 Road to Hell (1986) [ larger cover art ] |
Share this song
Tweet this song
Wikipedia search
Musicbrainz DB;){kind=link}
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 quarterlight
And she bent down real slow
A fearful pressure paralysed me in my shadow
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'
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 quarterlight
And she bent down real slow
A fearful pressure paralysed me in my shadow
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'
| hbs47 (SE England) | Posted: Apr 10, 2013 - 04:35 Amazing guitarist does great live shows. As others have said grossly underated. 10 |
| von_Hayek (Land of the early birds) | Posted: Feb 06, 2013 - 08:58 I've seen CR live during that tour. Great show of an underrated guitarist. |
| apd (Toronto, On) | Posted: Nov 04, 2012 - 06:44 joelbb wrote: GREAT segue, Bill: "Sympathy for the Devil" then "Road to Hell"! I LOVE it!! perfect for a Sunday morning! |
| joelbb | Posted: Oct 03, 2012 - 22:32 GREAT segue, Bill: "Sympathy for the Devil" then "Road to Hell"! I LOVE it!! |
| tlew (Anywhere but here) | Posted: Sep 23, 2012 - 11:04 Sloggydog wrote: Sounds somewhere between Leonard Cohen and Dire Straits to me and let's face it that's not a bad place to be. Exactly what I heard too! At first I thought Cohen, but then thought Dire Straits because the voice & guitar sounded like Knopfler...glad I wasn't the only one to hear it ;) |
| billyl | Posted: Sep 02, 2012 - 09:27 Anyone hear Dire Straights and Mark Knopler in the guitar? |
| helgigermany (Germany) | Posted: Aug 22, 2012 - 23:07 First time i hear Chris here. Perfekt music for a road trip! |
| jagdriver (Just a nod and a wink south of Paradise) | Posted: Jul 22, 2012 - 13:11 jberko wrote: Sounds like Dire Straits... Not impressed. Chris has been around a long time, so I doubt that it's a deliberate knock-off. That said, it could easily be matched up with Sultans of Swing, eh? EDIT: Sultans predated this by about eight years, so maybe Chris was looking to gain a larger audience through imitation. Who knows? |
| Andy_B (aboard MV "Horizon," east coast Fla) | Posted: May 20, 2012 - 06:39 Bumped it to a 9. Moving permanently back to Fla. from the Caribbean a little over a year ago, I now find "The Road to Hell" even more appropiate. Chris tells it like it is. |
| kingart (Brooklyn NY) | Posted: Apr 18, 2012 - 13:02 Opening line sounds like a Republican theme for Toxic Hydrofrackers Anonymous. Then again, maybe the whole song was written with them in mind. |
| jeremyleo (Canada's Capital City) | Posted: Apr 18, 2012 - 13:00 Cynaera wrote: I thought I was the ONLY one who loved that song as one of his best (the other one I love is "Workin' On It".) Thanks for the comment! Love this album, and I agree, Texas is one of his best. |
| Foot (NorCal / Wine) | Posted: Mar 17, 2012 - 20:54 Sloggydog wrote: Sounds somewhere between Leonard Cohen and Dire Straits to me and let's face it that's not a bad place to be. Especially in 1986 - a rare 10 in my book. |
| Sloggydog (UK) | Posted: Feb 15, 2012 - 02:08 Sounds somewhere between Leonard Cohen and Dire Straits to me and let's face it that's not a bad place to be. |
| jb0nez | Posted: Jan 24, 2012 - 18:22 jberko wrote: Sounds like Dire Straits... Not impressed. Funny, I heard it come on and thought "Is that Mark Knopfler?" Not nearly as good as Dire Straits, but still decent IMO. |
| jberko (Franklin, TN) | Posted: Jan 24, 2012 - 18:19 Sounds like Dire Straits... Not impressed. |
| Jelani (Home of the freak, land of the vague) | Posted: Dec 13, 2011 - 13:28 I like this tune/song, but I think it could use a bit more grit. |
| Stratocaster (Bermuda) | Posted: Dec 05, 2011 - 02:29 rabbi_phil wrote: Does anyone know whatever happened to benny santini? LOL! |
| Stratocaster (Bermuda) | Posted: Dec 05, 2011 - 02:27 This song for me is a 10-plus. Simply incredible. |
| kurtster (Back in Ohiya, for now ...) | Posted: Nov 22, 2011 - 07:06 Andy_B wrote: Leading a sheltered life in the US and the Caribbean the last umpty-umph years I stumbled onto Chris Rea just several years ago. The album by the same name was my tune up album to adjust my big speakers in our open-air restaurant. Awesome album including "Texas" (mentioned below) and "Daytona", a song about my hometown. "The Road to Hell" song is better when you hear his acapella intro into it. Get's a solid 8 from me. Yep, the full version makes it all so much better. |
| jt1 | Posted: Nov 22, 2011 - 06:51 fredriley wrote: Ah, right, that makes sense. For those outwith the UK, the M25 is a London orbital motorway designed to relieve traffic congestion in the capital, and which has become in its turn so congested that it's known as the largest car park in England. You need nerves of steel and the patience of a saint to venture on to it. I thought the M25 was bad until I had to drive along the freeways in LA...I quite like the M25 by comparison! However, I'm drifting off topic, so I should perhaps mention that this is an excellent song. |
| stuart_dean | Posted: Oct 21, 2011 - 16:37 scrubbrush wrote: i absolutely thought this was Leonard Cohen... not ready to rate it yet... Absolutely same thing here. Still not sure... |
| scrubbrush (Sea of Calm) | Posted: Sep 29, 2011 - 16:22 i absolutely thought this was Leonard Cohen... not ready to rate it yet... |
| agkagk (Ontario, Canada) | Posted: Sep 09, 2011 - 20:49 Rooney wrote: Chris happened big in Europe while I was living there. My best song? It's "Texas" — sort of a metaphor for freedom, and breaking loose, and having dreams and aspirations. Check this out on Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMk208Op1Jc&feature=related "Texas" is indeed an awesome song from an awesome album. Listen carefully and you'll notice a definite ZZ Top vibe to a lot of his guitar work. I think Mr. Rea has a thing for Texas. |
| cc_rider (Austin Texas. Y'all.) | Posted: Aug 09, 2011 - 11:41 PopKombo wrote: Love the Road to Hell Glad you do, because we're on it... |
| PopKombo (a hipply obscure and slyly sarcastic comment about my location) | Posted: Aug 09, 2011 - 11:41 Love the Road to Hell |
| helgigermany (Germany) | Posted: Aug 09, 2011 - 11:40 Caltrader wrote: My Gosh, he sounds like a Knopfler brother AND there are indeed many connections. Google it ! What about a little Leanard Cohen too? |
| Caltrader (So. California) | Posted: Jul 28, 2011 - 21:49 My Gosh, he sounds like a Knopfler brother AND there are indeed many connections. Google it ! |
| Andy_B (aboard MV "Horizon," east coast Fla) | Posted: Jun 27, 2011 - 11:43 Leading a sheltered life in the US and the Caribbean the last umpty-umph years I stumbled onto Chris Rea just several years ago. The album by the same name was my tune up album to adjust my big speakers in our open-air restaurant. Awesome album including "Texas" (mentioned below) and "Daytona", a song about my hometown. "The Road to Hell" song is better when you hear his acapella intro into it. Get's a solid 8 from me. |
| Sparkie23 | Posted: Jun 27, 2011 - 11:42 Chris is amazing...lots of great tunes from him. 'God's Great Banana Skin'! |
| DD rabbi_phil (beach) | Posted: May 06, 2011 - 21:28 Does anyone know whatever happened to benny santini? |
| peter_james_bond (West Of The Burg) | Posted: Apr 25, 2011 - 06:33 Businessgypsy wrote: 25 years, and somehow we're still breathing. Alarmism springs eternal. Still like the song, have the vinyl. Some people have been living in Hell for a long time. |
| Businessgypsy (Deepest, Darkest Florida) | Posted: Mar 24, 2011 - 17:14 25 years, and somehow we're still breathing. Alarmism springs eternal. Still like the song, have the vinyl. |
| Cynaera (South of Neanderthal) | Posted: Mar 14, 2011 - 23:33 pannaramma wrote: Road to Hell - that's what we call the Beltway LOL - I"ve heard that, too. I don't live anywhere NEAR it, but the rumors travel. My condolences - don't you wish you had two-hundred miles of flat, straight two-lane highway with NO traffic? Move to Nevada. I guarantee, the only place you'll have to worry about merging onto a freeway will be at Lost Wages and Reno. The rest of the place is so much fun it should be illegal. |
| pannaramma (here and also there) | Posted: Feb 21, 2011 - 06:11 Road to Hell - that's what we call the Beltway |
| Cynaera (South of Neanderthal) | Posted: Feb 11, 2011 - 14:54 Rooney wrote: Chris happened big in Europe while I was living there. My best song? It's "Texas" — sort of a metaphor for freedom, and breaking loose, and having dreams and aspirations. Check this out on Youtube: Texas I thought I was the ONLY one who loved that song as one of his best (the other one I love is "Workin' On It".) Thanks for the comment! |
| cosmiclint (Vancouver BC) | Posted: Feb 11, 2011 - 14:43 This is turning out to be one helluva set Bill. |
| chadlymn (Apple Valley, MN) | Posted: Feb 01, 2011 - 11:41 rabaak wrote: I've heard it a lot too. But it still makes me stop and take notice when it comes on. What a great tune. I agree! |
| rabaak | Posted: Feb 01, 2011 - 10:39 I've heard it a lot too. But it still makes me stop and take notice when it comes on. What a great tune. |
| lemmoth (NYC) | Posted: Dec 20, 2010 - 14:56 Sounds like a Leonard Cohen song. |
| AliGator (The Bluegrass) | Posted: Nov 18, 2010 - 20:59 I heard this waaaay too many times on French commercial radio back in the day. Meh. |
| helgigermany (Germany) | Posted: Nov 08, 2010 - 23:24 Nice! |
| fredriley (Nottingham, UK) | Posted: Oct 18, 2010 - 04:57 Dillinquent wrote: paulmack wrote: Either Mark Knopfler is playing one of the guitars on this track or someone's doing an excellent job of duplicating his tone. Yes it is Mark Knopfler and the road in question is the M25. Ah, right, that makes sense. For those outwith the UK, the M25 is a London orbital motorway designed to relieve traffic congestion in the capital, and which has become in its turn so congested that it's known as the largest car park in England. You need nerves of steel and the patience of a saint to venture on to it. |
| Rooney (Near Paradise) | Posted: Oct 08, 2010 - 13:32 Chris happened big in Europe while I was living there. My best song? It's "Texas" — sort of a metaphor for freedom, and breaking loose, and having dreams and aspirations. Check this out on Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMk208Op1Jc&feature=related |
| AndyJ (Oregon) | Posted: Oct 08, 2010 - 11:53 Great driving song. Early morning, dark highway, too many things to think about...Chris Rea and an open road... Little play here in USA...But he broke thru and started the hunt for more... I really like his beach songs...and Blue cafe.. yep, maybe overplayed in Europe...But not enough here... Another reason to listen to Radio Paradise... new songs, old songs, good music...and no geographical boundaries...Just good music. Thanks.. |
| ubuntourist (Washington, DC) | Posted: Oct 08, 2010 - 11:53 "Highway to Hell" next, or perhaps "Bat Outa Hell"? (Actually, on second thought "Black Soul Choir" by "Sixteen Horsepower".) |
| byebyedelray (Arlington, VA) | Posted: Sep 06, 2010 - 11:30 Marcvs wrote: Way too overplayed by commercial radios… Not much hum left in it. Maybe in cool places like Prague, but not here in DC — nothing but lame ClearChannel dreck to be heard for many miles. Amendment: WPFW often rocks. |
| JK27 (Milwaukee, Wisconsin USA) | Posted: Aug 05, 2010 - 11:11 And an "8" becomes a "9". Really great tune. |
| Marcvs (Prague, Czech Republic) | Posted: Jul 26, 2010 - 04:16 Way too overplayed by commercial radios… Not much hum left in it. |
| Aegean (Earth) | Posted: Jul 14, 2010 - 12:22 Sweet and cogent...  |
| DaveInVA (In a hovel in effluent Damnville, VA) | Posted: Jun 24, 2010 - 07:17 I wonder if he has a sister named Dia?  |