would gaze,
For she was lovely as the spring;
No words would she speak but "Leave them in peace",
And some sad lament she would sing,
Oh one day by the door, at the window he saw
A single white feather lying on the floor.
She was there no more
Now that great lord is dying,
His cold heart is crying for the love of the girl;
For many an hour he has wept on the tower
For she meant more than the world;
And once in the sky, a white bird flew by,
He lifted his hands, he cried out in pain
"Come back again"
But his words were lost in the wind,
His castle was built upon sand,
And all he has is a memory,
And all he yearns is her hand
Ah ah, all he has is the memory,
And all he yearns is her hand.
Chris de Burgh's song "The Tower" tells a story of a great lord who enjoys killing for pleasure. One day, while walking through the forest with a weapon in his hand, he comes across a white bird which falls from the sky and disappears with only blood on the ground. Ignoring the ominous sign, he continues to hunt and comes across a beautiful woman, who he desires and wishes to make his own. She refuses his offer of silver and gold, pleading with him to spare the creatures and leave them in peace. However, he ignores her request and takes her captive to his castle, where he binds her and throws her deep inside an old tower. When a white feather is found at the window, the woman has disappeared and the great lord is left to mourn the memory of her.
The lyrics of this song convey the strong message that abusing power comes at a price, and that greed and obsession can never bring true happiness. The great lord's desire for conquest and control ultimately leads to his downfall. The use of symbolism, such as the white bird and feather, add depth to the song and give the story an air of mystery and magic. "The Tower" is a tale of love, loss, and regret, and a warning against the dangers of unchecked desire.
Line by Line Meaning
A great lord came walking through the forest
A wealthy nobleman strolled into the woods.
One morning with a weapon in his hand;
He carried a deadly weapon with him that morning.
Rich was his castle, he lacked for nothing,
He had a magnificent estate and everything he could ever want.
But killing was his plan;
However, his intention was to cause harm.
When a white bird flew by she fell from the sky,
The appearance of a white bird led to its sudden, inexplicable demise.
Nothing was found, only blood on the ground, she was gone;
The only trace of the creature was bloodstains on the ground.
Cursing his fortune,
Feeling unlucky or cursed, he expressed his frustration.
He turned to the forest to kill once again,
He went hunting to kill again.
And standing before him was a lovely young woman
He saw a beautiful lady in front of him.
With her hand hung in pain,
She was in anguish and held her injured hand.
When he saw her his eyes were filled with desire,
He was struck by her beauty and became filled with passion.
He said "I must have her, she must be mine,
He decided that he wanted this woman for himself.
She will be mine"
He vowed to make her his own.
He offered her silver, he offered her gold,
He tried to bribe her using precious metals like silver and gold.
But she threw it on the ground,
She refused his gifts and threw them on the floor.
He fell to his knees and he begged her,
He pleaded with her, dropping to his knees.
"Oh please come with me,
He begged her to come with him.
What you wish will be found;"
He promised to give her anything she desired.
She said, "Sire, I'll go if you put up your bow,
She agreed to go with him on the condition that he stops hunting.
And spare these creatures, leave them in peace,
She pleaded with him not to harm the forest creatures anymore and to let them live undisturbed.
You have no need"
She insisted that he didn't require to hunt with such cruelty and violence.
But her words were lost in the wind
Her plea went unheard and was lost amidst the natural sounds around them.
His eyes were fixed on a queen
His attention was focused on a royal lady.
And all he saw was a woman
In his mind, she was nothing more than just another woman.
And all she was, was a dream
In reality, she was just a mere figment of his imagination.
He took her and bound her with ropes tied around her
He tied her up with ropes to take her to his castle.
To his castle he did ride;
He brought her back to his estate.
In the wood was a bower where stood an an old tower
There was a tower amidst the trees.
And he threw her deep inside;
He threw her into the tower.
Then the birds left the sky and a terrible cry,
After he imprisoned her, the birds stopped flying and a scary scream echoed through the air.
Brought thunder and lightning, and rain falling down,
This disturbance in nature resulted in a violent storm with thunder and lightning, raining down upon the gloomy forest.
Tears on the ground
This resulted in raindrops being mistaken for tears due to the emotional turmoil.
All through the days on her face he would gaze,
He would stare at her every day.
For she was lovely as the spring;
He found her as charming as the spring season itself.
No words would she speak but "Leave them in peace",
She refused to say anything apart from urging him to abandon his violent lifestyle and live in harmony with nature.
And some sad lament she would sing,
She would sing a sorrowful dirge that expressed her grief.
Oh one day by the door, at the window he saw
One day he saw a sign by the tower window.
A single white feather lying on the floor.
He noticed a white feather that lay on the ground.
She was there no more
Realizing that she had left, he came to understand that his cruelty caused her departure.
Now that great lord is dying,
Now, the nobleman is breathing his last breaths.
His cold heart is crying for the love of the girl;
In his final days, he remembered and missed the woman he had imprisoned.
For many an hour he has wept on the tower
For ages he has been crying, standing atop his castle tower.
For she meant more than the world;
That lady was more valuable to him than anything else in the world.
And once in the sky, a white bird flew by,
Sighting of white bird appeared again some time later.
He lifted his hands, he cried out in pain
He lifted his hands and emitted sounds of discomfort at the lack of a way to correct his wrongs.
"Come back again"
He pleaded with the bird to reappear - perhaps as a symbol of his willingness to change.
But his words were lost in the wind,
The wind muffled his voice, abducting his last hope.
His castle was built upon sand,
He realized the apparent failure of his life, that despite his wealth and status, he achieved very little for the greater good.
And all he has is a memory,
By this point, all that remained with him was the thought and the horrors of his past.
And all he yearns is her hand
He longed to go back to an opportunity in the past to change his ways.
Ah ah, all he has is the memory,
The person has only the ghost of his past left.
And all he yearns is her hand.
What he needs more than anything else is a chance to make things right, to reconnect with his passion for living in harmony with the environment and to live with the ethical principles of nonviolence.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: CHRIS DE BURGH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@pretendperfection
A great lord came walking through the forest
One morning with a weapon in his hand;
Rich was his castle, he lacked for nothing,
But killing was his plan;
When a white bird flew by she fell from the sky,
Nothing was found, only blood on the ground, she was gone;
Cursing his fortune,
He turned to the forest to kill once again,
And standing before him was a lovely young woman
With her hand hung in pain,
When he saw her his eyes were filled with desire,
He said "I must have her, she must be mine,
She will be mine"
He offered her silver, he offered her gold,
But she threw it on the ground,
He fell to his knees and he begged her,
"Oh please come with me,
What you wish will be found;"
She said, "Sire, I'll go if you put up your bow,
And spare these creatures, leave them in peace,
You have no need"
But her words were lost in the wind
His eyes were fixed on a queen
And all he saw was a woman
And all she was, was a dream
Oh oh...And all he saw was a woman, and all she was,
Was a dream
He took her and bound her with ropes tied around her
To his castle he did ride;
In the wood was a bower where stood an an old tower
And he threw her deep inside;
Then the birds left the sky and a terrible cry,
Brought thunder and lightning, and rain falling down,
Tears on the ground
All through the days on her face he would gaze,
For she was lovely as the spring;
No words would she speak but "Leave them in peace",
And some sad lament she would sing,
Oh one day by the door, at the window he saw
A single white feather lying on the floor.
She was there no more
Now that great lord is dying,
His cold heart is crying for the love of the girl;
For many an hour he has wept on the tower
For she meant more than the world;
And once in the sky, a white bird flew by,
He lifted his hands, he cried out in pain
"Come back again"
But his words were lost in the wind,
His castle was built upon sand,
And all he has is a memory,
And all he yearns is her hand
Ah ah, all he has is the memory,
And all he yearns is her hand.
@Claire6521
A great lord came walking through the forest
One morning with a weapon in his hand;
Rich was his castle, he lacked for nothing,
But killing was his plan;
When a white bird flew by she fell from the sky,
Nothing was found, only blood on the ground, she was gone;
Cursing his fortune,
He turned to the forest to kill once again,
And standing before him was a lovely young woman
With her hand hung in pain,
When he saw her his eyes were filled with desire,
He said "I must have her, she must be mine,
She will be mine..."
He offered her silver, he offered her gold,
But she threw it on the ground,
He fell to his knees and he begged her,
"Oh please come with me,
What you wish will be found;"
She said, "Sire, I'll go if you put up your bow,
And spare these creatures, leave them in peace,
You have no need..."
But her words were lost in the wind
His eyes were fixed on a queen
And all he saw was a woman
And all she was, was a dream...
Oh oh...And all he saw was a woman, and all she was,
Was a dream...
He took her and bound her with ropes tied around her
To his castle he did ride;
In the wood was a bower where stood an an old tower
And he threw her deep inside;
Then the birds left the sky and a terrible cry,
Brought thunder and lightning, and rain falling down,
Tears on the ground...
All through the days on her face he would gaze,
For she was lovely as the spring;
No words would she speak but "Leave them in peace",
And some sad lament she would sing,
Oh one day by the door, at the window he saw
A single white feather lying on the floor.
She was there no more...
Now that great lord is dying,
His cold heart is crying for the love of the girl;
For many an hour he has wept on the tower
For she meant more than the world;
And once in the sky, a white bird flew by,
He lifted his hands, he cried out in pain
"Come back again..."
But his words were lost in the wind,
His castle was built upon sand,
And all he has is a memory,
And all he yearns is her hand...
Ah ah ... all he has is the memory,
And all he yearns is her hand.
@patryn1231
I remember writing the lyrics down, sentence by sentence, until I had the full song on paper. Then I was able to learn it by singing it over and over, I was 11 years old and had undiagnosed autism and music was there for me, especially this mans beautiful songs, when the world was too much for me, this and all the very early songs would take me to a place where I felt safe. Thank you for helping me when I needed it. I still know every word of every song Chris de Burgh has written, I am 53 now and still love to leave the world outside and lose myself in his beautiful music xx
@caobita
Wow, so good for you 🍀
@leeroydale37
some one is joking right????? only 336k views, this has to be one of the greatest songs ever written, beautiful story telling, i remembered this song from 35 yrs ago, and still love it everytime i hear it, please share this song
@jamesgreenwood2054
This is one of my most favourite songs but totally underrated even by most Chris de Burgh fans. There is just something about this song, that speaks to me of lost love.
@floriancarvalho4091
James Greenwood I cry every time
@loripatrick4652
Me too. All she asked from him was to put down his weapons. And he lost her love.
@lindavandenberg4724
So do I!
@rikbison3499
He paints beautiful images. One of my favourites also.
@caobita
One of mine, too, as well as his song "Just in time" 💕
@xminusone1
This song gives me chills. There's a profound nostalgia of something precious, unobtainable anymore, lost because of my own stupidity. Something as beautiful and fragile as fine crystal, so unique it could never be replaced, that I've broke not because of neglect but for holding too hard on it.
We all did this at one point. We've all been this king with a castle on the sand, despite having all one could wish, still missing that one precious thing we've lost. And wanting we can give it all for one more moment with that something we've lost forever.
We've all been this king.
That's the best way for me to describe this song. English isn't my language.