Road to Hell
Chris Rea
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Stood still on a highway I saw a woman by the side of the road With a face that I knew like my own Reflected in my window. Well she walked up to my quarter light and she bent down real slow A fearful pressure paralyzed me in my shadows. She said, Son What are you doing here? My fear for you has turned me in my grave. I said, Mama I come to the valley of the rich Myself to sell. She said, Son This is the road to hell. On your journey 'cross the wilderness from the desert to the well You have strayed upon the motorway to hell.
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4 fans
Written by: CHRISTOPHER ANTON REA
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
10 facts about this song
Release and Reception"Road to Hell" was released in 1989 as part of Chris Rea's album also titled "The Road to Hell." It is one of Rea's most famous songs and it reached number 10 in the UK Singles Chart.
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Song MeaningThe song was a commentary on the frustrations of continually being stuck in traffic on the M25 motorway in England which is circular network around London. Rea lived in Cookham, and regularly needed to travel across London to his recording studio, causing him to become familiar with the motorway's heavy and frustrating traffic issues.
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Music VideoThe music video for "Road to Hell" is quite simplistic. It features Rea in a dimly lit room playing his guitar, interspersed with footage of busy highways, reflecting the song's theme.
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Song StructureInstead of a conventional verse-chorus-verse structure, “The Road to Hell” is composed primarily of two distinct parts – Part I is a quiet piano based ballad dealing with the rat race of society, while Part II is a longer, fully electric and instrumental composition which is upbeat and has an iconic guitar riff.
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Album SuccessThe album "The Road to Hell", from which the song comes, was Rea's most successful album, reaching number 1 in the UK Albums Chart.
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InfluenceThe song has been covered and sampled by numerous artists over the years, emphasizing its continuing influential status.
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Legacy“The Road to Hell” has entered pop culture as a metaphor for frustration and the problems of modern life, especially in the UK where it’s most associated with the M25 motorway.
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Live PerformancesChris Rea has performed this song live numerous times throughout his touring career and it remains one of his most popular and demanded songs in concert.
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Developed from a RiffThe song was built from a guitar riff that Rea had developed. Despite not having lyrics or a structure in place, his record company agreed to release it as a single due to its captivating melody and riff.
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Genre"The Road to Hell" is categorized under the blues rock genre, featuring clear cues from blues music, but retaining a rock and roll edge.
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Citation
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"Road to Hell Lyrics." Lyrics.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 26 Apr. 2024. <https://www.lyrics.com/lyric/31766206/Chris+Rea/Road+to+Hell>.
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