Man On The Line

March 20, 2006
Vickie Stiver (40) from Fort Erie, ON, Canada:
First, I love your work. Can't wait to see you in Toronto on Nov. 11th. I don't know if this has been asked before but, I did ask this in the FAQ page of this web site also. I think this might be a tough one. I loved the movie "If You Could See What I Hear", the story about actor/comedian Tom Sullivan that was made in the 80's. It starred Marc Singer and Shari Belafonte. In the bar scene, Marc sings your song "Carry On". There are also other songs from "The Crusader" that are on the sound track. Is Tom a fan of yours? Do you know him? How did those songs get to be in the movie? Did you have any input or choice of what songs they used? "Crusader" is one of my favourites. I do enjoy all your songs but the older songs are the best, in my opinion. I am always searching E-Bay and through old VHS movies at garage sales or in stores but have been unable to find a copy of this video anywhere. I don't think it is in print any longer. It may have been filmed in Canada, I know there were some Canadian actors in the movie as well. Have you seen this movie? It is one of my favourites. I love the scene at the end when Tom saves Blythe in the pool (he said this really happened to him but with his own daughter). He spends a lot of energy denying that God exists but when push comes to shove he falls on his knees, looks up to the sky and yells "God, help me." Does anyone have any idea where I could find a copy of this movie? I hope this question is interesting enough to be answered. I've been wondering about this movie for years. Thanks. Take care, be safe in your travels.
Chris de Burgh:
Yes, my songs were used in this. I only saw the film once and I thought it was a terrific film. I was very impressed by how they used the songs of mine. There are no restrictions on using songs in films, as long as the filmmaker instructs the publisher what he is about to do and they negotiate a fee for this. So quite a lot of my songs have been used in films. Sometimes I have been actually asked to write specific songs for films, for soundtracks and so on. And indeed my new film, which hopefully will be in production soon, "Through These Eyes" has the title track and various other new songs that I have written for it. "Crusader" is obviously an old song, and I am glad you like the old songs. I am hoping also that you'll enjoy some of the selection from the Storyman project. And even from "The Road To Freedom", there are old-style songs that I wrote. For example "Rose Of England", which was very much along the same lines as "The Girl With April In Her Eyes" and "The Tower". I think the best way to find a copy of this movie is through the internet. I am sure it is available on video, if not on DVD. But it is a bit of an obscure film, and I think it was made in Canada.
Editor's note:
Once again, the MOtL section is taking a break until we receive new answers from Chris de Burgh. Hopefully soon, but we have to keep in mind that he is currently very busy with the preparations for "The Storyman". Meanwhile, please keep the questions coming everyone! Astrid :)

March 19, 2006
J.A. (31) from Ireland:
Dear Chris, do you have any tattoo's? If so, please describe!
Chris de Burgh:
Very quick answer - the answer is no. I know there are a lot of people who have been doing it and have done for centuries, tattoos of various sorts and piercing and so on. I have to think that in some cases it does add to particularly to a young woman's beauty, and maybe to a man's virility and masculinity, having tattoos on his back or on his forearms. And a lot of people believe they are wonderful. I have no feelings either way, I don't really care either way about tattoos. But I think facial piercing with studs and earrings in the mouth, and I think actually it's almost for me, at my age, certainly laughable. Because instead of making particularly a young woman more attractive, it makes in my opinion less attractive. But it does make that person feel bonded and feel part of a group that she or he hangs out with. I think it's part of a rebellious thing, belonging to a group. I particularly know a young girl, a friend of mine, who in her early twenties put a stud in her lip and it looked horrible. I mean, surely horrible. She was so pretty, but with this thing in she looked awful, in my opinion. And quite a few other people too. And when she finally took it out after about two years, the change in her was massive. She looked absolutely gorgeous right after that, and I think she felt better about herself too.

March 18, 2006
Ramtin (22) from Shiraz, Iran:
Dear Chris, hi. Just have a question: In the song "Don't pay the ferryman", I got why "He shouldn't pay him until he get him to the other side", but I can't get why he shouldn't "EVEN fix a price"!?!?! Maybe it's a foolish question, but I would like to know!!! Thanks.
Chris de Burgh:
I spoke in an earlier answer about some of the wonderful carpets that came from what used to be called Persia, and Shiraz is another place where there used to be wonderful carpet makers and weavers. "Don't even fix a price" refers to getting into a dialogue with the ferryman. And I think in my song, our hero is being advised not to even distract himself or the ferryman from getting the boat to the other side. Then they can organize the price. You see, what is happening in my imagination is that our hero has gone on the boat, and they are half way across, and that's when the ferryman demands the money. That's also when you hear the voices shouting from the bank "Don't do it! Don't pay him till you get to the other side!" Because what he'll do is the ferryman will cut your throat and throw you in the river along with all those other people. That's the dancing skeletons and there is a sort of nightmarish scene in the background, and the thunder and lightning. And by negotiating a price the hero in the song would be saying in effect how much money he has with him. And that could cause his own death as well. So that's what I was thinking of in that song.

March 17, 2006
Monika Maid (48) from Ingolstadt, Germany:
Dear Chris, a few weeks ago I found "The Lovesongs" from you on a CD. For some wonderful moments the song "It's me" felt like a sudden walk with you together to a little cafe in the near of a cathedral, where the autumn leaves are falling. I started out to find this story of Ernest Hemmingway, but could not find it here in Germany. There is another song in this collection, which makes me wonder. "Much more than this" and to this wonderful song about a time nearly in every relationship I have a question , which only can be answered from you: About which relationship did you think when you wrote this lyric? What do you really mean, when you sing this part with such a tender voice: "it would take much more than this to break a love so long in the making. It would take much more than talk or dream to break so strong a foundation. More than this"?
Chris de Burgh:
Thank you for another question from you, Monika. I am glad that you felt the same emotion that I was trying to describe about the cathedral and the lights and the walking down to the river. And in fact, when I sent this record to a friend of mine shortly after I made it, she called me up and said "I was there, I could see the tombstones. I could see the candles and the church. I could feel the emotion that you were trying to express. Congratulations!" So I think it worked, and I think it worked for Monika too. It's loosely based on the book by Ernest Hemingway "A Farewell To Arms". I am sure it is available in Germany. It's not necessarily a place where Ernest Hemingway may have written the book, but I was very fond of the book and I am very fond of that writer, and I wanted to write him into this particular story about the lovers and the war. If you go back to the song "Say Goodbye To It All", there are also hints at that particular book in that song. The song "Much More Than This" I wrote many years ago. And I wasn't particularly looking at my own situation, but I was looking at a situation of people who do travel a lot and perhaps get tempted by a member of the opposite sex and fall to temptation. But what I am saying in this is that I have always struggled to understand why people split up just because of a physical indiscretion. Because it's far far worse to have an emotional bond with another person, when you are married to somebody. It's much more dangerous and I think most people would agree with that. And I am also saying that a love affair that grows and grows into a long relationship is like a tree. And it should be able to withstand any storms that come its way. I think it's the new relationships that tend to have the most problems with people who are being unfaithful or disloyal. Not the ones that have survived the test of time.

March 16, 2006
Ian McDonald (41) from Vancouver, BC, Canada:
Hi Chris, Chris Williams from the email list recently posted a link to a web site with a write up on Bargy Castle, this was written in the info: "Recently a dungeon, crypt, sepulchres, a secret passage and walled-up entrances, yielding weapons and gunpowder, were discovered. One of the bedroom partitions has unique hand-carved panelling dated 1591." I am curious as to what sort of weapons were found and how long had you been living on a pile of GUNPOWDER!!!! Also this wood panel from 1591, what does it depict if anything. Thanks.
Chris de Burgh:
Hi Ian! I know your name very well. Even the word "popsidoodle" applies to you, because you write things not only in the guestbook, but also on the Yahoo site. The write up on Bargy Castle was part of a brochure for when the castle was operated as a hotel. And yes, there have been secret passages, dungeons, gunpowder. When we moved into the castle, as people probably know, there was no water, electricity or furniture and there was no heat. It was winter time, 1960 I believe, it was very cold. And about, I would say probably during the Easter holidays the following year, we discovered a hole in the floor in the tower of the castle. And down there in very dusty, dry conditions, along with some bones, was this package that my brother handed to me. And I dusted it off and it had the word "Gunpowder" written on it. We contacted the Irish army who set down explosive experts to deal with it , and they blew it up in a field, and it blew a large crater in the ground. The gunpowder was actually described as gelignite and it was unstable, so it could have gone off at any time. We were happy that it didn't go off at that particular moment. The kind of weapons we found were muskets. I think one smallish musket and a pike and a sword. This wood panel dated 1591 has the letters "RR married MS", and there is the Christian symbol underneath that dated 1591.

March 15, 2006
Kaveh Saber (18) from Rasht, Iran:
Hello dear Chris. Now the "MOtL" section is growing up and I think that it's the most popular part among the fans. Few days ago I saw that my favourite sportsman "Roger Federer" has this section in his official site too (please have a look at it). As you said before: this shows that you are friendly and close to your fans and this is very important for them. Now, do you know any other famous person who treats like you and maybe in another question: was the "MOtL" section your own idea? Many thanks from Here For You.
Chris de Burgh:
I think it's not only really important to keep in touch with your fans, but also show them respect by helping your fans all over the world to understand that you do find it very important to not only share your own ideas with other people, but also read their opinions and ideas about yourself. I would be very sad indeed if the website came to an end, and I wasn't able to read people's comments, remarks, things that have touched them on a daily basis, tragedies in their lives, great things that have happened. Because all this amounts to a really wonderful understanding that it is a globe that we are living on. It is a global village and we are all living on the same planet. And it emphasizes yet again that we are all human beings with slight distinctions in colour and the way our faces are built. But beneath all that, we operate exactly the same way. Our internal organs, indeed our emotions and fears and hopes. And that's what I get from reading the guestbook and reading the questions on MOtL. I have to say at this point that there have been times when it has been very difficult for me to get involved with MOtL, because of outstanding other things that I have to get up to. And I have been working extremely hard recently on my new songs for the Storyman Project. And in fact I will be going into the recording studio in April and May to start working on the new songs. But when you are a single songwriter, and all the ideas must spring from your own imagination, all the words, all the music, all the melodies, it's really very difficult to do. Particularly when now I must have written over 200 songs and trying to come up with good ideas is not particularly easy. I didn't know about the Roger Federer site, but it's a very good idea. And I have no idea where the idea came from. I know that David Bowie started doing this years ago, because he was very glued to the internet at a very early stage. I am not sure how many other top stars do it, but I think it's a very important thing to continue to do. Because as I said right at the start of this answer, it shows overwhelming respect to those who support you and are responsible for helping to be the person you are and why you are today. That's me I am talking about, by the way.

March 14, 2006
Francis Descoteaux (39) from Ottawa, Canada:
You must have noticed that the crowd at the many sold out concerts you've done in Ottawa is more of the "sit down and listen" type. For my part, I'm just not big on dancing. I go for the wonderful music and stimulating lyrics. I often wonder, however, how you feel about it. Does audience participation affect your performance, your choice of songs or how you interact with the audience? Does it affect how you feel about your performance ('cause it shouldn't!)? Thanks for your wonderful music.
Chris de Burgh:
Yes, I have noticed many times that some people in the crowd want to dance, other people want to sit and listen. And since your question has been asked, I have actually performed in Ottawa, and you may recall it was a stunning night. It was a sold-out crowd, I think 3,500 or something. And although it was a solo performance, I felt that everybody was there enjoying themselves participating in an event. Not just watching a performer, they were just joining in. Many times I have been in situations where it has been difficult to get the crowd on their feet. I never push it. The closest parallel, as I have probably said before, to the concert is seduction of a man attempting to seduce a woman, or indeed the other way round. But if you go too hard too quickly, then it just doesn't work. You'll turn people off. You can't walk on the stage in front of a lot of people who obviously just want to listen and say "Everybody clap your hands!" You know, "Wave your arms up and down! Everybody get up from their seats and dance." That will come eventually. But you've got to feel it. This is part of the experience of knowing stage craft, and knowing exactly how to move an audience. To listen very carefully to the audience, to listen to the applause, look in their eyes, and see exactly what they want to do and when they want to do it. And then I am quite sure, that you will achieve what you want to as a performer. The audience participation doesn't really affect my choice of songs. That is usually done beforehand, so the lighting and sound technicians can actually know what I am about to do. But it can definitely affect the performance in as much as if you've got a very vibrant crowd, as I had for example in Dortmund in the Westfalenhalle in November 2004, that audience was so vibrant and so fantastic, you can't but respond with energy, with strength, with emotion. It's sometimes incredibly moving. You get chills down your spine and the hairs on the back of your arms go up. Like when I walked out on the stage that night in the Westfalenhalle, I had tears in my eyes, the absolute rush of emotions. The same thing happened again at quite a few places in Canada, notably the first night in Montreal. It was like people jumped up when I walked out on stage. And it was like the feeling that you have when your own team has just scored the winning goal in the European cup final, as I have seen Liverpool do last year. The emotion is amazing, and you are just watching those people greeting you and saying basically "thank you for the years and years that you have brought music and magic into our lives", it's a very emotional thing and clearly not all audiences are the same. And you just judge each one on its own merits on the night.

March 13, 2006
Heike Stelljes (46) from Germany:
Dear Chris, some days ago a young couple I know very well lost their third baby. The little boy was only ten days old. It was so hard to find words of consolation. Did you ever have the situation to have to say something and no single word came out of your mouth? All the best, Heike
Chris de Burgh:
Hello Heike! Your question is a difficult one, because everybody deals with grief in a different way. It's particularly difficult when a close friend is in terrible terrible despair. And it's often hard to find words apart from just a hug and showing quietly support by trying to get meals for example for a friend, or taking over the daily duties. Because people are absolutely numb, when these things happen. Here in Ireland we often, in the Catholic faith, have a thing where you can meet the family the night before the funeral in the church and a traditional form of showing your compassion, showing your sense of bereavement as well. As the family involved is to say "I'm sorry for your troubles.". It's a well-known phrase here in Ireland. And this often is heard at the day of the funeral. Because people often don't really know what to say. As far as I am concerned, if it is somebody who has lost a parent, what I have advised people around me to say and what I actually say to these people is "Remind yourself what it was like growing up. Remind yourself when you were a little child. Remind yourself of the wonderful memories of growing up with that parent. Don't just remember that person when they were elderly, perhaps ill. Try to remember them when they were young and vibrant." In answer to your question, I have always found something to say. Whether it's the correct thing to say in these circumstances or not, I don't know. But there are always words that you can find. In the case of your friends, the young couple who lost the baby, that is absolutely tragic. It's even worse, if that's possible, than losing a baby during pregnancy. When the baby is born, healthy and then dies. It's the loss of a real person. And I can only suggest that they should cherish the memory of that child, and treat the baby as if it were older than it actually is, 10 days. And would it become a person, maybe imagine what the baby would have been like at 5 years old or even 10 years old. But then, perhaps some people take a photograph of the baby, maybe done up in a beautiful outfit to be buried. These things do help.

March 12, 2006
Elaine Sparling (34) from County Limerick, Ireland:
Hi Chris, it's the day after the INEC in Killarney. Thank you for a truly wonderful night. As one of your many Irish fans it was fantastic to see you play at home again...and more especially outside of Dublin - so many performers don't bother to move outside of the pale. Having read here on MOtL that you wouldn't play Ireland again my question is what made you change your mind? The concert was fantastic but the advertising was so low key I could easily have missed it. Was this a deliberate strategy? And more importantly will you play in Ireland again.....? (Limerick has a great venue in the UCHL !!) Yours in anticipation, Elaine
Chris de Burgh:
Although it is quite a long time ago now, I still remember and enjoy the memories of that wonderful evening, indeed a wonderful time in the West. And I particularly enjoyed the reaction of the crowd, their wonderful generosity spirit, and the fun that we all had that night. As far as the advertising being low key, well advertising is a strange thing. I often come across people saying "Oh, I didn't even know that concert was on." This can happen for one of two reasons. Either the concert is sold out, in which case the promoter will spend no more money on it. Or alternatively you are just not in an area or listening to a radio spot or reading the correct newspaper where you might have seen the advertisement for a concert. We are always highly aware of what we call the advertising spend. That is the amount of money spent on promoting a concert. My management are constantly monitoring every concert to see how the sales are, almost on a daily basis. To see, whether we need a little support. Like for example, if I need to call up and have a radio interview or a newspaper interview to bring people's attention to the fact that there is a concert on. And I think they did a fairly good job on that particular show under the circumstances. But I will be playing in the West of Ireland again. I am not sure if the date has been put up on the website or is even confirmed. But it will be later this year, hopefully in September. And this time it will be with the band, and hopefully also with the Storyman project.

March 11, 2006
Michael Folks (17) from Stone, Staffordshire, UK:
Hi Chris, I have been a fan of yours for most of my life and have every album that you have released and I have been to see you in concert twice, the last time being at the Birmingham Symphony Hall. One of my favourite songs is the Connemara Coast and I have just been over to Ireland for a holiday with my parents. We were staying in South Donegal, but took a trip down to Connemara because of your song. I was wondering if there was a particular spot that you had in mind when you wrote the line ' Nothing can compare to the Connemara Coast'? I would love to hear the answer. Best wishes Michael
Chris de Burgh:
Michael, lovely to hear from you! You have the same age as my elder boy Hubie. The West of Ireland has something magical about it. When I wrote the song "The Connemara Coast", I wasn't thinking of any particular specific place, although I have been there a lot in the past. I have friends who have homes near Roundstone, which is absolutely gorgeous. But there is an extraordinary complex combination of emotional strength that comes from being in Connemara. For example there is this extreme feeling sometimes of melancholy, being the Western most point of Europe. There is a feeling of history. There is a lot of emigration that has happened from that area. A lot of broken down homes and houses. There are a lot of new houses, many of which look absolutely dreadful. It's called a bungalow blight, colloquially people call it that. It has become a holiday area, and I am glad people go there. Along with the melancholy you can get breathtaking beauty. So I remember looking over the mountains one day, and rain was falling and the sun was shining behind me, and I could see this extraordinary rainbow. And the combination of colours and beauty, it reminded me much of one of Ireland's great poets, of William Butler Yeats, who wrote many many poems about the beauty of Connemara. Indeed, more recently, a friend of mine, his father died, amended a few of the words of "Connemara Coast", because his father was very fond of the area. And he changed some of the words and sang it in church, and it was very moving indeed. It is an extraordinary part of the world, and I urge anybody who wants to be romantically moved and emotionally moved, to spend a little time in the West of Ireland.

March 10, 2006
Zeinab Jorani (21) from Baqubah, Iraq:
Dear Chris, hello. My name is Zeinab and I am from Iraq, I have just finished listening to your last album for ten times during this week and just cannot say how amazing you are. But at first time it seemed to me that your voice is tired, too tired and confused. Was I wrong? Of course then I thought I'm wrong. How can it be true when your voice vibrates in my mind and brings back the memories of what you mean to me? Your voice is still beautiful and your lyrics give hope. You never believe that I pray and thank God everyday that you exist and sing. I thought you must be really impressed by the movies and books because you have never been in a war, neither I. I always cried for those who have been involved in a war but now that I'm living in Iraq it does not seem so important. You once said "there's nothing worth dying for" I agree, but sometimes a war is inevitable just like this war. It's our road to freedom and we must pay for it, of course I think there will never be perfect justice on earth otherwise you should have been the Top Ten of the all decades of the music history. I think you will never know about me because your secretary will read this letter and maybe with a little luck answer me but you don't know either that if you answer me you will never get rid of me. Unfortunately you're not famous in Iraq and it's really hard to get one of your albums but please tell me why your last album isn't as magical as your previous works, those belong to 80's and 90's? Like "Man on the line" or "Spanish Train"? Do you run out of ideas or tired of them? I'm kidding just want to tell they are amazing. I CANNOT imagine the world without YOU. God bless you, "perfect man".
Chris de Burgh:
Well, Zeinab, this is another very interesting question. To be honest, when I first read it, I thought "well I am not going to answer this", because in some ways it's perhaps critical of me and my voice or my songwriting. But then I thought "no, no, I have to answer this", because in a way I think I know what you are saying. The first thing I have to say is maybe the copy of the record that you have got is a pirate copy, and the sound is not good! Because I think that my performances on "The Road To Freedom" are as good as any that I have ever done in the past. And my voice was beautifully recorded, and I certainly think it's one of the best records I have ever made. But that brings you back to the magical stories of the past like "Spanish Train" and "Man On The Line". Well, I started changing. I didn't want to be just a storyteller. I wanted to be successful. I had a band. I had people to pay. I had a successful career waiting to happen, and I knew that the pathway I was going on that I referred to in the past was going to be a difficult one, but I can assure you that after a while of writing these medieval songs or stories from the past I began to get sick of them myself. And I couldn't carry on doing them. You do run out of ideas when it's all about castles and the God and the devil. There are only a certain number of things you can do. I wanted to do things differently. But I think you'll find that on my new album "The Storyman", I do return to some of those early themes. Not necessarily from the middle ages, but certainly songs of imagination, which I hope that you are going to like. It's probably not easy to get my records in Iraq. And I agree with you that you are in a very difficult situation in Iraq. You are referring to my song "Up Here In Heaven", when I say "there is nothing worth dying for". It's funny, every time I sing it, there's a little nudge in my brain saying "well, maybe there ARE a few things worth dying for". You can't really argue with that. And I'm sure that there are some things that people would be happy to die for. This is why in the past people have fought and died defending their homes and their families, certainly something that I would do. I think what I was really trying to get across is in that song, the actual specific situation prefer to the people that I was talking, the men of the war, the collateral damage, innocent people getting killed - well, that's not right. And certainly, maybe I should have written "it's not worth killing for", but this is a fact of war and it's abhorrent. I don't run out of ideas and thank you for this idea that if there were perfect justice that I would always be in the top ten. Well, I am a realist as well. There is no way that I could always be successful like that. But I think after more than 30 years of a career, I haven't done too badly at all and I'm very very happy with the way things have gone. Thanks a lot for your question, and perhaps one day I'll have a chance to go to Iraq. Oh, and finally, by the way, you should maybe get a chance hopefully one day to come and see me live, and then you'll hear that my voice is far from being tired. It's actually as vibrant and as strong as it ever has been, even up to 30 years ago. It is probably better now than it ever was. And I am sure a lot of people who have been to my live concerts can agree with that.

March 9, 2006
Kelvin Jones (29) from Gaerwen, Wales:
First let me apologise for the long-windedness of this question. I first got properly introduced to your music, via my aunt, at about 10 years old. She had a copy of the Telstar best of (a tape she would later reveal to have only been bought in a hurry because she thought 'lady in red' was on it.) Now I'm not going to give you some cliche about the songs moving me 'cause I was only ten! To me they were fun, 'Spanish Train' and 'Patricia' particularly springing to mind. It would be a few years later that I would truly appreciate your skill as a songwriter. Now from that day forward whenever asked I said that you were my favourite singer. Despite almost always getting ridiculed by my friends for this revelation (and it sometimes still happens to this day) I have never shied away from answering that question truthfully for an easy life. I believe that in a way that has shaped me as a person; someone that will always be honest and loyal despite the repercussions. So to my question, is there an action or response or event that you could look back on and say 'I chose the more difficult path and I'm better for it?'
Chris de Burgh:
Very interesting question! It tells me an awful lot about you and your strength and your courage. I know exactly what you mean about getting ridiculed by your friends for saying "Oh, I like Chris de Burgh". This actually applies to a lot of people, a lot of artists. For example at the moment James Blunt is very popular in many places in the world. But he is equally known for people can't stand him. Some people say his voice is very one-dimensional, his songwriting is very one-dimensional, you either love the guy or you hate the guy. And I am sure I have read that about me quite often too, although I think the depth of my songwriting is somewhat more substantial than James Blunt so far. So I wish him all the best in that area. But when you are put in a position of saying "yes, I like somebody", knowing that you will be ridiculed for it, don't forget that in a completely different way those who are following for example Jesus Christ were not only ridiculed in some ways for declaring themselves as followers, they also risked death. That's a far greater thing to risk. In effect there are many many Christian martyrs as a result of them having the courage to stand up and say "yes, I do believe in this person". So it's a very minor thing you are talking about. But I know that it does discourage, when people laugh at you. It's like going to school with wearing something that people laugh at, or when your mother kisses you good-bye in the school in front of everybody - you know, it opens you to ridicule. It's not a nice thing. But you know something? It makes you a stronger person. An interesting incident happened recently: I went to a charity dinner, where people had bought a table, for three or four thousand Euro to have a celebrity sit at that table and entertain them. And I was the celebrity at this particular dinner. And there was a man sitting beside Diane, my wife, who is on the periphery of the music industry (I won't mention his name), but I find him charming company and we chatted about many things. And he turned to Diane at one point and said "Your husband is completely misunderstood in the media here in Ireland. He is such a nice man. He is great. Why doesn't he change that perception of himself? Why doesn't he go and do interviews for the papers and so on?" And Diane said "Because Chris is happy in his own skin. He is very comfortable with the person he is. He doesn't feel the need to go and apologize for being the person he is. He doesn't feel the need, particularly in Ireland, where the media are absolutely dreadful to anybody who is famous. He doesn't feel the need to have any chance to confess about anything. He doesn't feel the need to talk about what a nice guy he really is. This is absolutely rubbish. You know, we feel all of us that we must be strong enough to withstand all the petty attacks and assaults on us on a daily basis from anywhere." And another example would be that, I know a lot of people reading this will be unhappy in their jobs and they can't stand their boss, and they feel they don't like being ridiculed and held up in front of other employees, if somebody is not doing a great job. Well, you just have to take it. But in your mind always say "One day, I am going to make that person feel very very humbled indeed. And make that person realize just how obnoxious and horrible they have been." Because I believe strongly in karma and fate. And I think, if you do somebody a bad deed, sooner or later that poison will return to you. This is something I mention in my song "Living In The World". So, thank you very much for this most interesting question. And congratulations to your honesty and loyalty, despite the repercussions. And as far as I am concerned the most difficult path I could have chosen for myself was the one I started in 1974 when I released an album called "Far Beyond These Castle Walls" and I knew from the moment I began, making that record and doing songs like "Turning Round", "Satin Green Shutters" and on the "Spanish Train And Other Stories" album songs like "The Tower", the title song, "A Spaceman Came Travelling", that I was going down a very unique path that no one else had gone down. And now I can look back with the enormous pleasure of knowing that it was me that fought my way through the jungle that created that roadway for better or for worse. And I am very proud of that.

March 8, 2006
Philipp (18) from F�rth, Germany:
Hi Chris! First of all I just would like to say thank you for your wonderful music. I am honest, and I say, that I hear your music for just one year. I started hearing you when I saw you at the TV in the show "Wetten Dass" with your daughter Rosanna. I was so impressed by the song "Here for you". And I bought your album "The road to freedom". Since that moment I am a big fan of you!!! But I have one - perhaps simple - question to you. Do you think that music is going to connect people, which are fighting in wars against each other? I ask you this, because I made the experience with a friend of mine. We were in trouble, and I started to play the guitar and the trouble was gone. I wish you all the best. Please never stop making your wonderful music!!!
Chris de Burgh:
As you could tell from that performance in "Wetten Dass", my song was really from the heart. I managed to get the idea across about saying good-bye to your young child who is leaving at the airport. The scene was so strong in my head that it really goes along with everything I have been saying recently on earlier MOtL answers. About getting right into the depth of your feelings and emotions. It can be a scary journey, I can tell you! But you should do it in a situation of peace and quiet, for those people who are interested in doing it. But the song "Here For You" obviously touched a chord in many people's hearts all over the world. The question about connecting people who are fighting in wars against each other and whether music can help - well, I think the answer is probably not. You see, the powerful force of love is an enormously powerful one. It binds people together all over the world, but it is also terribly fragile. I also believe that the power of hate is far more violent, far stronger and can destroy love very very easily. Love is like a thin film of tissue paper over a glass. It can be smashed very very quickly and easily, whereas hate is much harder. Hate is like a rock. But I still think that love can envelop the rock. It can completely cover the rock. And in the end love will always win. But it takes a long time. And I think that music is one of the ways of trying to join people together. But if hate and violence are together, it's very hard to beat that. But it's an interesting question and how you managed to get over your particular problem with your friend through music. I think, when people are friends already, then it can work. But if people hate each other, music is going to be a tough thing to bring people together. Although it is the international language and it is the international language of love.

March 7, 2006
Keith Carlyon (37) from Edinburgh, UK:
Hi Chris. Firstly may I personally thank you for your wonderful music which I have grown up with over the years, but especially this past year which has been the hardest of my life. Firstly losing my wonderful father last year then losing my wife and family to another man this year. I really hit the lowest ebb of my life, but the wonderful words of your songs especially Country Churchyard, If You Really Love Her Let Her Go and more recently Snow Is Falling. The question I would like to ask is I have started writing my own songs as I feel this is the best way to express what is in my head but having shown some to my family and friends they can't believe I have written some of them. Not being able to play an instrument how do you recommend I put music to them? Once again thank you for your guidance through your songs over the last year. God Bless, Keith
Chris de Burgh:
Keith, I was very sad to read your story about what has been going on for you in the last year. And I hope by now things are beginning to look up a bit for you. I know what it's like to lose my father. The second part I can sympathize with you about losing your wife and family to another man. I have seen this happen to certain friends of mine. And me personally I could not think of anything more constantly heartbreaking than not be able to, for example, see my children on a regular basis, if I were to break up. Just moving on to your question about "In A Country Churchyard", "If You Really Love Her, Let Her Go" and "Snow Is Falling". These songs are intended to go into your emotions, arouse your emotions, arouse your feelings, and hopefully make people who listen to them apply the words to their own lives. Songwriting is a curious thing. It's one of those things that everybody feels they can do. And everybody feels that there really, on some occasions, there just appears to be a lot of skill involved. Well, this is certainly true, when it comes to, in my opinion, quite a few of the most modern songs I am hearing. The amount of skill involved is pretty minimal. Particularly when you are using machines. However, Keith, if you were to spend a day or two with me, or indeed anybody reading this, you would find it fascinating just to see how much time and trouble goes into polishing a song. It can take weeks and weeks and indeed months to get it right. This comes from years and years of songwriting. And to make it accessible to the audience, to realize that simplicity is the hardest thing to achieve. And my advice to you is if you want to put your basically what appear to be poems to music, or unless you are singing the words as well, is to start with the piano. The piano is an easy instrument, if you only stick - and don't laugh - to the white keys. Because you are virtually always, and I think you are constantly (a piano player will tell you) in the key of C. If you space your fingers two apart, you create two of the three notes you need to create a chord. Then again, if you put three fingers on the white notes, 2 apart each one, then you can move up from C to Dm, Em, F, G, Am, G7 and back to C. So you have an entire key to work with. And around that you can pick out a melody. And maybe that will help you to write your songs. Another important thing is to constantly have a little cassette player going. Because even the most professional songwriters always have a cassette player going. Just in case a melody jumps up and they can't remember what it was. I can certainly tell you that applies in my case. I always have something going, so I remember those little snatches and melodies that might disappear if I try to remember them at another time.

March 6, 2006
Emad (20) from Isfahan, Iran:
Hi dear Chris. You know you have many fans in Iran, and you can not come to Iran and sing here (political situation). My question is: Why you do not sing a Farsi (Iranian language) song to make us happy, warm,...
Chris de Burgh:
Well, Emad, your town Isfahan is very famous for some of the most beautiful Persian rugs ever made. And I actually have 2 or 3 Isfahan rugs. They are not very big, they are about 5-6 foot long by about 2-3 foot wide, but they are at least 100 years old. And I love, I absolutely adore this kind of beauty and skill. As far as singing in Farsi is concerned, well I would have to be in a situation where somebody would teach me how to say the words correctly. And I am sure many people who have heard me talking in the past, know that I am very very keen indeed to go to Iran. The political situation there is, as everybody knows, extremely difficult. Now we have the West waving their arms up and down about the nuclear capabilities of Iran. About how the new government appears to be taking a more powerful Anti-West view. Nevertheless I do believe music is the international language of peace and hope, and I very much look forward to the day that I can come and sing in Iran. In fact, I can say with some degree of certainty, in my own beliefs, that I think the day will come. And I expect that it will be quite something for all concerned.

March 5, 2006
Louanne Lima (31) from Chipping Campden, Cotswolds, UK (originally from Johannesburg, South Africa):
I am the youngest of 6 children and with 5 much older siblings, growing up in South Africa, I have been influenced by various genres of music. My brothers and sister would listen to music ranging from Bread to Pink Floyd to Jethro Tull to Dire Straits to The Rolling Stones to utterly bizarre stuff like Ogden's nut gone flake and Smiley Culture. Yet, despite all of this, I keep coming back to your music - thank you for music and lyrics which know just how to pull at the heartstrings - whether I am in love, heartbroken, grieving, or at peace. After emigrating from South Africa, I moved to Ireland and lived in Wicklow for 3 years before moving to the UK - your music saw me through many an afternoon on the N11! One of my favourite places to visit is Glendalough and I often think of your music whilst walking up on the hills - have you been inspired to write by the 'wilds of Wicklow' and if so, which songs? Someone asked me once what my ideal evening would be and I explained that I would love to have dinner with loved ones in a small, intimate venue where you could play unplugged and we could listen to your music in its purest form. Of course, I was met with sniggers of 'Wishful thinking!' Do you ever think of playing to smaller groups of people? Would you enjoy it as I guess it would not have the same rush as the usual masses? I saw you a few years ago at Ragley Hall here in the Midlands, but sadly missed you at the NEC. I hope we see you in the UK soon again. God Bless. Lou-Lou.
Chris de Burgh:
I think your question is just wonderful. I have read it several times, and all the bands you mention that your brothers and sister have been listening to, Ogden's nut gone flake and Smiley Culture - yes, I know all of them and I have enjoyed them. It is interesting how you come back to me and my music, because I feel that one thing that does distinguish me from a lot of other songwriters is the ability to go deep into my own heart and soul. It is almost like diving into a lake and finding something in there that applies to other people's lives. Some years ago I read an interesting way of getting to that state, which is you imagine that you are looking at a lake, a beautiful lake, perhaps in the Rocky Mountains, perhaps in Scotland, surrounded by mountains. And the lake is absolutely calm, flat calm. And you walk out to the lake, and you walk across the water, on top of the water to the middle of the lake. Then you look down and at the bottom you see rippling under the surface is a light. You go into the lake. Of course you don't feel any sensations of cold, this is just a dream. You go down, deeper, deeper, deeper, deeper, until you get to the bottom. At the very bottom is a golden cask, a big large golden box. And you open it up, and inside there is something very important to you. Now I think it depends on whether it would be somebody's face or a photograph or a memory or a piece of jewellery or something, that's what you have gone down to. And once you are down there you can drift and enjoy the sensation of being at the bottom of this lake. And at any point that you want you can go up to the surface again. But it is just a way of getting into your own inner thoughts and feelings. And that's what I like to do when I write songs. I am now living in Wicklow. I am not very far from Glendalough, which as you know is one of the most beautiful places in Ireland. We call it the garden of Ireland in this area. When I look out of my window, I can see the hills of Wicklow. I am not far from the big waterfall at Powerscourt. And I have often been up to the lake of Glendalough, which incidentally could easily be the lake I am talking about in that previous idea about walking across a lake. My piece of music "When Winter Comes" from the Road To Freedom album is very much written with that kind of tranquil scenery in mind. And going to your second question about playing for small numbers of people, yes I have often done that. In the early days, if I went out to dinner with friends, I always used to bring along a guitar. I suppose people are so used to me now, they don't bother asking me anymore. So here I am dying to sing some of my new songs - it is not that nobody is interested, but they think, "well, here is Chris again. He is probably going to bring a guitar." Well, I don't bring my guitar anymore. I just create my music in my home studio. But on the occasions that I have performed to small numbers of people, it is very interesting to do that. I did a radio show in Ireland before Christmas, when there were only about 20 or 30 people in the room for a live radio broadcast, including dogs and all sorts of things. And the dog kept on nudging into me, and I felt this banging against my leg while I was singing "Spanish Train". It was the dog wagging his tail along with the song. It is actually very tricky to sing for just a few people, because you meet their eyes, you are very close to them, and you have to use your vocal dynamics to get through to these people. But I must admit, I have enjoyed it. And you never know, Louanne, maybe I'll get back to doing that again on a kind of private weekend just for fans to go through my own material in a very intimate setting.

March 4, 2006
Gareth (10) from England:
I have a band with my friends, but we're not very good at writing songs and as I love all your songs I was wondering if you could give us some ideas for songs.
Chris de Burgh:
The best advice I can give you, Gareth, is listen to the songs that you really love, and try and work out why you really love them. What's good about them? What are they saying? And what are they trying to get at? Is there an alternative idea behind the songs? Because most of my songs I try to offer not just the story or whatever it is, there is something behind it as well. The best way to come up with song ideas is use your imagination. But the thing is, once you start using your imagination, expand what you see. I always say that you could write a song about an ashtray. For example, Gareth, if you can imagine you're in a movie theatre and the film starts. The camera goes down to a little cafe, say in Paris. And there are two chairs and a table outside on the Boulevard. And there are two empty glasses on the table, and an ashtray with one cigarette butt in it. The cigarette butt has got lipstick on it. Now, as you know, I don't smoke and I don't approve on smoking at all. But there is a story in this. So what we are looking at is two people have been there - one has been a woman. Who was the other person? Why have they left? Did they meet there separately? Are they lovers? Are they going to be? Are they friends? You know, from that moment you can start seeing the rest of the film. For example, just as a crazy idea, perhaps he has seen her from across the street and invited her for a drink. And she sat down with him, had a cigarette and a drink. And they have both gone off together to look at the Champs Elysees or the Arc de Triomphe. And as they walk up, perhaps somebody stops in a car and looks out the window, and it's the boyfriend of the girl saying "why are you with this guy?", and starts abusing her. And the man who has just met the girl walks out and they get into a fight. And who knows, I mean, what I can tell you is there are songs in every day life that come from the imagination. And this is where I start. As you probably know I am doing the Storyman project. It's been not exactly a struggle to come up with ideas, but I am trying to come up with ideas that are so different from what I have done in the past. A couple of clues I can give you: One involves a soldier in around AD 79, who is in Rome, dreaming about his girlfriend who is much further South in the city of Pompeii. That's all I am going to say. But he is a soldier in Cesar's army, and he is dreaming of going home. But from that moment you can then start imagining other things. I hope this kind of answers your question. And perhaps, if I can't give you ideas for your songs, I am sure you can come up with some ideas. Maybe you and your friends can come up with three strong ideas, and then write songs around those ideas.

March 3, 2006
Jon Arne Madso (37) from Trondheim, Norway:
Hi Chris! I'm working with a Chris de Burgh internet page in Norwegian. And in the biography session I've come up with a question. Why did you so suddenly become such a big hit here with the album "Eastern Wind"? You sold 125.000 copies in a country of 4 millions inhabitants. Lying on the lists for 62 weeks (9 on top). Was there a special plan for Norway promoting that album? :) "Spanish Train" and "Crusader" are two of my favourite albums of all time, but neither of them were known in Norway. What happened to "Eastern Wind" ?
Chris de Burgh:
I have been up to Trondheim, and it was winter time there, and my gosh, it was really really cold! I believe Trondheim is actually very close to the Arctic Circle. But it was a great experience. And Norway has been close to my heart for many many years. Because of the simple reason that when you are starting in this business and you are trying to encourage people to fall in love with your music, it is a struggle. I can assure you that when you are touring and opening for many many bands that I have opened in the past, opening concerts, it can be totally a heartbreaking business. Because if you are not getting on the radio or you are not being successful where you would like to be successful, it can be very tough and very difficult. And those people who wrongly assume that it was an easy path for me, should have been with me every step of the way, because there was an enormous amount of difficult steps to take. But out of the blue, which kind of saved me in a way, because "Eastern Wind", although it had done well in a couple of other countries, suddenly out of the blue it became a huge hit in Norway. I have absolutely no idea why. To this day I cannot find an explanation, and nobody is able to tell me why. They thought "Eastern Wind" was such a big record. As you pointed out it was 9 weeks at number one, and it was in the charts for 62 weeks, and it sold 125,000 copies, which I guess must be about four or five times gold, or maybe platinum. I am not sure what the answer is. At home I have all my gold and platinum records, which soon will be put up on the wall in a memorabilia room. I haven't got round to doing that yet, I am so busy with other things! But it gave me such encouragement and such hope to think that apart from that time in Canada with the "Spanish Train" record, and to a certain extent England and Ireland, and the first album which did well in South America, there wasn't much happening anywhere else. With Norway really coming up and saying "we love this record, we love this artist", it made a huge difference to my confidence. And to this day I am grateful to the Norwegians for bringing me into their hearts at such an important time in my career.

March 2, 2006
Fanclub Irish Emotions (>40) from Wankendorf, Germany:
Hi Chris! First at all..thanks for your wonderful concerts this year!! Absolute amazing. Our question: Have you ever sung one of your songs in a church during the mass? We are starting a project in our church. We want to make the mass more interesting also for younger people. So we searched for pop songs with a religion meaning. One of these songs will be: "Up here in heaven". It's very difficult but we have very good musicians in our parish. Also my sons who play guitar and drums. We will tell you about our project soon and it would be pleased about an answer from you. Best wishes to you and your family.. Your ladies from Wankendorf
Chris de Burgh:
Hello girls! The answer is yes, I have sung in church. Quite a few times. Never at mass, because I am not a member of the Catholic faith. I am actually what we call Protestant, a church of Ireland member. And on the occasions that I have sung in church, unfortunately they usually have been funerals. Although I sang songs like "The Lord Is My Shepherd" at several christenings, the occasional wedding for friends. In fact the most recent friend I sang for in that way was the first grandchild of the chairman of Liverpool FC. His daughter had a baby and I went across and sang at that, which was great. Funerals, I have been asked in the past to sing songs like "Here Is Your Paradise", "Carry Me (Like A Fire In Your Heart)". And a very good friend of mine who died about a year ago, his name was Robert Sangster, he was one of the great heroes of the British bloodstock racing industry. And I sang "The Journey" at his funeral. And it went down, well, when I say very well, there were a lot of tears in the audience. More recently, as I am sure quite a number of you who have heard about a television show called "Songs Of Praise" - well, on that one I sang a number of my songs in a church. One was "The Risen Lord", "Where Peaceful Waters Flow", and some of my favourite hymns. One is called "Jerusalem", another was called "Fight The Good Fight", "The Lord Is My Shepherd". So, I think churches are a fantastic place to sing. And as I am sure many of you know, I also did a concert in aid of the victims in Volendam which was in a cathedral. More recently than that concert I sang at Liverpool cathedral to a capacity audience of 2,500 people. And it was a fantastic experience and I can't wait to repeat that.

March 1, 2006
Robert Puett III (36) from Puyallup, Washington State, USA:
Chris, have you ever mourned someone you had never even met? When I found out a few years ago that Glen Morrow had died, I was in a deep depressed daze for a few weeks. I had never met him, and only saw him once (during your set at a rock festival in Co. Tipperary, Ireland in 1993). Do you think this is unusual? He was important to me because he was important to you and the performance of your music, so it hurt when I found out he was dead. Has there ever been someone like that for you? By the way, the music festival in Thurles and your part in it remains one of my fondest memories. That was an incredible show.
Chris de Burgh:
Well, I had never met John Lennon. But when he was shot, I felt that my whole growing-up had been abused, my childhood, my teenage years. Everything that I believed in, in one fatal shooting had been ripped out of my heart. I cried for days after John Lennon was killed. I felt like a really important part of my growing-up had been taken away from me. I have met two of the Beatles; one of them is the deceased George Harrison, and Ringo Starr. And of course it would have been fantastic to meet John Lennon. And it's always been a dream of mine to talk with Paul McCartney and talk about songs and songwriting, and some of the great things that he has done. I think another person that had an enormous impact all over the world, similar to John Lennon, possibly even greater impact, was Princess Diana. Well, this was someone most people had never met, but there was such an enormous outpouring of grief for her. And sympathy for her situation, the difficulties that she went through, her vulnerability, her femininity. What a beautiful young woman she was! And the tough time she had been through with regard to the Royal family. How obviously she adored her two sons. There was an enormous amount of grief. And I had met her a few times, corresponded with her. And I remember walking with my wife around Westminster the night before the funeral, and there were thousands and thousands of people. It was an eerie silence. People in tents, people just lying on the street, people with pictures of Diana, candles, children - I mean, it was thousands of people who wanted to show their respect to somebody who had really changed their view of the world. And I think that's what you are talking about, Robert. Just going back to the concert in County Tipperary - yes, I remember it very well indeed in 1993. There were about 30,000 people there and I did a great show with the band. It was thoroughly enjoyable.

Man On (the) Line

Fans ask - Chris de Burgh answers!