CHRIS REA - DRIVING HOME FOR CHRISTMAS

DRIVING HOME FOR CHRISTMAS

CHRIS REA

SONGWRITER: CHRIS REA

COUNTRY: U. K.

ALBUM: ON THE BEACH

LABEL: MAGNET RECORDS

GENRE: CHRISTMAS SONG

YEAR: 1986

 

          Christopher Anton Rea (/ˈriːə/REE-ə; born 4 March 1951) is an English rock and blues singer-songwriter and guitarist. Born and raised in Middlesbrough, he is of Italian and Irish descent. He is known for his distinctive, husky-gravel voice and slide guitar playing, and the Guinness Rockopedia described him as a "gravel-voiced guitar stalwart".

              British Hit Singles & Albums stated that Rea was "one of the most popular UK singer-songwriters of the late 1980s" and "already a major European star by the time he finally cracked the UK Top 10 with the release of the single "The Road to Hell (Part 2)", which was his 18th chart entry." Two of his studio albums, The Road to Hell and Auberge, topped the UK Albums Chart. Rea was nominated three times for the Brit Award for Best British Male Artist: in 1988, 1989 and 1990. His other hit songs include "I Can Hear Your Heartbeat", "Stainsby Girls", "Josephine", "On the Beach", "Let's Dance", "Driving Home for Christmas", "Working on It", "Tell Me There's a Heaven", "Auberge", "Looking for the Summer", "Winter Song", "Nothing to Fear", "Julia", and "If You Were Me", a duet with Elton John.

                In the United States he is best known for the 1978 song "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. This success earned him a Grammy nomination as Best New Artist in 1979. As of 2009, he had sold more than 30 million albums worldwide.

           "Driving Home for Christmas" is a Christmas song written and composed by British singer-songwriter Chris Rea. The first version was originally released as the b-side to Hello Friend in 1986. In October 1988, a re-recorded version served as one of two new songs on Rea's first compilation álbum New Light Through Old Windows. It was issued as the fourth single from the album in December 1988, where it peaked at number 53 on the UK Singles Chart as the lead track of The Christmas EP.

                Despite its original modest chart placement, the song has made a reappearance on the UK Singles Chart every year since 2007 when it peaked at Nº. 33, and is featured among the Top 10 Christmas singles. It reached a new peak of number 11 on the UK Singles Chart in 2018. In a UK-wide poll in December 2012, it was voted twelfth on the ITV television special The Nation's Favourite Christmas Song.

              A 2011 version by Stacey Solomon peaked at number 27 on the UK Singles Chart.

I'm driving home for Christmas

I can't wait to see those faces

I'm driving home for Christmas

Yeah, well I'm moving down that line

And it's been so long

But I will be there

To sing this song

To pass the time away

Driving in my car

I'm driving home for Christmas

It's gonna take some time

But I'll get there

Top to toe in tailbacks

Oh, I got red lights on the run

But soon there'll be a freeway

Get my feet on holy ground

So I sing for you

Though you can't hear me

When I get trough

And feel you near me

Driving in my car

I'm driving home for Christmas

Driving home for Christmas

With a thousand memories

I take a look at the driver next to me

He's just the same

Just the same

Top to toe in tailbacks

Oh, I got red lights on the run

I'm driving home for Christmas, yea

Get my feet on holy ground

So I sing for you

Though you can't hear me

When I get trough

Oh I feel you near me

Driving in my car

Driving home for Christmas

Driving home for Christmas

With a thousand memories

I take a look at the driver next to me

He's just the same

Driving home

Driving home

Driving home for Christmas

Driving home for Christmas.