Chris Rea
Driving Home For Christmas
The schools are closed, the offices are shutting down and roads
are filling up; the mass festive migration has begun. Like wildebeest,
thousands of people make their way home for the Christmas holidays and what better
accompaniment than Chris Rea’s 1988 classic Driving
Home For Christmas.
Rea gained inspiration for this song several years before
release, when his wife collected him from London to head home to Middlesbrough.
When her Austin Mini hit traffic heading out of London, Rea realised there was
a long drive ahead of him; “It’s going to
take some time/But I’ll get there”. Described by Chris himself as a “Car
version of a carol”, it is a lyricaly simple song. Rea basically just sings
about everything he sees on the way home. “I
take a look at the driver next to me/He’s just the same”. But what makes this
a beautiful classic is his voice. There’s a certain gravelly tone in his
vocals, warm and friendly, soft and gentle. It’s almost relaxed; the calm
before the storm and furore of Christmas Day itself. (It is certainly something
Michael Ball’s cover doesn’t have…) The accompanying piano and strings plod
along happily, progressing throughout towards the destination at a steady pace.
Chris is joyful to be heading home, and have his “Feet on holy ground”. The perfect festive driving song. Safe travels.
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