Do you think that in traffic jams you can only stupidly kill time, listening to the radio and honking to slow drivers?
Take a cue from Chris Rea, who wrote one of his best songs in a similar situation – the famous Road to Hell (“Road to Hell”).
The story of the creation of the song Road to Hell
One stormy evening, he got stuck on the M25 London ring road. This road was once considered one of the fastest, but later the endless stream of cars slowed down the traffic here so much that they began to jokingly call it a huge parking lot. Standing in this almost frozen stream, Chris sketched out the text of the future hit on a piece of paper.
In the full version, Road to Hell begins with a gloomy poem that Rea wrote a little earlier, after the death of his mother. In it, he tells how she dreamed of him at the side of the road and warned that the road along which he moves in life leads to hell.
However, the record company decided that this intro was too boring and decided to release only the main part of Road to Hell as a single. That is why the blank verse read by Chris to the ominous music should be called the first Road to Hell – Part I, and the song itself – Road to Hell – Part II.
Meaning of Road to Hell
At first glance, the words of the song can be perceived as a description of the state of a person languishing in a traffic jam: “I am standing by the river, but the water does not flow …”. But then it becomes clear, he is trying to convey to the listeners a deeper idea: a desperate desire at any cost to climb as high as possible on the social ladder will not lead to anything good. So the text he reads first plays an important role in the overall composition.
The song Road to Hell was enthusiastically received by the English public and for a long time occupied the top lines of the charts. In the US, she was not so popular.
Video of Road to Hell by Chris Rea
Now watch the online music video for the song Road to Hell by Chris Rea.
Interesting Facts
- In 2010, Chris Rea auctioned off a piece of paper on which he had just written the lyrics to Road to Hell while stuck in traffic. He donated the proceeds to the Teenage Cancer Trust, which fights cancer in children.
- The album cover of Road to Hell features a painting by English artist Adrian Chesterman.
- It is known that Road to Hell is a favorite song of many fans of high-speed driving on night roads.
- The intro from Road to Hell was “torn off” by the Ladybug group for the song “Granite Pebble”.
Road to Hell (Part I) Lyrics by Chris Rea
Stood still on the 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”
Road to Hell (Part I) Lyrics by Chris Rea Alternate
I stood motionless on the highway
And saw a woman
On the side of the road
Her face reflected in the glass
I knew as well as my own
She went to the back door window
And leaned very slowly
I couldn’t move in horror
She asked, “Son, what are you doing here?
I rolled over in my grave for fear of you.”
I replied: “Mom, I came to the rich valley to sell myself”
She said, “Son, this is the road to hell
On the way through the wilderness
From the desert to the well
You got lost and went on the road to hell”
Road to Hell (Part II) Lyrics by Chris Rea
Well I’m standing by the river
But the water doesn’t flow
It boils with every poison you can think of
And I’m underneath the streetlight
But the light of joy I know
Scared beyond belief way down in the shadows
And the perverted fear of violence
Chokes the smile on every face
And common sense is ringing out the bell
This ain’t no technological breakdown
Oh no, this is the road to hell
And all the roads jam up with credit
And there’s nothing you can do
It’s all just bits of paper flying away from you
Oh look out world, take a good look what comes down here
You must learn this lesson fast and learn it well
This ain’t no upwardly mobile freeway
Oh no, this is the road
Said this is the road
This is the road to hell
Road to Hell (Part II) Lyrics by Chris Rea Alternate
I’m standing by the river
But the water doesn’t flow
She boils all sorts of poisons
I’m standing under the street lights
But the light of joy that I know
From fear huddled far into the shadows
Perverted fear of cruelty
Strangles smiles on faces
And common sense rings the bell
This is not a technological accident
Oh no, this is the road to hell
And all the roads are clogged to the eyeballs with loans,
And there’s nothing you can do
It’s just pieces of paper flying away from you
Oh world, watch out and watch what’s happening
You must quickly learn this lesson and remember it forever
It’s not a freeway to a better life
Oh no it’s a road
I said this is the road
This is the road to hell
