Man On (the) Line

October 22, 2003

Editor’s note:
The Man On (the) Line section is now once again taking a break. We’ll be back online as soon as we get new answers. In the meantime, please keep the questions coming. Thank you to our Man On (the) Line Chris de Burgh for all the time and effort he is putting into answering so many questions.
Chris de Burgh:
This has been a marathon for me. At the end of this, I would like to stress how important it is for me to keep in touch with the fans and how important it is for me that they keep in touch with me and let me know what they feel and the things that they love and perhaps the things that they don’t love. Because it gives me great strength and great belief to carry on doing what I am doing.

October 21, 2003
Brian Morton (37) from Hamilton, Ontario, Canada:
Howdy Chris: We've met a few times now, but I haven't had the chance to ask you about this... Way, way, back in the early spring of 1984, I purchased a Rickenbacker 620 12 String electric guitar from The Music Shoppe in Thornhill, just north of Toronto, which so the story went had previously belonged to you. According to the salesman at the time, some member of the band, (can't recall now who - Al Marnie or Danny McBride), had at one time worked there, and so at the end of the GETAWAY tour some equipment was sold on consignment. (Next time I saw you during the MOTL Canadian tour you were now playing a Red Gibson Les Paul, same one used on the HIGH ON EMOTION video, so the time line fits)... The serial number on the guitar was TF 2140, which according to the Rickenbacker Company Website, means that it was manufactured in June of 1980. It was a great sounding guitar, with that very distinctive "Byrds - MR TAMBOURINE MAN" sound. Sadly, the guitar was lost in a fire in 1991. So my questions are fairly simple. Was this really your guitar? Where did you buy it originally? Why did you stop using it and get rid of it? And lastly, do you have a photo around of yourself playing it that you might post to the cdeb.com site?? The only images I have are the 1983 Live at Hamilton Place Concert Video, where you play the guitar on the songs SHADOWS AND LIGHTS and THE GETAWAY. There is also a picture of the guitar on pg 36 of the book SPARK TO A FLAME, but it is just sitting by itself next to the drums. Thanks ever so much for the information!
Chris de Burgh:
The answer is yes, that is extremely likely that that was my Rickenbacker 620 twelve string electric guitar, because we did sell it after a tour through probably Glenn Morrow. This was my guitar. I don’t know if I’ve got any photographs of it, I’ve got to look around, but it’s definitely mine as far as I can tell. Good luck, Brian. I’m sorry to hear that it got burned.

October 20, 2003
Dot Hudson (51) from Liverpool, England:
Chris, not so much a question but to point you in the direction of some inspiration. My 15 year old son, Gregg, has recently formed a modern punk rock band. they have played a couple of gigs for charity - care parcels for the gulf. The group have a website, www.mypetbrick.co.uk. If you ever have a moment please have a look at the site. In his words about himself, he attributes his love of music , not to the rock groups that he now favours, Blink 182 etc but to yourself and the fact that I have taken him to your concerts since he was around 5 years old. He points out that you are quite a rocker yourself by way of his defence in his musical influence but i have to say that it made me feel very proud and touched by his insight and intuitiveness that he was able to by pass any form of peer pressure and openly admit how much your music has influenced him. Thank you for providing my son with such direction and a professionalism way beyond his years.
Chris de Burgh:
I love to hear about your son Gregg, the modern punk rock band. Well, my 15 year old son put together a little band too, and they play all sorts of stuff, mainly hard rock stuff. It is wonderful to hear that Gregg likes my music. And it shows he has great taste. Well done, Gregg!

October 19, 2003
Kathy Kanis (46) from Newmarket, Ontario, Canada:
Hi Chris, It was great to see you in concert again. I have been a huge fan since the very beginning with Far Beyond the Castle Walls. I'm not sure whether you have heard yet but the police have arrested someone in Holly's murder. Your song in progress about a father's loss really moved me. I don't think there was a dry eye in the entire Hummingbird Centre! Do you think you will have it finished in time for your next CD? Keep up the great work.
Chris de Burgh:
Thank you Kathy. I hadn’t heard that somebody has been arrested in connection with Holly Jones’ murder. When I sang that song in Toronto, it was a very emotional thing for me. And I have to say that the images that I was trying to convey were very powerful and I was in tears myself by the end and the idea of a little ten year old girl, walking out in the early evening on a safe street and never to be seen again alive and then to be found floating in bags chopped up into little pieces eighteen hours later in Lake Ontario. I mean, the thing is so horrible, so unbelievable, so evil, to think that there is people capable of this kind of horror and cruelty, it staggers me. So, the song I plan to record probably, although I didn’t think I would. But now I’ve got so many people who have asked me to. And funnily enough when I said I had it unfinished, I thought a lot about it and I couldn’t think of anything more that I could say about the situation. Just the father being in the child’s bedroom and looking at all the memories. And he cannot believe what has happened to his child. It was originally of course written for the two little girls in England who were murdered last year. It’s a very emotional area to get involved in. Perhaps it’s a bit too hard hitting for a CD, I don’t know. But once it is completed, I will make up the judgement for myself whether I should carry on and put it on a CD. Maybe the fans themselves could let me know.

October 18, 2003
Alice Saunders (38) from Sacramento, California, USA:
Do you have or like California wines? From the Napa Valley, for example.
Chris de Burgh:
I have had a chance to try quite a few wines from Napa Valley. But it’s so far away, and they are hard to get where I live. I have tended to concentrate on wines from Europe, particularly from France. Italy, I love Italian wines, Spanish wines, Chile, Argentina. Australian wines, I wouldn’t be that mad about, I find them a bit obvious. Although there’s great stuff like Penfolds for example and Wolf Blass wines which are beautifully structured. But I tend to go for the old world rather than the new world. That’s not to say I haven’t enjoyed quite a few great wines from California.

October 17, 2003
Chris Hebert (35) from London, Ontario, Canada:
At the beginning of the video for "A World Called Catastrophe" by Canadian singer/songwriter Matthew Good, the camera pans by his record collection and first and foremost in the shot of the albums (and basically the only recognizable one in the quick shot) is "Best Moves," presumably because he's a fan of yours. Were you aware of this, and have you heard of him? His work, while perhaps "harder edged" musically, sort of reminds me of yours in a lyrical sense, dealing with many of the same topics (war, peace, what we are doing to the planet, etc.) that you do. Thanks!
Chris de Burgh:
That’s interesting what you say about singer/songwriter Matthew Good. I have heard of him, and I have heard his music, some of it, and it’s very good. As you say it is slightly harder edged than mine, but he is somebody that I have enjoyed listening to in the past and I wish him all the very best. I am delighted to hear that he is probably by the sounds of things a bit of a fan. Keep up the good work and you’re obviously still a young man, you’ve got a long way to go yet till you reach my age and stay in the business as long as I have. So good luck and keep making great songs!

October 16, 2003
Eva (17) from Ulm, Germany:
My friend said she believes "I love the night" is about a werewolf. Is that true?
Chris de Burgh:
The song “I Love The Night” is not about a werewolf. But it suggests that it’s about somebody who is very boring and does a very boring job during the day, but at night they become somebody completely different. And it refers to the fact that all of us have this capacity to become something or somebody different. But there is a line in the song that says “I must get back before the sunlight falls upon my face”, so perhaps there is a bit of a hint of a werewolf. Maybe, Eva, your friend is half right. Then again I could be referring to vampires.

October 15, 2003
Patricia MacDowell (34) from Pointe-Claire, Quebec, Canada:
Hello Chris, Your music is so very reflective and inspirational--your lyrics bring to mind a time long ago… medieval times with lush backgrounds and majestic imposing castles, and I visualize you as the soothsayer in a world out of reach. I wonder, are you a strong believer of fate…in the sense that mayhap a destiny is mapped out for each unique individual? While I am on the subject of divine intervention I also wondered if you believed in past lives? Would you kindly allow me to ask you one last question... Do you believe that astrology ‘makes up’ an individual?
Chris de Burgh:
When I was making my earlier albums, I seemed to have been slightly lost in this medieval lush background and majestic imposing castles, because after all that was my background of being brought up in the castle. I think I emerged into the real world for a while, although I am still fascinated by the old fashioned times and medieval life styles, as I said earlier when I was asked what time frame I would like to go back to. The medieval times would be of great interest to me. A strong belief in fate? Not necessarily. But I am a strong believer in listening to what your intuition and perhaps other more powerful forces are trying to tell you what to do. Always listen to intuition. And that’s what I do. And divine intervention, destiny mapped up, it’s possible. I mean, who knows, it’s very difficult to tell. Astrology – I know so little about it. And the only time I ever come across it is in newspapers. And how can, for example I am a Libra, one twelfth of the entire population, the world, be expected to react or think or feel emotions in a certain way, all the things that happen? I mean, one twelfth of everybody on the planet, that’s a massive amount of people all expected to act in the same way, because that’s what it says in the stars. I think individual maps for individuals must be of some interest and importance, but as I said earlier, I know so little about it.

Editor’s note:
Happy birthday Chris! And thank you for taking so much time to answer all our questions!

October 14, 2003
Chris Williams (51) from Essex, England:
Hiya Chris, In your 'private life' do you call yourself by your real name 'Chris Davison' .....or should I say Christopher Davison ;-) ? Thanks, Chris
Chris de Burgh:
HI Chris, how are you? I know you and your husband well and I have been seeing you during the summer. Chris Davison, Christopher Davison, yeah, well, it doesn’t really matter. The thing is if I am out in public or making cores, and the people who say “Chris de Burgh” know it has to be that person because the people don’t know who Christopher Davison is. But my mother calls me Christopher and of course Davison is my given name and I get a lot of my mail in that name. I am fortunate to have two, so I can choose, you see. :)

October 13, 2003
Kaveh (16) from Rasht, Iran:
Dear Chris, I like you very much. Please answer my question. I love your "Where We Will Be Going" lyric and its music. What is Dallas Darkened Days? Thanks a lot.
Chris de Burgh:
The song “Where We Will Be Going” is a really uplifting one for me. And I love singing it. It refers to a number of things that I have enjoyed in the past, which I have mentioned earlier. One of them was this poem “The second coming” by William Butler Yeats. And there is a line “what rough beast slouches towards Bethlehem to be born”. Now that turns up in the song, in the early part. And the second part is about John F. Kennedy being shot, and John Lennon. So the Dallas Darkened Days refers to the assassination of John F. Kennedy.

October 12, 2003
Terry (38) from Perth, Australia:
Hi Chris, I recently read a review of your Perth leg of the Beautiful Dreams concert. The female reviewer admitted to not being a fan only knowing The Lady In Red. She gave you a glowing review, concluding that "It is the mark of a true talent when you walk out of a show with 100 times more respect for the artist than when you walked in." Do you find this happens a lot, that people can dismiss your work because of "that" song but when they hear more from you, they realise there are many aspects to your work.
Chris de Burgh:
This is pretty true, Terry, that people who only know “The Lady In Red”, and quite a few of them find it a sickly kind of sweet sugary ballad, they are pretty surprised, if you can actually drag them to a concert, kicking and screaming, and they walk away like this lady did in Perth. She walked away with a completely changed point of view. Well, I think people are wrong to take a point of view based on one piece of music when you have an artist who has been around as long as I have, who has made so many records. They are not all “The Lady In Red”. And quite often, if I come across this particular thing, I refer people to the album “Into The Light” and say “listen to Lady In Red and listen to the last three tracks at the end of side two, if you have a vinyl record, ‘The Leader, The Vision and What About Me’, and you tell me is this a rock singer or is this a sickly balladeer?” And the answer is right there. Also, when you come and see a live performance, you see a huge amount of energy on the stage and involvement with the audience.

October 11, 2003
Jason (26) from Baltimore, USA:
I recently met David Sethi who said he helped to co-write The Lady in Red song...is there any truth to this?
Chris de Burgh:
The answer is a one-word answer: None-whatsoever! I wrote the song completely by myself.

October 10, 2003
Glenda Bennett (51) from Barnoldswick, Lancashire, UK:
Your songs have such a strong sense of history and past, I wondered if you were able to go back in time, which historical person would you like to be able to meet and speak to? (Mine is St Columba or Grace O'Malley) Thanks for the inspiration that you life and music provides-it gave me the courage to write my book, which was published in April 2002, and I'm on the next one right now.
Chris de Burgh:
There is only one person that I and I am sure millions and millions of other people would like to meet. I would love to meet Jesus Christ. And not only to be in his aura and find out more about him and feel the fantastic person that he was. I mean, what an extraordinary man to have inspired billions of people through all sorts of circumstances, including martyrdom and certain death people have faced because of their belief and love for this man. And clearly this would be my number one choice of somebody to meet.

October 9, 2003
Dave de la Plante (45) from Kitchener, Ontario, Canada:
Dear Chris, I have had the great fortune of building a close friendship with your band member, Jeff Phillips. Jeff has always praised the power of your talent, as a singer, musician, composer, leader and friend. Would you like to share with your fans, the fun you and Jeff had with the telephone book?
Chris de Burgh:
Well I am glad to hear that you have kept in touch with Jeff. Jeff is a wonderful guy, a terrific drummer, and I have so many fond memories of being with him and the other guys in the band. And sad memories that Glenn of course had to die and the way he did and it broke up the band really. But Jeff has always been a good friend to me. One year I got a Melbourne telephone directory on an Australian tour and it was quite heavy, it was the yellow pages, the Melbourne yellow pages. And I hit it in his suitcase, and he could not understand why on the rest of the tour his suitcase weighed so much, until he went right into it. He found the yellow pages which then wound up in my suitcase. And then we started sending each other just the top copy, you know, just a piece of paper of the top of the Melbourne yellow pages. And eight years later I was back in Melbourne, I got the yellow pages, tore off the yellow piece of the top, and sent it to him in America. It’s just one of those enduring jokes that goes on and on.

October 8, 2003
Francis DesCoteaux (37) from Aylmer, Canada:
I've always been saddened by the importance the media places on how well artists do in the charts. Do you find that the charts are as important to artists today as they were before? Have fans become more discerning or is it that the internet allowed artists to speak directly to the fans thereby circumventing the charts and radio stations?
Chris de Burgh:
Well, again, I could talk about this for an awfully long time. One of the great things to come our way, as you have pointed out, is that the internet allows the chance now we can bypass record companies, we can bypass quite a few media outlets. However you cannot beat being on television. Television is vitally important to put across a profile, which is why MTV is so important for, you know, it is visual radio, radio you can see. And as far as charts are concerned, there are those who are more experienced and have a lot more knowledge than I about what goes on at the charts, but the numbers that are involved in actual chart reflection have plummeted. There is so few being sold now, right across the border. And in fact there are quite a lot of charts, only just radio play charts. They are put together by radio stations, and they do not reflect the public or what the public actually wants to hear. Don’t forget that on the radio we are being played what radio stations have decided they want us to hear. And it isn’t actually a proper perception of what the public wants. There has always been this case, so it has always been a problem. But I think now with the internet, and the fact that there are people like me still doing live shows around the world, shows that you can bring people to music if you can’t get the music to them. But all in all, I would say charts, they are nice. You know, I had a big number one record with Lebanese Night in Lebanon. But I don’t think it was a sales chart, it was more an airplay chart. It’s nice to have these numbers, and of course for celebration, of course for opening another bottle of champagne. But generally speaking, nowadays they don’t mean an awful lot.

October 7, 2003
Bryan Mugova (22) from Harare, Zimbabwe:
The song Snows Of New York is one that has inspired me ever since I heard it. Tell me Chris, what inspired you to write this beautiful song? You also talk of those who will never win, who are they, Chris? Thank you once again for the sweet music.
Chris de Burgh:
Well, I spoke about this a little bit earlier, about the two brothers, one of whom has to head off to America to find work, and the other who stays at home. I was working on the idea that emigration has always been a very sad part of Ireland’s history. And literally millions have had to leave the country to seek work elsewhere, mostly in North America. When I speak about “there are those who fall, there are those who fail, there are those who will never win”, those are people who for one reason or another have decided they do not want to put their back into a fight and work hard at achieving something. And then the second part of this, “and there are those who fight for the things they believe, and these are men like you and me”, this refers then to his brother, or indeed his friend. And it is a song about friendship and companionship and an enduring love.

October 6, 2003
Lynne Ayles (over 30) from Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada:
I saw your May 31st concert in Saint John, New Brunswick. Truly Amazing! Loved it! Thank You. Wonderful concept of piano, guitar and you! Question: I stayed the night of your concert at a local hotel and had a terrible sleep – flat pillow, cold room, etc. How do you get the sleep you need to put on such fantastic shows when you travel so much and to such “luxurious” locales as Beirut, Corner Brook, and Saint John? Have you become immune to whatever the accommodations are? Any travel suggestions or horror hotel stories? You’re the best, Thanks.
Chris de Burgh:
Lynne, thank you very much for coming to Saint John, New Brunswick. Having lived a huge amount of my life in hotels, I’ve come to one extremely important discovery which is that pillows are the key factor, followed by mattresses, to a good night sleep, followed obviously by fresh air. And in some hotels, I mean I could bore you for hours and hours about the hotels I have stayed in, where things are too noisy, or there is construction going on, or there is construction above or beside or below, wakes you early in the morning. We of course live different hours in my profession. We stay up late, because we are working, and we get up late. And there are windows that you can’t open, which I find pretty unpleasant. I love to have fresh air, but if it’s noisy on the street.. all these factors come into it. But, what I have been doing for the last 8 years, is I bring my own pillow on tour. This may sound stupid, but these foam pillows, it’s almost like an orthopaedic thing. A foam pillow can help your head, give you a good night sleep. And the other thing I can’t do is I cannot sleep under a duvet. I get so hot, I just boil. And I get hotter, and it’s like being in an oven, I just cook. So bring your own pillow next time, Lynne. And the other thing is to make sure that you got a relatively comfortable mattress.

October 5, 2003
Ali (22) from Tehran, Iran:
I'm Iranian and I'm a Muslim and I love your voice and your songs. Can I ask what was your feel when you sang 'The Rivers of Abraham" and what is the concept of this song? It's very similar to story of our prophet (Muhammad) when you say: He walked alone up the rocky road...As he lifted it up... I Hope to see you in Iran, we have a 100,000 seat stadium!
Chris de Burgh:
That is interesting what you say about “The Rivers Of Abraham”. It wasn’t about the prophet Muhammad, it was more about the prophet Moses going up to see the ten commandments. And he was told then to go and spread the seed of himself and his followers around the world to spread the word of God. And the second part very much refers to what is going to be happening in the future when perhaps we come to a point when our world can no longer sustain life as we know it, and people will have to leave and then emigrate to other planets. And it’s the scene on a spaceship about to leave. And the rivers of Abraham will carry the seed of future generations to the next place where they can grow and live.

October 4, 2003
Frank Modder (29) from Bremen, Germany:
Dear Chris! I’m a fan of you and your music since 1982. I was an eight-year-old boy then who listened to your Getaway-LP, and this album is still a favourite of mine. But my question is on behalf of your Best Moves-album. As a big chess enthusiast I wonder not only why you chose a chess cover (okay, Best MOVES), but why you chose just that position. This is the final position of the game Kaplan vs. Bronstein, played in Hastings 1975/76. White has more material, but will lose the game, because he has no good moves in the long run. Is there any meaning in it and do you have any connections to chess in general (I also think about the last words of the song "Spanish Train", where the Lord and the devil are playing chess)? Thank you and I wish you good luck for the future and I’m really looking forward to listen to your next album!
Chris de Burgh:
When we decided on the cover of “Best Moves” I wanted to do the picture and have a genuine game of chess going on that occasionally somebody somewhere sometime would spot. And it appears to be that Frank Modder has spotted what’s going on here! Yes, it is very much based on the Spanish Train story about black and white, good and evil. And white will lose the game as you may have noticed. As I said earlier, I play chess but not particularly well. But this one, the Lord and the Devil are playing chess, and that is exactly what is happening on the front cover of the “Best Moves” album, and that particular game, the Kaplan vs. Bronstein, was one that we found in a book and replicated on the cover.

October 3, 2003
Pat (47) from Cornerbrook, Newfoundland, Canada:
Thank-you for the fabulous concert. It was my first time seeing you on stage and you are truly incredible. Do you have all natural talent for singing or did you have voice training? You seem to have a very wide range of notes and I love the change-up from low to high notes.
Chris de Burgh:
I loved the show in Cornerbrook. Glad to hear that you enjoyed it. No, I have never had any voice training, but I just had this natural way of singing that has been with me since I was 15 or 16. My voice has changed a lot, when I listen to my earlier albums. I have learned to breathe just by experience, by doing long concerts, understanding where you must sing from and the absolute vital importance of breathing out to allow yourself to breathe in. Never lift your shoulders when you’re breathing or singing. It’s just things that I have spotted, tips that I have been given. I think opera singers do a lot of breathing exercises, but I don’t particularly like the way their voices are trained. I think a lot of emotion disappears. But breathing for me is vital, which is another reason I like swimming so much, because it is very good for breathing.

October 2, 2003
Carol Turnham (45) from Mill Hill, London, UK:
Hiya Chris, firstly it's fantastic to have the opportunity to thank you for the inspirational and wonderful music you have entertained me with for the last 26 years, how time flies when each new album brings it's own set of great new songs to get into! My question is about the beautiful ballad "YOU ARE THE REASON" from the "This Way Up" Album: Was this song written on the back of personal experience from a particularly difficult time in your life or was it just an imaginary situation? I have been through many very difficult chapters in my life and quite often at those times, the words of that song are so very relevant and poignant that I can almost feel the pain and despair you portray. It really is a very special song about that very special person who makes it all seem worthwhile in the darkest of times. I now have a disability which stops me coming to your concerts, which were obviously the highlight of any year but I’ll never lose the love of listening to your music whenever I can. Bless you Chris, You are the best and long may it continue.........Many Thanks Carol xxxxxxx
Chris de Burgh:
The song “You Are The Reason” is actually one of my personal favourites. And it describes a man who has done everything he possibly can to save his job and keep his family in the way that they have expected to live. And he has just realized that he can’t fight the fight anymore, and he is sitting on a beach looking out at sea, not actually considering ending it all but certainly in the depths of depression. And then his wife or girlfriend who has been looking for him, knows that he is in a very bad way, and has come to find him. And he suddenly realizes that whatever happens in the future she is the most important thing to him. And that is why he says “you are the reason I stay in the fight, while I can’t take it anymore”. And he looks in her eyes and realizes that there is still a bit more time left for him to get up and fight again. In a way it’s a bit like for me in my business, it’s such a tough business and you get knocked over so many times and you just gotta get up again and again and again. But it’s not based on personal experience, it’s more based on imagination, seeing people around me who are going through this kind of problem themselves. I am very happy to hear that it has meant an awful lot to you as well. Thanks, Carol.

October 1, 2003
Sheila Gardner (32) from Hounslow, Middlesex, UK:
Which celebrity have you met and were most impressed with and why?
Chris de Burgh:
I have met a lot of celebrities, and some of them have impressed me, and a lot of them haven’t. But I would say I was highly impressed by Princess Diana. And about ten years ago, maybe longer, I met a man called Michael Palin who used to be in Monthy Python’s Flying Circus. Such a genuine, funny and interesting man and I spent several evenings in his company, it was fantastic.

September 30, 2003
Sergio Gustavo Carloni (44) from Buenos Aires, Argentina:
Dear Mr. de Burgh, exactly how many years did you live in our country? Do you have any relatives here yet? Big and close hug for you and yours. Sergio and wife Grace
Chris de Burgh:
I was born in the province of Santa Fe. And I believe, I must have lived in Argentina for about five years. Spanish was pretty well my first language. And there are pictures of me as a very tiny little boy on a back of a very big horse, photographs of me and my brother. And I have quite a few memories of my early time in Argentina. And I have an aunt who lives in San Eduardo which is near the place I was born, Venado Tuerto. And I really look forward to returning for the second or third time and maybe doing some concerts there.

September 29, 2003
Cleopatra (53) from Melbourne, Australia:
Hi Chris. I have only been using a computer for two and a half years, as an older person, the thought of learning to use one was pretty daunting, even with the help of my youngest son, now I thoroughly enjoy using my new skills. When did you first start to use a computer, did you find it difficult at first, and do you enjoy using it now? Love, Cleopatra.
Chris de Burgh:
Yes, I find computers extremely difficult to understand to start with. And in fact my family used to call them “confusers”, not computers. But I have been working away and learning about computers, and now I am pretty adapt at using it although I haven’t spent a lot of time learning about all the functions of the computer. I just use the bits that I need to know about. I am adapt of course now at surfing the internet, but relative newcomer to all the pitfalls and things that can jump out and bite you on the internet as well, so I am very cautious and have yet to actually order anything via credit card on the internet, because I think the capacity for credit card fraud is huge. My children of course are extremely skilled and gifted at computers, it’s second nature to them. And I was amazed, about 3 or 4 years ago, maybe longer, my mother went on a night course of computer skills and years before I ever could get onto the internet, she was communicating with e-mails all over the world.

September 28, 2003
Fotis Vlachos (23) from Athens, Greece:
Hi Chris! I was wondering have you ever tried to write an instrumental song? Have you ever recorded any instrumental song that you've never published? Thank you!
Chris de Burgh:
I am interested in instrumental music. In fact I wrote an instrumental that has been drifting around in my head quite recently and I think I might put this on the next record as a prelude to one of my new songs.

September 27, 2003
Julia (53) from Melbourne, Australia:
Hello Chris, I love to power walk early in the morning to try and keep fit. I know you play golf, but do you do any other activity to stay in shape? cheers Julia.
Chris de Burgh:
I love walking. I love to take exercise first thing. I love swimming in particular. Swimming is a great sport and I love to swim maybe a kilometre a day. It keeps my cardiovascular system working and it keeps me fit. Fresh air, walking, I have to do this every day, particularly first thing in the morning if possible.

September 26, 2003
Farzad & Mitra (28) from Waterloo, Canada (Iranian):
We love you Chris......We just met you in your solo concerts in London (ON) and Toronto. You were amazing and we had great moments. We'd like to ask you two questions and really wish to get answer :-) Have you read any book of Paulo Coelho like “Alchemist”? As you talked about the guardian angels, we thought that you might be familiar with his books. Our second question is: Do you know Homeopathy and do you believe in that medicine? As this method of medicine concerns the mind and emotion more than the body, we thought the spiritual people like you might be interested in these kinds of treatments......God bless you and wish to see you again....Farzad & Mitra
Chris de Burgh:
No, I don’t know this author. But I will be interested now to search him out and hopefully read some of his books including “The Alchemist”. And homeopathy is something that my wife and I, particularly her, are very much involved with for years. And the answer is yes, we totally believe in homeopathy as an alternative medicine and a way of feeling better and encouraging your own body to do the work for you. Modern medicine, you see, is very clever and a huge amount of progress has been made in identifying a large number of fatal illnesses, leprosy for example. And a large amount of time and effort is going into trying to conquer cancer, Aids research and so on. But if you go back centuries you’ll find that a lot of health has been promoted by making the body heal itself rather than relying on an outside agency as doctors are to do the healing on your behalf. So this is what I think one of the principle tenets of homeopathy is. And it’s a whole way of holistic medicine. It involves the whole body, including the mind and the emotions.

September 25, 2003
Stephen (38) from Kincardine, Ontario, Canada:
Do you have any pre or post concert routines habits or routines that you feel you need to do, or just enjoy?
Chris de Burgh:
Before the show I always do a soundcheck and get my voice going a little bit. I usually sing for half an hour something in the empty auditorium. Before the show I don’t do much. I sit down and read a book. I am very relaxed before a concert. I meet some friends, or meet people who want to say hi. Afterwards it’s nice to get together and go and have a bite to eat at a restaurant or go and have a couple of beers. There’s no fixed routine. I suppose I used to sort of tie my left shoelace first and all that stuff, but I think those kind of superstitions are not great to have, so I have been getting away from them. But I usually say a quiet word or two to whoever is around up in the other dimension of our world saying “please give me some help here to make a great show for these people” which is always a good thing for me to do and it makes me feel comfortable. And then I go on stage and do my best and wait for the energy of the audience to lift me to where I need to be.

September 24, 2003
Viktoria Peterson (30) from Provo, Utah, USA:
I have been a big fan of your music for many years. My two daughters Anna (12) and Emily (10) have grown to love your music as well. This question is actually from Anna. She is on performing team that does a lot of traditional Irish dancing. She loves it, and she was wanting to know whether you have any interest in traditional Irish music or dancing?
Chris de Burgh:
Living in Ireland, of course I am very much exposed to Irish traditional music. And I particularly like music by bands like the Chieftains, who make very interesting and eerie and strange music sometimes. It’s not what we call over here “diddle-eye music” that you find in tourist pubs, it’s much more interesting than that, and much more melodic. The traditional Irish dancing thing is of course now a worldwide phenomenon since Riverdance broke out of Ireland. It’s very exciting to watch, and it is very very skilful to do. So obviously if Anna is good at it, she is obviously a very skilful dancer. Congratulations!

September 23, 2003
Vincent Lessard (44) from Québec, Canada:
Hi Chris, when you write songs in French like "Quand je pense à toi " or "Le coeur d'une femme", do you ask for help from a French speaking person (as it's not your mother tongue) or if you do it all alone. I find your French lyrics as poetics as the English ones. Thank you for the very good music you create for years. PS Je n'ai malheureusement pas pu assister à ton concert de ce soir à Québec, j'espère que tu as été bien reçu! Merci .
Chris de Burgh:
The French lyrics are written by a Frenchman in Paris, who listens very carefully to my English lyrics. And along with me we talk about the meaning of his translations, and he tries to keep them as close as possible to the meaning of my English lyrics. Then, when he sends them to me, I have a hard listen and see whether the words actually fit in the melodic pattern that they should. And sometimes I’ve had to change them myself, or sometimes I ask him to change a few things round. But it seems to be a system that has worked very well in the past.

September 22, 2003
Barb Parknavy (37) from Columbus, Ohio, USA:
I just got back from your Toronto concert! It was worth every inch of the 400+ mile road trip...the last time I got to see you in concert was at Maple Leaf Gardens--16 years ago! So why is it that I look 16 years older now and you haven't changed a bit?? P.S. I handed you a mask at the concert--I hope you checked the back of it and found the NASA patch!
Chris de Burgh:
I thought the Toronto concert at the Hummingbird was pretty extraordinary for me as well. There was a lot of emotion around that night. And I am delighted that you felt it was worth the trip. You are saying I don’t look any older? Haha! Well, thank you, that’s very flattering. I am sure you don’t either. Thank you for the mask. Yes, I did see the back of it and I found that NASA patch. Thank you very much.

September 21, 2003
Kelly St Denis (40) from Montreal, Canada:
Congratulations on 28 wonderful years of sharing your music with the world. I recently heard you on a radio interview on CHOM FM in Montreal during your Timing is Everything Tour. Being such a fabulous "Storyteller" - You were asked if you had ever made up stories for your children when they were smaller. My question is: Have you ever considered publishing stories?
Chris de Burgh:
You know, I have always been deeply suspicious of people who are really good at one thing, trying to be really good at something like else, like musicians trying to become actors. Generally it doesn’t work. Sometimes it does, like occasionally Sting has acted well, but I think he is a fabulous musician. Madonna perhaps sometimes, but she is also a fabulous musician. Also Phil Collins, you know. When it comes to story telling, I think my strength is matching melody with words and making like a one page story, I can define it in just a few sentences, you know, really break it down into a small amount, distil it. I have a feeling that if I were to write stories, I can just see the knives of the critics coming out saying “well, he can sing a bit and write songs, but he can’t write stories”. So I think I’ll keep them to myself unfortunately, but that’ll probably be the way. But the ideas are nice, my children certainly liked the stores that I made up at their bedtime.

September 20, 2003
Natasha Oliver (21) from Toronto, Ontario, Canada:
Hi Chris, I just wanted to say that your concerts in Montreal and Toronto were amazing! Thank you very much for the opportunity to meet you backstage! My question is that I noticed that in your concert in 1996 and this concert in 2003, when you sing Transmission Ends, you skip the last part of the song when you say "I am always going to love you" I was just curious as to why, no big deal was just wondering. Anyways, can't wait for your next tour and album!
Chris de Burgh:
Thank you very much, Natasha, for the photographs that you sent and thank you very much for the wonderful hugs and kisses backstage with all your friends. That was lovely. Perhaps we have a chance to meet again with your friends in Toronto, that would be great. “Transmission Ends”? I don’t know why I stopped singing that last bit “I am always going to love you”. Although I have done it more recently, it’s almost like I forgot that that bit of the song existed. But it is one of my favourites, and as I have noticed with the Chris de Burgh fans around the world, I cannot make mistakes in my lyrics, because they will pick me up on it every time. And Natasha, next time I sing “Transmission Ends” and you’re in the audience, I will make sure that I get that bit in the end for you, as a special one for you.

September 19, 2003
Leanne (46) from St. Marys, Ontario, Canada:
Wow. I have to say that first. Wow... Hi Chris. An amazing show in London (Canada) the other night. My 15 year old daughter said "Egggsellent" (You have to imagine this with a Mona Lisa smile, bright eyes and a slow nod.) I could go on ... and on. Anyway, during the show, someone requested "Lady in Red". I moaned "NO". I hope you didn't hear me but I do have a visceral dislike for that song and I cannot figure out why. After much analysis I have decided I must have been a bull in my last life! No other song of yours goes below strong like. So, my question is, have you developed a "decreased fondness" for any of your own songs? (Please, if you answer this, don't name any. I wouldn't want someone to find you negative on their personal favourite!) We hope to see you again soon - Lady in Red or not. Thanks again for a great evening.
Chris de Burgh:
You see, I give an example about this song. About two years ago there was a poll about the hundred favourite songs and the most disliked songs. Not surprisingly to me, Lady In Red was one of the most loved songs (top five) and one of the most disliked songs in equal measures. And that’s because it gets played an awful lot on the radio and people do get sick of these things. You know, unfortunately when you have a big song like that it gets played a lot, it’s on TV a lot and so on. So I don’t blame you for having a reaction to it. I won’t tell you if there are songs that I thought were once great of mine that I disliked or liked less in particular. But there have been times when I look back say ten or twenty years and I listen to a song and I think “oh god, I wouldn’t mind rerecording that or doing something slightly different”. But you do go through phases. Songs for example that I didn’t care much for initially I love a lot later. You go through phases, as I say.

September 18, 2003
Todd Johnson (30) from Scottsdale, USA:
Chris, hello from Arizona. My 5 year old son (Michael) and I recently travelled from Scottsdale to Montreal to see your concerts at the Olympia Theatre and Place des Arts. Michael was especially thrilled that he got to shake your hand by the stage after the Place des Arts concert. Michael loves all of your music and his five favorite songs are: Don't Pay the Ferryman, Ship to Shore, High on Emotion, Borderline and I Want It and I Want It Now. He's known the choruses for these songs since he was 2 years old. After the Place des Arts concert, Michael asked me if I knew what your 5 favorite Chris de Burgh songs were. I told him I didn't know but that I would ask you. Thanks again for the great concerts and a memorable experience with my son.
Chris de Burgh:
Your question is just wonderful. I do remember meeting a young lad there, shaking him by the hand. It’s fabulous to see these youngsters turning on to my music and his favourites Borderline and I Want It And I Want It Now. Congratulations to you for bringing his little fellow up to the show, and I hope that you enjoyed it as much as I did. My favourite Chris de Burgh songs? That’s a tough one! But I would put sort of toppish of the list things like Spanish Train, Don’t Pay The Ferryman, Borderline .. let me think … the one I mentioned earlier, Satin Green Shutters, because it’s an important song from my beginning days. That’s four. I’d be pushed to find a fifth one, but maybe I come back to it once I think about it. Another one actually, because of the picture it paints, is everything that I wanted to convey, is a song called Last Night from the Into The Light album.

September 17, 2003
Chris Raymond (51) from Whitton, Twickenham, UK:
Hello Chris! Do you often go to the Theatre or to Concerts and what sort of things do you choose to see? I'd particularly like to know if you go to see other singers perform and if so what's it like for you being part of the audience?
Chris de Burgh:
This is from Chris Raymond, a name I am also familiar with, and the lady herself. I believe she was gonna come to Germany to see some of the shows this summer. Theatre and concerts, you know, I now live about 40 minutes outside the city. And we are so busy now in our usual daily life, particular during school term, that we are exhausted by the end of the day and rarely have the energy to get up and drive into the city to go to theatre or indeed concerts. But it does happen from time to time. And when I am in an audience watching other singers, I am a bit of a pain to be honest because I am very critical of people in my profession, particularly when they do not give value for money. And it does happen in the past, where you see somebody on the stage who is very arrogant and doesn’t communicate with the audience or else somebody who short-changes the audience by doing a very short show. And that’s wrong. And as a fellow professional I think that’s something that people should be aware of and should just not go back to a concert. However, from time to time I do see a really spectacular show with a true professional on stage and for me then it’s a real treat and I learn a lot and I respect these people a lot.

September 16, 2003
Stephen (38) from Kincardine, Ontario, Canada:
Has nature ever called while you've been on stage during one of your long sets? If so, what have you done?
Chris de Burgh:
You may have noticed that when I am singing, I drink a lot of water. And during the day I drink about 2 to 3 litres of water every day prior to a show because it is the best way of keeping your voice fluid and in good shape. And the answer is yes, from time to time I have felt the need to visit the bathroom during a concert. But during my band shows there is a moment where, if I need to, I can go. If not, I just hang on. But during the solo shows, there is not much chance. So the answer is I have to be a little careful what I drink in the hour or two prior to a show.

September 15, 2003
Sheila Gardner (43) from Hounslow, Middlesex, UK:
Hi Chris, I watch quite a bit of TV and enjoy soaps, comedies, quiz programmes and reality TV and would like to ask if you watch much TV and which programmes are your favourites?
Chris de Burgh:
I like news programmes, I like historical based programmes. Discovery channel is great. I of course watch the Simpsons, I think Homer Simpson is a complete idiot, but he is very watchable and very funny. I like watching DVDs and catching up on movies that I haven’t seen before. But I am not much of a TV addict to be honest, there’s really too much else to do in life. I love reading as well, when I get a chance. I also like those English crime series that they have, Agatha Christie style, crime series. And there is one called Bergerac based in Jersey, which was quite a big hit a few years ago. That’s the kind of thing I like as well. Particularly things that are informative and beautifully produced and shot.

September 14, 2003
Jacqueline Ebner (45) from Scotland:
Hello Chris, I was surprised to learn that you do not read or write music. I am absolutely amazed and full of respect for you that you produce such fantastic music - all by ear! Have you ever been tempted to learn? Or do you prefer to 'feel' the music? I have all your CD's and can't wait for the next one and the next visit to Glasgow. HURRY BACK! Lots of Love Jacqueline
Chris de Burgh:
No, I can’t read or write music, in fact my children can read and write music, and particular my elder boy Hubie who learned and started the guitar a year ago and he is already fantastic on it. And he gets things off the internet called tablature. It shows the exact notes that people, his heroes like Eric Clapton and Jimi Hendrix, are playing. And listening to him playing this stuff is incredible. I don’t find it limits me very much, because the style of music I play is very much based on chords and chord structures. I have spoken about it before, on piano and guitar. So I rely on my instinct, my intuitive instincts and my emotional instincts to write my songs and I think it probably is the better for it. The less I know about the discipline of music, I think the better it is that my emotions run free.

September 13, 2003
Heike Becker (30) from Trier, Germany:
Hi Chris !! Not really surprisingly we are looking forward to the concerts in July... Like the concerts in the past summers some of them take place in lovely small towns in beautiful market-places or castles. I would like to know how the places are found – does your management ask somewhere for possibilities to present smaller concerts or do the concert-agencies of the towns ask your management to come? By the way – for us it’s a good opportunity to visit nice places in Germany we would usually never been to :o) xxx Heike
Chris de Burgh:
This is from Heike Becker, who I know very well. A very pretty young lady who I often see with her friends down in the front row of many of the concerts, Claudia and Sabine. I was looking forward to seeing you again this summer. The locations are found usually by our representative in Germany and as you say, it’s a wonderful opportunity to visit so many extraordinary places that you generally wouldn’t go to. It’s because what I have wanted to find which is somewhere historical, unusual with a beautiful background, say a city or town square with a beautiful cathedral or a castle. This is what I have been looking for and this is what I tell them to look for. And because I think my music being of the kind it is, sort of romantic and historical, works very well in these particular kinds of venues.

September 12, 2003
Fabian (18) from Germany:
Hi Chris, I just got a CD from you called "Live in Bangkok". It's a concert you played with an orchestra. Great one! I love your version of "Desperado". I was told, this CD was a limited edition, but I've never seen it in any discography. Is it an official release or a bootleg? Thanks! Fabian
Chris de Burgh:
The “Live In Bangkok” album is an official release. It was performed with the Bangkok symphony orchestra. An extraordinary night it was, and I am glad you’ve heard this. It’s a limited edition CD but it is an official release. Fabian, I hope you enjoy it.

September 11, 2003
Louise Camilleri Torm (37) from Malta:
Hi Chris, first of all I feel the need to repeat what you have heard from many of your fans, and that is that I have loved your music for the last 20 years. 'A Spaceman Came Travelling' was one of the first songs I had listened to. I met you once when you were in Malta for a concert to celebrate the Summit between Bush and Gorbachev but due to the very bad weather, it never took place. I had met you at a hotel in Malta where you had asked me to recommend a nice restaurant. I still have your signature on my birthdate in a diary of that year. I love your lyrics and can spend hours listening to your music. My favourite song is Satin Green Shutters - what has inspired this beautiful song?
Chris de Burgh:
Yes, I remember very well our trip to Malta and how sad it was that we were not able to perform at the summit between Gorbachev and Bush. But yes, funnily enough I remember the occasion that you are referring to where you recommended a good restaurant. It was good. “Satin Green Shutters” came from, I think, a few words of a poem that I had read. And I can’t even remember where it came from. I must have seen it somewhere locally to where I was living in London. And then I just had the idea of growing from that, to become a dream of somebody, particularly a young person who is falling in love and the idea of having children, and peace and harmony in his life. It is one of the most beautiful arrangements of any of my songs that I can remember. It was on my first album, that was such a thrill to be involved with something. Actually I listen to it from time to time as well and I like the song a lot.

September 10, 2003
Ron Madsen (34) from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada:
Hi Chris!! If you had a "Time Machine" Which era would you most like to travel to?
Chris de Burgh:
If I had a time machine, I think one of the eras I would like to go back to would be the medieval era. But I would have to be an extremely rich and well-off noble man to enjoy being back there, because I am sure that in tough times like that when there are so many people with diseases, and the black death and plague and pestilence and tough times. But just to see the manners of people. I’m looking at maybe the 12th century, but also the 15th century would be interesting, and of course in Shakespeare’s time to see what it was that inspired that one man to such heights of genius. Also, if I had a time machine, I would love to go into the future, about 200 years from now, just to see how technology has changed life and the world.

September 9, 2003
Steve Bronski (43) from Glasgow, Scotland (now Bangkok, Thailand):
Dear Chris, do you keep in touch with Supertramp? Here comes the Sun:-)
Chris de Burgh:
I come across the band Supertramp from time to time. I had dinner with Dougie Thomson recently, the bass player. And of course his brother Kenny Thomson is my manager, so I keep a line of communication open and I am very fond of Supertramp, because they really helped me in my career in the early years. And I hope that they are still doing well, and I wish them all the best.

September 8, 2003
Shirley Hopkinson (31) from Brixham, Devon, UK:
Have you ever read something in a newspaper that has made you think of a new song? I read something in my local paper and I instantly thought that it would make a great song. Although I am not musical I have thought of trying to write some words for a song based on what I read.
Chris de Burgh:
I often hear phrases or read phrases that suddenly sparkle off an idea. For example “Guilty Secret”. I have no idea where that jumped into my head, I may have seen it on a billboard or heard it on the radio. I was driving in my car at the time. I heard a phrase and ‘bang’, the song came almost immediately. And I know that this is a very rich source of ideas, but you have to back up the phrase or whatever it is with an idea to make it strong enough to be a song. But it does happen to me quite frequently.

September 7, 2003
Wendy Simpson (40ish) from Scotland:
Hi Chris. My question relates to a TV programme I am watching called 'through the keyhole'. Which is a programme that takes cameras into famous people's home and a panel tries to guess who lives there. Have you ever been approached to do this programme or one like it? Or would you feel it too intrusive to open your home to allow cameras in? May I also say that having asked you questions before, and they have not been chosen, I appreciate the time you take to answer the questions you do answer. Thanks Chris.
Chris de Burgh:
I have been approached a number of times for this particular programme. But unfortunately I have no desire to let any cameras into my home for two reasons. One it’s very personal and special, and the people I invite to my home are always friends and people I like and love. And secondly, I do not want people, particularly bad-natured and bad-minded people seeing what treasures I have in my house, so they can quite simply come and burgle. And trust me, it has happened in the past that people have seen something nice, either on a photograph in a magazine, a beautiful Persian rug for example in somebody’s home or on the TV and they say “Oh, I’d like to go and get that” and they do, they break in and steal those things. So those two reasons mean that I have never been involved in such a program.

September 6, 2003
Simin Mhinrad (18) from Tehran, Iran:
Hi Chris. I love your songs. I have a question: What is freedom in your idea?
Chris de Burgh:
Freedom in my opinion is the ability to do what you want, when you want, with whom you want, as long as you stay within the social laws that exist and obviously the political laws that exist in your country. If you feel like it, you can’t go next door and kill your neighbour for example. But I think, when you don’t have freedom, it’s an extraordinary thing when you finally do have it. What I am saying is, those of us who are free and in a free world, when you go to a place where people do not have it, it’s an astounding thing that they have no free choice and no free will. And I certainly hope that you will have changes in your country shortly.

September 5, 2003
Svetlana (35) from Poznan, Poland:
I am a language teacher and I teach many languages. Have you ever had a song about people who speak different languages but are in love with each other? Do you think that certain languages are more romantic than others? Greetings from my students-thanks to your songs English isn't so difficult to them! What's your opinion about Polish ladies?
Chris de Burgh:
I have had a song years ago called “Crying And Laughing”, and maybe even “Natasha Dance”, about two people from completely different cultures who fall in love. And you know, when you are deeply attracted to somebody, it almost seems that language is unimportant. I have seen it happening amongst friends of mine. One boy, an American guy, fell in love with a German girl. It’s called in French the “coup de foudre”, it’s the bolt of lightning or the thunderclap, one of the two, I can’t remember which one it is. And it’s that moment your eyes are meeting, bang, that’s a serious attraction. So “Crying And Laughing” probably would be the one. And I think the Romantic languages (French, Italian, Spanish) really sound beautiful, and of course German is an interesting language, but I think the songs that they sing, they sound very passionate and beautiful in those languages. And my opinion about Polish ladies is, they are gorgeous. And so are the guys.

September 4, 2003
Marc-Andre Filion (22) from Montreal, Canada:
You've written many great songs about friendship (The Snows of New York, Old Friend, Another Rainbow, etc.). Were these songs inspired by your real friends?
Chris de Burgh:
“The Snows Of New York” was a mythical idea about two brothers in the West of Ireland, one of them is heading off to New York to find work and create a new life for himself. And the other has to stay behind and look after the farm and scratch out a living in the difficult circumstances over there, maybe a hundred years ago. “Old Friend” was about my grandfather. And “Another Rainbow” is about a very good friend of mine here in Ireland. And yes, they were inspired mostly, certainly the last two, by real people.

September 3, 2003
Heike Stelljes (44) from Köhlen, Germany:
Dear Chris, I'm listening to your wonderful music since 25 years and my twins (they are ten years old) love your more unknown songs like The Ballad of Thunder Gulch, Riding On A Rainbow and Friends Forevermore. We know the story of Thunder Gulch and now the boys wanna ask you to tell us something about their favourite song Friends Forevermore and the children you're singing with. Thanks and best wishes from Lukas and Ruben from a small village near Bremen.
Chris de Burgh:
“Friends Forevermore” I wrote for the school that my children have been going to. In fact my younger boy just left at the age of 12 to go on to his next school. And I wanted to create an idea about returning to your old school, maybe in the holiday time when it’s empty, but you always hear these echoes of the past. And suddenly, for me, I’m transported back to the time and the day when I left. And leaving the school like the one my children were at is a traumatic thing, because it’s such a beautiful place. So much full of love, to be taught with love rather than fear, and to be taught by people who really care for children was a wonderful thing. And I, along with Chris Porter, who has made my last two albums, we made this record called “Friends Forevermore”, and a CD, a limited number. But it’s lovely, hearing the children singing. I sing on the first track. And of course this CD is still available from Aravon School. It’s a lovely record of all sorts of different songs and school children singing them.

(Editor’s note: To obtain the CD, please use the contact below:
The Secretary
Aravon School
Old Conna
Bray
County Wicklow
Ireland
Fax: +353 1282 1242
E-mail: aravon@indigo.ie)

September 2, 2003
Susan McDonald (33) from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada:
Dear Chris, this is a more frivolous question but i am curious. Are you a dog person? And if so, do you have a favourite breed?
Chris de Burgh:
I am a dog person. Actually of all animals, and I was brought up with dogs and cats and sheep and lambs and cows and pigs and horses and everything. I just adore animals. We have a dog, she’s seven and she’s called Milly. She’s a thoroughbred black labrador. She’s gorgeous. We have a lot of fun. She thinks I am just one big game show, she thinks I’m a play thing, because she just gets tennis balls every time I show up and she wants to kick a ball around with me and have fun.

September 1, 2003
Lynn (29) from Newfoundland, Canada:
Chris, I have been a fan of your music for many years, since I first saw and heard the video for "Don't Pay the Ferryman". Listening to your albums is such a wonderful experience, because I get lost in them and can easily imagine the characters and situations. My question for you is: how did you create the song "Shine On" ? What caused your thoughts to flow in that direction? Oh, and I wanted to tell you that I got engaged right before your 1996 concert in St. John's, NF (about 20 minutes before the show started), and I requested to meet you to no avail. The engagement ended, but your brilliant concert lives on in my heart!
Chris de Burgh:
I have been thinking about how time moves. You know, you look at old photographs, and family gatherings a hundred years ago. And all the people there have moved on to another dimension, they are all dead. And the house that I was living in prior to the one I am in now, we found some old photographs up in the attic that had been left behind by the previous owner. And it showed a tennis court where our lawn was, and all sorts of people. There were two little girls sitting in a pram. They were the two little girls who grew up to old ladies who then lived in the house until they died in their eighties. Time moves very fast, that is what I am referring to in “Shine On”. The third verse is of importance to me, about saying all the things you need to say to those you love, your parents for example, before it could be suddenly too late and you regret that forever. And the final one is what we must do to our world, rather than just leave a garden for our children in our homes, we should try and leave the world as a garden for our children. Sorry I missed you there in St. John’s, Newfoundland. I was wondering maybe, if you were perhaps at that wonderful show in Newfoundland that I did recently. I really enjoyed it.

August 31, 2003
Annette (35) from Perth, Australia:
Gidday Chris. I truly am a huge fan of yours however I was a bit surprised however by a comment you made on this site on May 6th. You were answering a question about one of your songs and you ended with "and indeed many women are very tempting for an awful lot of people". I am not sure what you meant to convey but it sounded like you thought women should shoulder all the blame. Can you please clarify as I was disappointed to read that. You really are a wonderful storyteller and singer and I thank you for sharing so much of yourself with us.. Thanks Annette
Chris de Burgh:
This was in connection with the song “Don’t Look Back”. What I am talking about here is not all women are temptresses, not at all. It’s just the women at this place which is a brothel of course, a road side brothel. And married men in particular should watch out for the temptations of the flesh in this particular place. I am actually not talking about all women of course. And also you may remember in Greek mythology the sirens, that used to sing on the rocks. And sailors were so entranced and bewitched by the singing that their ships always ran aground. That’s the kind of temptation I’m talking about, not what you suggested I’m talking about. So I think it’s just a little misunderstanding.

August 30, 2003
Bill Muldoon (58) from Toronto, Ontario, Canada:
Hi Chris, I met you at the Liverpool F.C. box office Feb 1990 (L'pool vs Roma) when my son asked you to introduce yourself to me as I had seen your last concert in Toronto and he told you I had not stopped talking about how unbelievable an experience it had been for my wife and I. I left Liverpool in 1967 but have stayed a true Reds fan and it was a thrill for me to watch my sons face at the first live game he had ever been to and the added bonus of also meeting you there. Now to my question, how long have you been a fan, your favourite all time player and most memorable occasion. I have my tickets for May 21st Row N (Liverpool shirt or scarf), looking forward to the show.
Chris de Burgh:
I am a huge fan of the Liverpool FC and I have been for many years. You asked me for what my most memorable moment is, well, there have been so many! So many extraordinary things have happened, like some of Robbie Fowler’s goals that I have seen. Watching Kevin Keegan play, Steve Heighway, some of the older names from the most spectacular times when they were winning the European cup. Watching Kenny Dalglish play and then meeting him subsequent years and becoming good friends. There have been in more recent years outstanding bits of brilliance from Liverpool FC players like Emile Heskey and Michael Owen. But, you know, the bit that I am going to mention was a free kick by Patrik Berger from the left hand side, and it came zipping into the box very quickly indeed. And it bounced off somebody’s head and you wouldn’t believe how quickly Michael Owen got his head to it. It was in a split second. He’s the smallest guy on the field, but he put it in the goal and he was ruled offside. But for a moment of sheer brilliance and a predatory striker’s instincts it was absolutely amazing. I have never forgotten it. I mentioned it to Michael Owen once and he looked very rueful. He said “Pity it wasn’t a goal, it would have been one of the best of all time.” So, I hope you enjoyed the show in Toronto, and I did see a Liverpool scarf out there, I am sure.

August 29, 2003
Anne Leblanc (8) from St-Eustache, Québec, Canada:
Quel est ton album le plus vendu? (Which is your album most sold?) Bye, Anne
Chris de Burgh:
The album that I have sold most of, I believe, is “Into The Light” which has probably sold 4 or 5 million copies all over the world.

August 28, 2003
Helen (22) from St. Petersburg, Russia:
Hi, Chris! First of all, thank you very much for the wonderful show in St. Petersburg on April, 2! I saw two guitars on the stage and the question is what's the difference between them? Thanks!
Chris de Burgh:
The show in St. Petersburg was wonderful for me, I enjoyed it very much in the cathedral there. And of course it is an absolutely gorgeous town, gorgeous city. I can’t wait to go back there, particularly when the weather is warm. I have two twelve string guitars on stage, both of them made by the Guitar Factory in America, which is a small guitar factory making very high quality guitars that people like Sting and Eric Clapton use. One is slightly newer than the other one, and one of them has term controls, base and treble term controls and the other one doesn’t. Also slightly different pickups. But they are standby guitars. If one of the guitars should go out of tune or a string breaks or something, at least I have a backup, just in case.

August 27, 2003
Joyce (23) from Maarssen, Holland:
Hello Chris! First of all, I think it's amazing that you take the time to answer all these questions! Artists like that are hard to find these days. My question is; what was your favorite question so far?
Chris de Burgh:
You know possibly, Joyce, yours is my favourite question! Because it says basically thank you to me for doing what I do. But you see, if you reverse it, you will note, that I wouldn’t be who I am or where I am without people like you out there, showing an interest in my music, showing an interest in me. So it’s a two-way-street, and it comes back to the ethos that I bring to my stage performances which is we’re all in it together. I think I said this in an earlier answer. Everybody is as important as everybody else in that arena or outdoor area, and it’s just that everybody is kind of creating a mood, an emotion and a passion together. So your question was wonderful. Thank you.

August 26, 2003
Emmanuelle Leblanc (6½) from St-Eustache, Québec, Canada:
Hi Chris! My name is Emmanuelle. I'd like to know: what is your favorite color and your favorite dessert? Papa et surtout maman ont bien hâte de te voir en spectacle! Hugs and kisses, Emmanuelle xxoo
Chris de Burgh:
Hi Emmanuelle! My favourite colour is a colour found in nature, it’s green. I’m looking outside my window now, Emmanuelle, on the hills of Wicklow in Ireland. And Ireland is noted for its forty shades of green. And trust me, there are forty shades of green. I think it’s because we get a lot of rainfall here, but also a substantial amount of sunshine. Springtime is amazing. When I returned from Russia, where it was just snow everywhere, and I came to the beginning of spring in Ireland, it was amazing. I walked around with my mouth hanging open, looking at the beautiful colours. So green is a stunning colour. Can you imagine not having green in your life? I think it would be terrible! What is my favourite dessert? Oh, well, all sorts of strange and wonderful things I have eaten as desserts. I am not mad about ice cream funnily enough. I would love beautiful strawberries, recently I ate Wexford strawberries. And I love fruit actually as dessert, that’s a good one that keeps the stomach not getting too fat. I like all sorts of fruits: Lychees for example, oranges, apples, grapes. But if you really have to push me, a really fantastic crème caramel would probably get my vote.

August 25, 2003
Doug Thompson (46) from London, Ontario, Canada:
Hi Chris, Hope this e-mail finds you in the best of health. (I say this or my own selfish reasons, as I have tickets for your concert here in London on May 20th, and I'm so looking forward to it.) I doubt you would remember me, but I used to work for Perryscope Productions in Calgary back in 1982, where you performed with an artist named Luba. I have met a lot of performers over those years, but none with as much class as the two of you. Which leads me to my question. I know you love to tour, but do you ever find it gets to be a little like a circus... I mean put it up, tear it down, travel travel, just to put it up again? How do you keep your sanity ? Your songs seem so grounded, for such a gypsy type lifestyle. Well I guess I've taken up enough of your time, in closing I'd just like to say it's rare that you meet an artist such as yourself, that I can now take my children to see, and know that they enjoy your songs as much as I did. Thanks for all the great songs. Love from the Thompson family
Chris de Burgh:
Hi Doug! Thank you very much for your question. I remember very well Perryscope in Calgary, and Bear who recently died sadly of cancer. I had a fabulous time out in Calgary. And I remember Luba, the artist you are referring to. Thank you for saying what you’ve said about meeting a lot of performers and the class. You know, the key I think to travelling is take everything in its right, don’t get upset or uptight about things and don’t get annoyed with people. And most of all don’t believe you’re any different or superior to anybody else working on the tour. I am as important or as unimportant as the cateress, the drivers, the technicians, the sound and light people, they are all integral parts of the same machine. I am only like the steering wheel of a car for example. If you don’t have a steering wheel, you can’t go anywhere. But similarly if you don’t have wheels, you can’t go anywhere. So we’re all in it together, so there is no point trying to pretend somebody is better than anybody else. And that is the key to my touring feeling where you just got to get on with the job, do it as professionally and as smoothly as possible and it makes everybody happy on tour.

August 18, 2003
Lance Johnson (34) from Mesa, Arizona, USA:
It seems that I am never able to attend your US concert tours. :^) So, I have my plane ticket, hotel reservation, sixth row (May 26) ticket, and first row (May 27) ticket to your concerts in Halifax. It is a fairly expensive trip from Arizona, but I consider this a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and well worth it. I am also a fan and owner of British cars. I was curious if you like any of the newer or older British cars, and, if so, which ones?
Chris de Burgh:
You’ve gone to the Halifax concert in the Rebecca Cohn Hall, and my two shows for me in Halifax were totally memorable. And, Lance, I probably said a very warm welcome to anybody from the United States and I hope you enjoyed the concert. Thank you for making such a long trip. British cars? Well, I don’t really have any British cars, although I have enjoyed driving old Jaguars in the past. But mainly I have a Chrysler Grand Voyager to transport the kids around in, and their friends. And I have BMWs and one old Mercedes 380 SLC. But of course I have great admiration for the top of the range British cars. I was once part owner of a DB6 which unfortunately burst into flames recently, so that’s gone.

Editor's note:
The Man On (the) Line section is taking a short summer holiday break now. We'll be back online next week.

August 17, 2003
Norah Batchelor (93) from Mayfield, England:
Am I your oldest fan? Are you pleased that the age of your fans span several generations? Will there be more ballads on your next album, which I much prefer. Keep writing your songs, they keep me young! Love Norah.
Chris de Burgh:
Norah and I know each other very well. We have a number of photographs together, and she is wonderful. 93 years old! And Norah, I hope to see you again in 2004, because as you’ve asked in your question, yes, I am very much concentrating on ballads, on more acoustic songs. The balance of the next record will be alternating between orchestra songs and acoustic based songs with a couple of those kinds of technicolor story songs that I am so fond of. You’re marvellous, Norah, and I look forward to seeing you soon!

August 16, 2003
Cleopatra (53) from Melbourne, Australia:
Hi Chris. I've often wondered what inspired you to write 'Sin City' and 'Lonesome Cowboy'? My theory is you must have enjoyed watching Westerns, especially when you were young...lol! Love, Cleo.
Chris de Burgh:
Hi Cleo! I’ve received quite a number of your communications through Malcolm. Thanks for that. Hopefully we will have a chance to meet up some day. Thanks for the photographs you’ve sent me. “Sin City” and “Lonesome Cowboy”? Yes, I guess I must have enjoyed Westerns in the past. “Lonesome Cowboy” was written many years ago for that first album “Far Beyond These Castle Walls” about almost the same thing as “Sin City” which is being a country boy going to the city and basically getting turned over there and taken advantage of. I suppose in a strange way I was referring to myself because I had spent obviously many years going to boarding school in England, but living at home in the depth of rural Ireland meant that when I went to London, it was a big thing for me. And when I wrote those two songs, I was living in London, trying to get a break into the music business. It was a lonely business and tough going. And I saw myself as the person in “Sin City” and also, I suppose, “Lonesome Cowboy” as well.

August 15, 2003
Bas van Nunen (35) from Alkmaar, The Netherlands:
Chris, thank you for so many years of beautiful music. I was one of those people who couldn't attend your concert last year. Maybe this summer I'll go to one of the German ones. Anyway, on the cover of the album "Best Moves" you are playing chess, as all chess players know, you're playing your biggest opponent, yourself. Do you really play chess?
Chris de Burgh:
The cover of “Best Moves” was put together with genuine chess moves. I do play chess, not very often. My two sons play together quite a bit, and it’s great watching them learning the game. It’s a very complicated game. And if we are on holidays and they are on one of those big areas where you have chess pieces that you can walk around and move around, it’s great to see that. And in chess, I think in virtually everything, your biggest opponent is yourself. It certainly applies to games like golf where one day you can go and play golf brilliantly and really exceed your abilities, and the next days for absolutely no other reason except it’s another time and another day, you can hit terrible shots. So it is very much a game of concentration and self-belief.

August 14, 2003
Kelly (34) from Riverview, NB, Canada:
Are you as romantic and as intimate as your songs? If yes, then could you please publish a "How-To" for those who have no idea?? I'm kidding, of course, but thank you for the lovely romantic dreams you've given me through the years.
Chris de Burgh:
Well, I believe, I am. I think I have the facility of putting myself in the other person’s shoes, of understanding how somebody else feels and what they want from a relationship. Not from me necessarily, but from their own partner. It’s terribly important to be very intuitive about what your partner is feeling, is needing, perhaps not even able to express. And writing the songs as I do, either from experience or more often from observation and imagination, it’s a very tricky area to get into. But then again, love is like a restaurant, everybody in the world has been into, and we know what’s there. So you can’t fool anybody with a poor love song, it has to be genuine and it has to come from the heart. And sometimes when I am writing a sad love song, it hurts me, because although it hasn’t happened to me, probably the actual event or emotion, I have to get deep into it to feel how it actually does touch people and how other people react to those kinds of break-ups and so on.

August 13, 2003
Chris Raymond (51) from Whitton, Twickenham, UK:
Hi Chris! I would love to know how you see yourself as a Dad? Are you easy going with your children for example? How much time do you get to spend with them and what sort of things do you enjoy together? Hoping to hear from you! Thanks!
Chris de Burgh:
What I do know is that traditionally the distance, the gap between a child and a father has been often a very serious one. You know, in the past people have called their father “father”. You know, I’m “Dad”, I’m not “pater” (the Latin word) or “father”. I’m Dad. So I work very hard to break down that barrier. Not to be pals and all that, you have to be a figure of authority at some stage. We don’t get lessons in being fathers, as anybody reading this will know. There’s no manual that comes with being a parent. But you just have to learn. Usually the first born is the one that goes through the difficulties of the parents not knowing what to do necessarily. But we learn and we struggle through and I think my kids find me a lot of fun to be around. I’m very generous to them, not in terms of giving them things because that’s unimportant. And people who know my children will say that they are very unspoiled. They are children who are allowed to blossom and to develop in their own way. That’s the important thing to allow children to be what they are, rather than what the parents want them to be. So I think I’m an ok Dad. I do all sorts of things with my kids, but mainly just being there for them. The most precious gift is time. Giving your children time, playing table tennis or billiards, or air hockey, or tennis, or football, or just taking them places and going with them shopping. Time, you know, I love to go swimming with them or watch movies together. Because of my job, it means that I have to be away two or three weeks at a stretch and then home and off again. My recent two week tour of Europe was right in the middle of the holiday season which was difficult for me knowing that they were back here, they were not going to school, I could have been spending a lot more time with the kids. But that’s just my job, you know.

August 12, 2003
Joe DeRouen (34) from Richardson, Texas, USA:
My all-time favorite CdeB song is "Every Drop of Rain." What inspired that song?
Chris de Burgh:
This is a question from one of my favourite people on this website: Joe DeRouen, and his wife, and his lovely new child. Well, I guess not new anymore, he must be about a year old! Anyway, Astrid, how is yours? How are things going with you? Well, Joe, “Every Drop Of Rain”, that came from a very strong melody that seemed to emerge and it had been around for a while. And I just kept on coming back to it “just like every drop of rain”. As raindrops come down, I was thinking about them, going into streams and then going into rivers and then going out to the sea. And I was trying to think of a parallel to this feeling. And that’s what love can be like. It grows and grows and it’s always in existence and stays forever.

August 11, 2003
Jean-François Pelletier (36) from Montréal, Canada:
I want to ask you a question about the song "Tender Hands". It's amazing, every time I listen to this song it gives me a feeling of relief, I feel relaxed as if everything in my life is running well. I listen to music a lot and there's not much song that gives me such a strong feeling. How did this song came to you, when did you write it ?
Chris de Burgh:
The song “Tender Hands” came as a chance discussion on a phone with somebody I know about how she loved to just go home at the end of a hard day and have someone give her a massage. And I expanded this idea into thinking about somebody coming home after working very hard and they don’t want to go through the usual stuff of, you know, “I’ve been working hard”, and then your partner says “Well, I’ve been working hard too, I’ve had a tough day.” You just want to say “Look, I give you all that and I accept all that, but please, just for now, I just need your tender hands.” And similarly to give somebody that kind of feeling. Just walk in the door, and your partner comes and says “I’ve had a dreadful day.” Just stop what you’re doing, don’t go telling your partner what a dreadful day you’ve had, just say “Well, look, sit down, I’ll make you a cup of tea and I’ll give you a lovely massage.” And that’s what it’s all about. I wrote this song in 1988.

August 10, 2003
Manuela Del Castello (30) from Rheinbach, Germany:
Hi Chris, I love it to listen to your fantastic music. Before I’ve heard your music I listened to Michael Jackson’s music . Many people say that he’s crazy. What do you think about M.J.? Thank you for all your great concerts.
Chris de Burgh:
Michael Jackson is without doubt one of the key figures of 20th century music. Not so much in the beginning of the 21st century. He is much laughed at and derided which is a shame, because the man is extremely talented. Not only as a singer, as a musician, but people forget that he is a very good songwriter. For example the song I heard once he wrote called “The Man In The Mirror”. The line “I am starting with the man in the mirror”, that is very clever about starting, looking after people’s charity work and so on. He is just a huge figure, he is much more impressive as a musician than a celebrity in my opinion. But he is extremely important, and I have great respect and admiration for him.

August 9, 2003
Claire Powell (45) from Brussels, Belgium:
It seems to me that you are not very influenced by what's going on in the current music scene - something I appreciate. We love your own style which is wide anyway. My question is, what CDs by other artists do you currently have on your player?
Chris de Burgh:
At the moment on my CD player, I have a system in my house where you can listen to music in all sorts of different rooms and different music. You know, I am very fond of classical music, of Johann Sebastian Bach, Mozart, Pachelbel, big orchestral music as well as flute music. Rock music, I like to listen to, you know the classic rock musicians like Bruce Springsteen, Peter Gabriel, and more recently Dido. I like good songwriters, it doesn’t really matter who it is, as long as they have spent time working on their craft of songwriting. Sting is a fantastic songwriter for example. But a lot of the new guys who think that they can just write a few chords and jam a melody on the top that sounds exactly like something from the past. You’ve got to work hard to sound unique and different. I tend to spend a lot of my time going back into my own musical background and hopefully finding new angles and new ways of writing songs from what I have heard and what I have learned in the past.

August 8, 2003
Bettina Kann (32) from Wiesbaden, Germany:
Hi Chris! In your answer from the 2nd April you wrote that there is a devilish side in you and that you can tell us more! Would you mind doing this ;) ? Thank you for your music - which is part for more than 20 years of my life now! Take care!
Chris de Burgh:
Well, there’s not a lot I can say about this without getting too personal, but those who know me well will know that I am very fast with jokes and practical jokes. I love to laugh, you know, life is a short span between the cradle and the grave, and in between you’ve got to be happy, you’ve got to make other people happy, and you’ve got to laugh. You know, laughter is just the greatest. I like to do crazy things and nutty things sometimes. For example recently, I was in Canada and I saw a beautiful woman waiting for somebody to pick her up, I think, a collector to take her somewhere. It looked like somebody in my song “Love And Time”, who was being abandoned at a dining table. Anyway, I went up to this lady and I said “I just want to say that you look very beautiful today.” And she went “What? Oh, thank you.” And I said “That’s all I wanted to say.” and I left. And I think these are the crazy things that make me into, I suppose, the quiet anarchist that I probably might be. In the face of it I appear to be a quiet and peaceful kind of a guy, but underneath there’s a lot more going on, which amuses me.

August 7, 2003
Julia (26) from Speyer, Germany:
Your song "Saint Peter's Gate" somewhat helped me to cope with the death of a family member because even though it talks about what may happen if you lead your life in a negative way, it also offers hope. Could you explain why you wrote this song and how you managed to include both hope and fear? Thank you.
Chris de Burgh:
Speyer is a place I know very well, because there is an airfield there, and there’s a beautiful cathedral, the Dom. And every time I go there, for example if I am going to the Hockenheim Grand Prix or if I am going through Speyer, I always stop at the Domkeller, where they have the most fantastic beer that you can buy in large glass bottles, 2 litre bottles I think, or a litre and a half. And I take them home or I take them with me. Saint Peter’s Gate was written from the idea of revenge. Particularly from the point of view of a large number of people who have been treated in a dreadful way by a dictator like Stalin or Hitler or Mugabi. And the idea is that if there is a judgement day at St. Peter’s Gate, wouldn’t it be great to know that whoever you are, whatever you have done, you will always finally wind up at your judgement day. And that was the reason I wrote this song. It started growing in my head for a long time because I wanted to get this particular idea through into a song. I remember talking to friends, saying “I’m gonna write a song some day and it’s about what happens at the end of the life of some of these terrible cruel people. Saddam Hussein and his sons, sooner or later, it would be great to know that they will face not only the judgement day, but also those millions and thousands and hundreds of thousands people that they have murdered and tortured and destroyed the lives of.” It does offer hope in as much as I am going in the song to see my own judgement day. And then I’m told that the powers of be have made a mistake and they are not ready for me yet, so I run from the place. It’s just one of my story songs. I must admit I really enjoyed writing it.

August 6, 2003
Sandy Gemmill (33) from Toronto, Canada:
Chris, I write children's music and every time I sit down at my piano to sing my song entitled "Nelson the Giant", I wish it was you telling Nelson's story through song. Is there any chance that you may consider recording a children's album and would consider reviewing submissions?
Chris de Burgh:
Canadian singer/songwriter Raffi did a number of albums for children and they are absolutely terrific. My children were brought up listening to his songs like Baby Beluga, and extraordinary songs about animals in zoos and all the funny things that they got up to. And they have always appealed to me, these kinds of records. I suppose not having young children in my home anymore, they are all 12, 15 and 19 now, it makes it slightly more difficult to write these songs, because it would be great to have a captive audience. But it’s something perhaps I might get round to one day. It’s certainly very appealing. I wrote one song called “That’s What Friends Are For”, for a children cartoon series. And that was interesting, to write a song aimed at five year olds, that was kind of being bouncy and fun for them to listen to.

August 5, 2003
Leanne (46) from St Marys, Ontario, Canada:
Apparently you recorded Eastern Wind in Toronto, Canada. I was wondering how that came about and how long you were "here". (Close enough anyway). By the way, it was quite an experience standing in line for your concert in London. Such an eclectic mix of fans you have!
Chris de Burgh:
I’m glad you enjoyed the concert in London, Ontario. As you probably saw on the night, I really enjoyed myself as well. I recorded the Eastern Wind album in Toronto in 1979 because my band were all Toronto based, and it seemed like a good idea because Canada for me was an important territory, and I felt that the studios were of very high quality and it appealed to me to record there. So, that was the only time that I made an album in Canada, but as you may have noticed, I always return there on a frequent basis, because I love the place. I was in Toronto for about six weeks making that album Eastern Wind.

August 4, 2003
Alireza (22) from Tehran, Iran:
Dear Chris! Beside your very nice voice and your great lyrics and music I believe the way you sing your songs with deep feelings is making you the best that can be, it really makes me feel I'm involved in the story you are singing and you can't imagine how wonderful it is ;-). As I understood you love your mother so much, but I just wonder how it happened that you haven't sung any song for mothers (that I believe are the most faithful lovers) ?! I'm sure with your great imaginations and feelings it will be a brilliant song.
Chris de Burgh:
Thank you. Again I’d like to stress how excited I am to receive questions and messages from my fans in Iran. When I sing, I like to convey a total and absolute honest belief in what I am singing. It’s very important for me to convey an emotion, and unless you feel that emotion, you can’t convey it. It’s my belief. So when I sing, I wear the song like a coat, I try to convey everything that I put into it initially. All the ideas, all the feelings, all the emotions. And as far as writing a song about mothers is concerned, well this is an area I have heard people doing in the past. I think the moment you mention the word “mother” in a song, people think it’s a bit corny. But it’s certainly something I can have a look at in the future. It’s a difficult area, but I understand what you are saying to me about the importance of mothers in our social fabric, in our society. Indeed we wouldn’t even be here without mothers. I’ll give it some thought, thanks for the question.

August 3, 2003
Behnam (18) from Toronto, Canada:
Hi Chris! First off, I really want to say how happy I am that you chose Snows Of New York as your finale, that is one of my personal favourites of yours. My question is this: How did you come up with the Revolution trilogy? It's just, for me, it is perfect. One of your masterpieces, I think. And I was just wondering how you came up with it, especially having it as a trilogy.
Chris de Burgh:
Let me just say what a thrill it was to perform in Toronto recently, in spite of all the difficulties the city is having with the SARS virus. In all the time I was there, four days, walking around the city, from end to end, East to West, I was on the tram car going from the bottom of University down to what we call the beaches. I was all over the city and I didn’t see one person wearing a face mask. I know this is a serious epidemic, but I think there also has to be some kind of balance with the media reaction to what is essentially a very contained and confined virus. Thank you for what you say about Snows Of New York, it’s an important song to me and I love to sing it. As far as the trilogy of Revolution is concerned, I was always interested in creating more of a story in music than just the usual three minute piece. Crusader was, I think, the first time that I attempted to do a three part piece of music, and that worked quite successfully. Revolution came from I suppose living in Ireland, although it is not about Ireland and the Irish revolution of 1798, but it’s the same feeling I suppose anywhere of the excitement knowing that the battle is about to be started and people calling and whispering from home to home, you know “the revolution is coming”. It could apply to the French revolution of 1789, it could apply to anywhere, anytime. And then the subsequent trilogy I did on the Into The Light album 1986 was called The Leader, The Vision, What About Me. And I have every intention of continuing this style of writing, in particular by adding extra parts of stories to existing ones that people have enjoyed in the past.

August 2, 2003
Vern Hines (41) from Auckland, New Zealand:
Hi Chris, when you introduce a new song to your band members, do you instruct them on how you want them to play it or do you let them interpret it themselves. Thanks for the many great stories.
Chris de Burgh:
When I introduce a new song to my band members, I play it on one instrument. Which has always been my rule is that if it sounds good with one instrument then it’s worth recording. Because I am, I suppose, so lucky to be so versatile in as much as I can record and perform either solo or with band or with orchestra or string quartet. It gives me many options. So when I come with a new song to the band, generally the first thing I do is describe what I see, the picture in my head. Almost like describing the movie that I see when I write a song. We go through the chords, they write down the chords, and the bars pertaining to the song, if necessary write out some of the music. But professional musicians pick these things up very fast. Later on, when we have the structure of the song completed, I give the musicians plenty of scope to interpret certain sections of the music themselves. But rather than me guide them after the initial point, I like to sit back and listen and say what I like and what I don’t like in the direction the music actually finds itself going into.

August 1, 2003
Jacqueline Ebner (45) from Erskine, Scotland:
Hello Chris, Do you wear ear plugs at concerts? So many artists do and I've always wondered what they can actually hear. What springs to my mind is someone trying to sing with headphones on - oh dear, it can be so funny. Can you help? Is it just the music you hear or can you hear yourself sing? I hope you answer this for me and may I take this opportunity of thanking you so much for all the pleasure your music gives me.
Chris de Burgh:
The earplugs that you are referring to are called in-ear-monitors. That means they are monitors, the same thing as the large boxes in front of the microphones that I have, except you are getting the same information in your ear. Now I have tried them in the past. I find that because I leap around so much they tend to fall out firstly and secondly I just don’t like them. I think it can damage your hearing. You basically get what you want to hear, if you want to just hear your voice or if you want to hear the drums or the guitar or whatever, that’s what you get in your headphones. But it’s difficult for me and I will always now carry on using the traditional method which is the monitors in front of me.

July 31, 2003
Connie Majchrzak (35) from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA:
Hi Chris, I've been a fan of yours since I saw the video for "Don't Pay the Ferryman". That's all it took and I went out and bought "The Getaway" (great album by the way, as they pretty much all are) and searched to get any & everything of yours I could get my hands on. This was & can still be a difficult task as I live in the US. While you've had success basically everywhere else in the world, I'm sad to say the only major success you've had in the US is "Lady in Red". Sad because so many here are missing out on a lot of great music!!!!!!! Which brings me to my question. It doesn't seem, at least recently, that you "target" the US market at all (since it's so hard to get your stuff here) and I was wondering if you plan to do so at all. And I'm not asking for specific tour information but do you have any plans or have you at least considered touring in the US? I had tickets to see you in, I believe it was 1982, but the show got cancelled and though I was fairly young at the time, I'm not ashamed to say that I think I actually cried when I heard the news. I also wanted to say Thank You for giving your time to the "Man on the Line" section. It's a wonderful way to "keep in touch" with you "personally". PS I love "Timing is Everything" - it's always in one of my CD players!
Chris de Burgh:
Thank you very much. It is great to hear that I have so many fans in the United States. In fact I have had a couple of top forty hits prior to “Lady In Red”, which were “Don’t Pay The Ferryman” and “High On Emotion”. “Lady In Red” was a huge record there and it still does very well. The subsequent album “Flying Colours”, the record company did not get behind, and it was a very disappointing response to a very very big album and single prior to that. America is a very big country and it takes a lot of commitment and I’ve put a lot of time and energy and money into trying to break in the States in the late seventies and early eighties by a lot of touring. I think the reason I haven’t been back a lot since is because of the simple fact, it is such a huge country you have to dedicate a lot of time to it. This isn’t to say that I’m not interested which of course I am. But with so many commitments elsewhere in the world, to take on America as a single unit is a huge task. Nevertheless I am, as I said, delighted that there are so many fans of me and my music in the United States. It is difficult I believe sometimes to get the records, but now with the internet you can really access records from just about anywhere.

July 30, 2003
Ryan (4) from Oaks, Pennsylvania, USA:
Dear Chris, is the Castle haunted?
Chris de Burgh:
I think all old buildings retain some kind of memory of the energy that you find from human beings occupying a building. And in the castle where I was brought up, those of us who are sensitive to these things feel very much in that place there is nothing remotely to suggest that it’s haunted. There has been evidence in the past of poltergeists which I have come across, but there has never been that sort of spying chilling feeling that there is something horrible about to happen. No, on the contrary, the castle, although it is originally built in the 12th century and then added onto in the 16th and 20th centuries, there is definitely a good feeling about the place. And everybody who has been there will probably agree to that.

July 29, 2003
Paul Britton (40) from Manchester, UK:
Hi Chris, how do you choose your support artist? When I saw you in Birmingham last year (a birthday present from my girlfriend) you had Martyn Joseph with you. I've liked his music since I saw him a few years ago, he was supporting you then too. Are they chosen by you or your record company and do you travel together or do they make their own way around. Thanks for all your music and inspiration.
Chris de Burgh:
As somebody who has had a vast experience of being an opening act in my early years, I know how difficult it can be. I have even performed when the lights in the auditorium were on full and people were wandering around looking for their seats. I have performed before the advertised showtime in the past. If the show is supposed to be eight o’clock, and I am the opening act, sometimes I have been on stage at 7:30. It’s very difficult. What you are trying to do is get people to listen to your songs and trust me, it’s one of the toughest jobs in the world. So I have immense sympathy for opening acts, particularly the good ones. But in Martyn Joseph’s case recently, I actually called him up and I asked him whether he is interested, would he like to come and play a few shows, because I have a lot of time and respect for Martyn. I think he is a wonderful artist and a wonderful bloke and a very good friend. At this stage of my career, I very rarely use opening acts, because I got so much material to choose from and I can do a three hour show effortlessly or indeed in the case of the recent solo tours, 2 and a half hours, so much material. But usually what happens is that I get sent a tape of somebody who is a prospective opening artist and if I like it or approve it, it gets a chance. And if not, I just do it by myself.

July 28, 2003
Fabian (18) from Korschenbroich, Germany:
Hi Chris! I'm a big fan of yours for many years now and I've attended some of your concerts. I think the live versions of many songs sound much better than the usual album tracks. Are all shows being recorded in audio and video? I know that some other artists do. Do you have any plans to release some more live stuff in the future? Thank you!
Chris de Burgh:
To set up live recording and make it actually sound good, it’s a very time consuming and expensive thing to do. I have done it in the past obviously. But even more time consuming and expensive is setting up an actual video recording or DVD nowadays of a concert. It is something I will be doing next year and it’s something that I like to do very much. The problem with it is that it’s really only the recording of usually one show, whereas some artists, particular the ones doing the big places, like to record all of them and then put together a collection of, sort of a sample of one particular performance, taken from various other ones. I will be doing more live stuff. As you can probably tell, those who have been to my concerts, I really enjoy performing live. And as far as sounding different from records is concerned, well that is a fact mainly because when you record a song it’s very green, it’s very raw and it’s very new. By the time you have sung it a hundred times, then obviously it becomes different, which is why often a live record can show different sides of previously recorded material.

July 27, 2003
Francis DesCoteaux (37) from Aylmer, Quebec, Canada:
Some of the best moments in my life have been spent with friends and family around a campfire, in the middle of nowhere after a long day's paddle just shooting the breeze and enjoying the simple things in life. I am grateful to you for making me remember those moments every time I hear At the End of a Perfect Day. Is that in fact the type of atmosphere you had in mind when you wrote the song? Thanks.
Chris de Burgh:
I wrote the song “Perfect Day” following what really was a perfect day alongside of three friends. It came out almost the way I’ve done the song, where it had been a lovely sunny day, spent the day at the beach, went to a pub in the evening. We didn’t actually wind up on the beach with the guitars, but that’s my image of a perfect day. Friends around the campfire, singing old favourites, and then at the end of it, the idea of everybody singing all their favourites, and then somebody is saying “why not sing a Christmas song?”. And that’s when I break into “Silent Night, Holy Night”. It is for me one of those special days that I will never forget in the company of very special people. And I am sure we have all had those kinds of days. If you haven’t had them, you will.

July 26, 2003
Maroun Azar (45) from Toronto, Ontario, Canada:
I know that you are a fan of Formula 1, are you still attending every once in a while such events? With the new rules it is hard to tell for this year who has the chance of winning, but who's your favorite? Looking forward to seeing you In Canada again.
Chris de Burgh:
Yes I am a huge fan of Formula 1. I cannot get to too many races because of my professional commitments. But with the new changes in rules, it is certainly opening things up a bit. The most recent race I watched was Ralf Schumacher. But I think what it proves it’s now that it’s not just the dominance of the richest teams, I think it’s pushing the better drivers to the fore. But in my opinion, the greatest driver at the moment is Michael Schumacher. I think if you put him in a not so competitive car, he’d still do a fantastic job.

July 25, 2003
Deborah Madge (34) from St. Helens, Merseyside, UK:
Is there any country you've not toured that you'd like to do?
Chris de Burgh:
There are some countries that I’d love to tour in. They would include China. And I would love to do concerts in Iran. I know there are big changes going on in that country, and I certainly would like to feel that I would be welcome in Iran by so many fans who have been in touch and so many people who want to hear me what I do. I think if the authorities would relax a little bit and let people like me in. I am not exactly somebody who is spreading violence and revolution, I actually believe in the absolute opposite. My music is gentle mostly and has always a very positive aspect to life. I would also like to be one of the first entertainers to have the chance to go into Iraq and indeed any war-torn country where it’s looking for healing, like I found in Lebanon in the early nineties. It’s those kinds of places where I would be most interested to tour.

July 24, 2003
Kim (30 years plus) from Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada:
Chris , you seem to be on the road for many months of the year. Does your family have the occasion to travel with you also?
Chris de Burgh:
It’s not as bad as all that. When I was starting in this business, I had to go everywhere all the time. It was like being a farmer having to look after 30 or 40 fields, each one being in a different country. And assessing each one on its merits about planting, whether there are a lot of stones in the field to shift and just basically put the work in. Now I do concert tours when I want and where I want. So if I am doing a concert in your area, it is because I want to be there. So my family, because they are all school-going or in my daughter’s case university-going, it’s only really practical in the holidays to be joined by them. When that happens, it’s great.

July 23, 2003
Michael Smith (38) from Salem, Massachusetts, USA:
Chris, in your song A Spaceman Came Travelling what is the reference to 2000 years and is it to do with Jesus? It's an awesome song among your many. I think you're the songwriter of all time, I love the mystical stuff, thanks .
Chris de Burgh:
This was written one hot August day in the early seventies, I think it must have been 1974. I have always believed in the possibility that there is another dimension. And I think human beings would be very arrogant to suggest that we are the only people within our particular universe, because our audio spectrum is limited, our visual spectrum is limited. Just because we can’t see and touch something, we cannot deny its existence. I think we are all too much of a scientific point of view where you have to have it actually banging into your head before you see something actually exists. I don’t believe that at all, I think there is a lot more going on out there than we have any idea about. And so I am, as I said, a “what if” person. “A Spaceman Came Travelling”, what if the star of Bethlehem was indeed a spacecraft from another galaxy, another being keeping an eye on the world and announcing that the birth of Jesus was going to have a massive effect on humanity for the rest of history, which it has done. It’s certainly to do with Jesus’ birth. And the reference to 2000 years goes back to a belief amongst many who think that there is a spiral or a gyre that returns every 2000 years of immense historical significance for the world. And that’s what I had in my mind. Loosely also based on a poem that you readers might want to have a look at by the Irish poet William Butler Yeats. The poem is called “The second coming”. And you’ll find hints of “A Spaceman Came Travelling” in that poem.

July 22, 2003
Moriah Brunner (18) from St. Paul, Alberta, Canada:
In the song 'This Waiting Heart', there are the lyrics 'O Lean, O Lean, O Leon, Wellahiya' - do they mean anything in particular?
Chris de Burgh:
Actually they don’t mean anything in particular. I was trying to think of the kind of thing that men in a canoe would be singing as they rowed a canoe. It’s not a nonsense verse, but it’s to create a feeling of something ethnic, something unusual going on. I think it was my voice that did all those, at least I knew I was singing about nothing in particular. It was difficult, I think, to try and get other people to do that, because it doesn’t really mean anything at all, just creates an atmosphere.

July 21, 2003
Chris Golimowski (40ish) from Mississauga, Ontario, Canada:
Not a question just sincere thank you to Chris for not cancelling his May 21 concert in Toronto. We here appreciate his support and dedication. Many artists have cancelled due to SARS. We live, play, and work in Toronto. It's a great and safe city but I guess Chris already knows that. Thank you and see you soon.
Chris de Burgh:
Literally within minutes of me hearing the mayor of Toronto saying that this thing was totally overblown, I was onto his office to say that I would not cancel my concert, I love Toronto and that I was gonna honour my commitment to perform there for my fans and indeed for myself.

July 20, 2003
Chris de Burgh:
Perhaps we can start this by referring to the fantastic response from fans all over the world. And I love not only receiving the questions, but also reading the guestbook and seeing what people have said and thought. People who have been to the concerts for example, recently around Russia and Canada which was a wonderful experience for me, both places. In particular Canada, where I have been going since the mid seventies, to find not only a new generation, but I think one after that, you know, the youngsters coming to the concerts, that was just fabulous. I have rarely experienced such a complete emotional wave of love in every show right throughout the areas that I was performing. Doing solo concerts is something that I find extremely rewarding. Although I enjoy the band shows and orchestra shows and so on, but solo is so personal and intimate and it allows me to just go and do what I want, sing what I want and basically say what I want. I really enjoyed the solo concerts and of course the thrust of my songwriting is very much aimed towards solo concerts next year. And I am happy to say I have already written at least twelve or so new songs and as promised they will be deeper, more thoughtful, more spiritual, in some cases darker and sadder than before, but obviously I am hoping to get the correct kind of balance to make this record what I hope it will be. It’s very acoustic based. I won’t suggest it’s going back to my roots because I don’t actually believe I’ve got any roots. I didn’t start as a folk singer or anything like that. I’m just a guy with a guitar who likes to sing and write songs that often are stories.
The thing about the helicopter.. a lot of people have been in touch with me about this. One of them was of great interest to me, because it was by somebody sending in under the name of “shadowgirl” who said “Did nobody else see that little glint in his eye?” Well, there may have been a glint of mischief in my eye and then again maybe there wasn’t. But she is quite near the truth. It’s possible that I may be able to find somebody close by where I live who can join me for this trip some time in the next few months. It’s going to be very difficult for anybody from outside of the country, because the machine lives in Ireland. But if we do manage to get somebody into the helicopter for a trip, I promise you that I will make sure that that person sends a note to the website and tells everybody what it was like.
Many people also asked about “A New Star Up In Heaven Tonight”. Well, at the moment I am considering what I should do with the remaining copies, and I will be hopefully able to make them available before Christmas this year.

July 19, 2003
Editor's note:
Great news! The Man On (the) Line section will be back online in a few days. Thank you, Chris de Burgh, for spending such a lot of time again replying to questions and messages from your fans.