Man On (the) Line

January 21, 2005
Pouya (22) from Iran:
Dear Chris de Burgh, I have two questions. Maybe you think hey slow down but I like to know do you have any plan to release another album in 2005 or do you have a plan for later? Do you write any songs and lyrics right now for next album? I think it will be a nice idea if you could give this chance to your fans around the world to come with some titles for your next album. Maybe it gives you some more idea to write new songs after you see titles. You know people around the world have a lot of different great idea. My second question is about internet. I like to know how much you spend on the internet to search and find related websites and news about yourself and your work. I think it is great to see different websites and sources about our own works. And finally did you find any of those websites interesting? Actually these are questions from a group of your fans from Iran. I hope you answer to my questions because I sent different questions before but I was never lucky to get an answer. Have a great day my forever favourite singer.
Chris de Burgh:
I keep on stressing how much I look forward to going to Iran to sing, and I really hope that I can do that soon. My plans for 2005 are firstly that I am involved in a film called "Through These Eyes". I have written some songs for that and we are very much hoping that we start the production of this film in 2005, which obviously will mean for me doing some recording for soundtrack. I have been approached by a leading European playwright who wants me to become involved in a musical, which I find a very exciting idea, which I hope to also do in 2005. Another plan is to record some songs from my past catalogue again in a different style and a different way, plus some new material. That might be a good plan to do early in the year. And I feel fit and I really love doing what I do and I can't see that I am ready to stop. Certainly after the touring that I have done last year, seeing the response of people of all ages, I strongly feel that people still really want to see me. Indeed in the Westfalenhalle in Dortmund, to sell out that big place just for a solo performance, one guy with a guitar and piano, selling more than 7,000 tickets, well that is quite an extraordinary achievement. That tells me I am not ready to put my 12 string guitar to bed quite yet. The internet is a wonderful place to look for virtually any information about anything. And I do spend a little time on the internet. I must admit, not a lot. I do check out some other websites. Particularly on my own website, I read the guestbook quite a bit, I am really interested in the comments that are made. Astrid herself has been wonderful in helping me and indeed you to get all this information out to you, so a big debt of gratitude is owed to Astrid. And I hope she won't be shy and leave this bit off, but I want to say in public thank you very much for all your help and support. And I go onto the Yahoo site and I look at some of the comments which are very interesting. I am not sure everybody understands that I actually do read this stuff, but it doesn't matter. What they say is what they feel, and I find it interesting. And the interesting ones, also the websites from Iran? Yeah, I've checked them out.
Editor's note:
So that's the end of this selection of questions. Once again we are taking a little break for a while. We'll be back online as soon as we receive new answers from Chris de Burgh. Meanwhile keep the questions coming in!

January 20, 2005
Chris Raymond (53) from Whitton, Twickenham, UK:
Dear Chris, it was a bit of a shock for your fans to see that you bid for the latex model "monster" from the 1979 film Alien on 13th July. I think that, like me, many people are very curious about this!! Please would you tell us more about your reason for purchasing such an unusual object? We're fascinated! Many thanks. Chris R P.S. Also please can you tell us where you have displayed the monster?
Chris de Burgh:
Hi Chris! It was great to see you on the British tour a few times and thank you for your continued love and support. The latex model monster from the 1979 film Alien? Well, I saw the film when it came out, and I was absolutely shocked by that tiny episode. I think it only occupies about 12 seconds, when the alien comes out of John Hurt's stomach. It was one of the most extraordinary moments in movie history, and it's not just me who feels that. Millions of people all over the world have identified that as one of the top three or top five most horrific moments in movie history. Now the reason I bought it was, unlike for example the shower scene in Hitchcock's movie Psycho, where the woman is hacked to death, that was a horrible scene or The Exorcist, where the girl's head goes round and round, the fact is this is an object. It wasn't just a cinematic moment created by film, this object actually exists. And I think it's a really horrible thing, but for me it is the object that was in that film. And it's one of those things that happened, that can never happen again and you will never ever see in film. Unless it is a parody or a satire, you will never see something like that coming out of somebody's stomach again. It was such an extraordinary moment. Many people have come to my house and admired it. You know, it works. It has got pumps that make the gills move up and down at the sides of the head. It makes the jaw open and close. All sorts of things happen. So next time anybody reading this watches the film and sees the moment when it comes out of John Hurt's stomach, just remember I have that object in my home. I know it cost a lot of money, but on the other hand I do firmly believe that it is an investment for the future. And it gives a lot of interest to me and my friends in the present time.

January 19, 2005
Doris Neerfries (35) from Dinslaken, Germany:
Dear Chris, I just saw the report "Hoechstpersoenlich" on ARD about and with you. I really loved it! The 30 minutes were very interesting: old private films and photos and new spots of your tour!!! It was like being in your concert again for a (too) short time! I wondered, if you really composed that song about "always having to say goodbye" exactly in that moment or did you develop the melody before? It's hard to believe, that somebody just can sit at the piano and play a new melody and sing a new text and it even sounds so wonderful!!!! Is it really so easy for you to write songs?
Chris de Burgh:
Hi Doris! This "Hoechstpersoenlich" report on ARD was a great program to record. And I must admit, I was fascinated by it. Yes, that was the first time he had asked me about writing a song. And the idea of always having to say goodbye came into my head. I think, at my stage now, because I am a professional musician for so many years, and I have studied modern music for so many years as well, it is not difficult to write a song. But what is difficult is to write a really good one. And I certainly don't believe I would have recorded that one. I would have worked on it a lot more and polished it up and made it better. But yes, it was straight out of the blue. It's simple enough, if you have a few words in your head and create a melody and create chord structure. But as I say, Doris, the hard thing is to make something good and create a really good song.

January 18, 2005
Edwin Baeyens (36) from Antwerp, Belgium:
Hi Chris, Thanks for a great new album and a fantastic concert right here in Antwerp. I've always been fascinated by your song "Spanish Train". Where did you get the inspiration for this song? When I was at school (a long time ago, I'm afraid), I did an essay on it, comparing it to works of Magical Realism. Are you familiar with this literary genre? Also, have you ever read Belgian author Johan Daisne's novel "De Trein der Traagheid" (One night, One Train), in which the train is used in a similar manner? Thanks.
Chris de Burgh:
Thank you for your remarks about the concert in Antwerp. I enjoyed that, I remember it well. "Spanish Train", the reason I wrote it, as I am sure some people may have heard before, I'll tell you again anyway. I was staying in Spain in 1974, and I had a guitar and a backpack, and I took a train from the border of Spain and Portugal North towards Seville. And we were crossing the Quadalquivir river, and the train was going very slowly, and there were just two carriages, and there were very menacing looking Guardia Civil guards, because this was still in the time of General Franco of Spain. There was a very strange atmosphere on the train, as these guards walked up and down, looking frightening. And I glanced up a hill, and a farmer had got lots and lots of bits of wood, which were very dry and very twisted and knotted. And he put several of them together to create a fence all the way up the hill. And as we passed by, I glanced up, and in my weird state of mind at the time I fancied that they were skeletons dancing up the hill. And at the same time I imagined the train driver being a skeleton. And then one thing led to another, and I wrote down in a book, that I still have, the opening lines "There's a Spanish train that runs between Quadalquivir and old Seville. The dead of night the whistle blows and people hear she's running still." And I wrote that down. I didn't come back to it for a couple of months, but I loved the idea and I started to developing it around this cosmic struggle for good and evil which was described so brilliantly in John Milton's epic poem of the 17th century called "Paradise Lost And Paradise Regained", where the devil was once a favourite in heaven but he did very evil things and was thrown out. And it describes his fall into hell and now he lay there vowing his revenge. And I just thought, well, if there is this cosmic struggle between good and evil, looks like evil is getting the upper hand right now. So that was the inspiration. I don't know about this Belgian author Johan Daisne "The train", but it sounds like an interesting story.

January 17, 2005
Karin (40) from Austria:
Hi Chris! First I must tell you that your songs go right to my heart for nearly 20 years now and they helped me through a very grave crisis in my married life! The song "Rose of England" is my favourite of your latest album since I heard it for the first time. Now I would like to know why you chose Elisabeth I for a song. Why did you make a song about duty winning over love this time whereas mostly you spread the opinion of "finding for the heart over the head"? I wish you and all your fans many, many more years with your wonderful music, your most unique voice and your love for mankind. Thank you!
Chris de Burgh:
How nice of you to say to me that my music has helped you through a tough time in your married life. I can only guess what that must have been, but it sounds like you are full of hope at the moment and things have worked out for you. "Rose Of England", that came from nowhere in particular, except that I was thinking about how Queen Elizabeth I was one of the longest reigning monarchs in English history. And how ironic was the fact that she felt herself unable to marry a man that she loved. And in effect she married the country of England. I know it's different to what I said in "The Head And The Heart" where I usually find for the heart, but in her case she decided that the country needed her more than one man did. That is why she made her decision. I must say I love singing this song. It may not be historically as accurate as it could be, but it's what we call poetic license. When you are writing a complicated song like that, you are looking for the right words to rhyme, and they don't necessarily tell the full story. But I think people who know the story will understand exactly what I was getting at. And how a rose is a beautiful flower, but the thorns can hurt you, if you pick it up the wrong way, just like love.

January 16, 2005
Peter (19) from Warsaw, Poland:
I am very pleased with your latest album, "The Road To Freedom". I was wondering if it is possible somehow to obtain your music in written form - notes. Particularly I'm interested in piano notes for "When Winter Comes". Do you sell your music "on paper"? Thank you for your efforts, and best wishes from myself - Peter.
Chris de Burgh:
The answer is yes, my music is released in songbooks with piano and guitar notes. And I am sure at some stage the music of "The Road To Freedom" will be available in these kind of songbooks. "When Winter Comes" is not that complex actually. It's the chords of D minor, A minor, B flat, F, G minor and A. I am sure you can probably work it out on the piano. Good luck! Hopefully it'll wind up in a songbook at some stage.

January 15, 2005
Konni Risse (46) from Bochum, Germany:
First I have to thank you for the fantastic concerts I've seen on your "Road to Freedom Tour"! And I have to say I absolutely love your guitar version of "Rainy Night in Paris"! So here is my question: What gave you the idea to play this song with a guitar instead of a piano?
Chris de Burgh:
What I was trying to do for the new tour, was to come up with different ways of playing songs that people had heard before. For example I do "Sight And Touch". Originally it was done on the piano, but now I have moved it across to guitar. And I think it gives it a different feel, a different flavour. And the same thing with "A Rainy Night In Paris". I liked the slow version of that and it makes it funkier and more rhythmic. I went through virtually every track that I have ever written and recorded in order to put together the concert tour I have just completed for "The Road To Freedom". And it took a lot of work. But I looked at songs how to perform them, maybe ones that people hadn't heard for a while, maybe do them in different ways. And that's why I came up with the idea of playing "A Rainy Night In Paris" on the guitar. I think it works quite well.

January 14, 2005
Robert Meister (41) from Nassau, Bahamas:
How many songs do you typically write for a new album that don't make the final cut? And would you ever consider letting your fans vote via your official website (for example, by posting one minute sound clips) which songs you would release on a new album?
Chris de Burgh:
Well, that is an interesting idea to encourage the fans to vote in their favourites. I don't think that would work in practice, because I have in my head an idea of what I am trying to say with a whole album and as I said earlier in one of the MOtL questions, getting the balance of an album right is extremely difficult. And it really has to reflect what I have been thinking about in the last couple of years. However, that said, it might be an interesting idea in the future to ballot the fans on the website and see what songs they would like to hear me singing live. Well that would be an interesting thing to try and do. And as far as the songs I write, if I am recording, say, 12 songs, I usually write about 14 or 16 and keep the extra ones for another album or another idea. Or if they are not good enough, I just ignore them and move on to something else.

January 13, 2005
Paul (40) from St-Jean, Quebec, Canada:
Hi Chris, first English is not my first language.... The last time you came to Montreal (at the Place des Arts), they gave us a program that talked about a French version of Guilty Secret (secret mensonge) that you made. Is it true? Because I didn't find anything about this version. Thank you.
Chris de Burgh:
There is a French version of "Guilty Secret", in fact I did "Le Coeur D'Une Femme" (A Woman's Heart) in French, "Guilty Secret" in French and several others actually in the French language, because as you know I really enjoy singing and speaking French. The version does exist. I guess the best way to find is through one of the radio stations, because it was a number one hit in the province of Quebec and also the song A Woman's Heart was a big hit there too. So maybe the radio stations can help you find a copy.
Editor's note:
"Secret Mensonge" (Guilty Secret) was used by the Canadians as a radio record but not released commercially.

January 12, 2005
Cleopatra (54) from Melbourne, Australia:
Hi Chris! I have recently bought a fabulous book called 'Irish Gardens" by Olda FitzGerald which show some very beautiful gardens in some very beautiful old estates and castles, and being a keen gardener myself I was wondering what your garden was like and what sort of trees you have growing, being an old house I should imagine some of the trees would be quite old. Thank you as always for taking the time to answer our questions. Love Cleo.
Chris de Burgh:
Nice to hear from you, Cleo! I often read your emails that you send into the website, the guestbook, and also I read a lot of things on the Yahoo website that have been said. The book "Irish Gardens", actually I have a copy, I know the one you mean. The house that I currently live in, that we developed and expanded and renovated across 7 years has a beautiful garden and a lot of it got damaged during the construction process, so we're in the position now of bringing the garden back to its original beauty. It was, before we bought the house, one of the gardens that featured in "Irish Gardens" that you could go and visit during the summer and the autumn and the spring of course around the Wicklow area. But there's a lot more to be done to bring it back to its original state and we have a terrific gardening team here who are looking after it. But I don't think it's likely to be in that book. Maybe you should come out to Ireland and visit some of these gardens, Cleo! It's a beautiful country. Just as far as the trees are concerned, because the house itself originated in the 1740s, a lot of trees were planted during that time and 50 years afterwards. So we are surrounded by very beautiful big old trees. And sadly some of them are reaching the end of their days, the beech trees, the oak trees, the Spanish chestnuts. So we are going through a process of replanting hopefully for future generations to enjoy.

January 11, 2005
Ron (39) from Guelph, Canada:
Hi Chris, My wife and I saw you in concert in Toronto in May, 03. You performed a beautiful portion of an "uncompleted" song relating it to a young girl whom had recently been killed in Toronto. Did you ever complete the song? Please come back to Canada soon, my daughter wants to hear you do Spanish Train live.
Chris de Burgh:
Hi Ron! The concert at the Hummingbird theatre in Toronto in May 2003 did feature a song called "Little Angel". Yes, I did complete it, and it is available on my extended CD of "The Road To Freedom". And thank you very much about your wish to see me again in Canada. As you know, I have a long and terrific love affair with Canada going back many years, and I can't wait to get back there. And bring your daughter to come and see me doing "Spanish Train", because it is quite a scary song.

January 10, 2005
Tracey Gleave (21) from Lancashire, England:
I have managed to get hold of the record 'Lonely Sky and Other Stories' for a bargain price of $18 do you know approximately how many copies of this record were minted and/or what it is worth?
Chris de Burgh:
Hi Tracey! Well done in getting hold of a copy of "Lonely Sky And Other Stories". I have no idea how many copies were made, I think it was probably about 2000. Because "Spanish Train" was banned in South Africa, and apparently somebody complained that the line "And God didn't see what the Devil did" was blasphemous, because God sees everything, even when the Devil cheats. I thought it was absolutely ludicrous as did a lot of other people at the time. And we got the ban lifted by doing two things. One, by releasing an album called "Lonely Sky And Other Stories" which is the same black cover, but instead of the words "Spanish Train" written on the front it had the words "Lonely Sky". And the second thing is, I performed the song with my band to a group of censors from South Africa, we played it during a show in Johannesburg, just to show there was nothing wrong with it. And I think it was about half a dozen elderly gentlemen from the censorship board, we put them right in front of the speakers and cranked up the volume. I don't think they could have heard anything. Anyway, it was unbanned about six months later. But it is certainly a very unusual item to find. And I have one copy, but I have no idea how many others exist.

January 9, 2005
Caroline & Michelle Hardwick (47 & 21) from Gloucester, England:
Dear Chris, We all like to laugh and feel happy, and occasionally we have one of those laughs where we cannot stop. Tears are streaming down our faces, our stomachs ache, and when we try to stop, just a glance at someone and we start all over again! This type of laughter does not usually happen very often, but when it does, isn't it great! Can you remember the last time you experienced laughing like this? All our love Caroline & Michelle
Chris de Burgh:
Caroline and Michelle, great supporters, great fans for many years! You have been fantastic in sending me gifts and taking care of me in many different ways down the years. Very interesting question about laughing! Yes, that does happen. I am trying to think about the last time that happened to me. But there are moments, you know, when your stomach is aching and tears are pouring down your face as you described. I am actually inspired by all sorts of things to laugh a lot. But it's obviously not something that you do on your own very often. But when you are out and people are acting in a very dumb and dozy way, or else a dog does something stupid, or you see a photograph of animals behaving in an odd way or people. You know, things do trigger me off, but the continuous can't-stop-laughing, that sometimes happens when I am out or at home with friends. You know, you keep on referring to something. My kids certainly collapse laughing sometimes and I join them. There's a very funny series which was on television called Father Ted. And although I have seen each episode 50 times, I still fall around laughing, I think it is quite the funniest thing I have ever seen. For me it's funnier than Faulty Towers or Monthy Python. I think Father Ted, because I live in Ireland and it is about an Irish priest in some godforsaken place in the West of Ireland, I just find it absolutely extraordinarily funny. And at the beginning of each episode that I am watching, particularly if I am with friends or family, I am laughing almost at the very first thing that happens, because I am anticipating how funny it is going to be.

January 8, 2005
Evan Bishop (10) from Montreal, Canada:
Hi Chris, My Mom has been a fan of yours since she was my age, so I have gown up listening to your music. Last year (2003) she brought me to your concert at Place des Arts. It was cool. My grandmother came also, so we had three generations. My question is this: I have been playing the guitar now for two years (learning in school). Sometimes I make up songs - which comes easiest for you - the notes or lyrics when you compose your music? Any advice for a young musician? Looking forward to seeing you again, next time we're going front row - Mom promised...Thanks, Evan Bishop
Chris de Burgh:
What a wonderful question from ten year old Evan from Montreal! And those of you who read MOtL know that I often talk about Montreal and my great friends, who live there, and the lovely people of that town, and how grateful I am to the people from Montreal for their love and support and friendship and loyalty for all these years that I have been making music. Not just in recent times, but since many many years ago. I loved playing in Montreal and if you were at the Place des Arts, as you said you were, I am sure you would have seen a really extraordinary show, but made not just out of me and my music, but also the wonderful people of Montreal who give so much of themselves to a performer. It is great that you are starting to write songs so young. The key is to write songs about things that you believe in, things that mean something to you. Maybe about friends and friendship, or a story about something you have seen or want to do, or a dream. As far as the music is concerned and the words, I find the easiest thing for me to do is to try and define the shape of the song, almost like the outline or the skeleton of the song and then the music will tell me what it is about. Whether it is a minor key, it is going to be slightly sad. Or major key, fun or happy. Let the music start nudging you and say "well, this is a song about this" and then let the words sort of tumble out, even if it is gibberish and nonsense. Sometimes you will pick up a phrase or something that will give you an indication of what the song is actually about. There are some people who believe that every song has already been written and what you really try to do is to discover them. Then again, I think it's also up to your own brain to develop an idea. So good luck with the music, Evan!

January 7, 2005
Marc Stynen (30) from Antwerp, Belgium:
I am a fan of your music (of course), but I also like the music from Alan Parsons very much. The Crusader album was produced by Alan Parsons and also Andrew Powell worked on it, and together they worked again later, on the Alan Parsons albums. I wonder how you remember working with him (or them), and what do you think of his music? Regards, Marc.
Chris de Burgh:
Yes, my Crusader album was produced by only Andrew Powell. But Alan Parsons and Andrew Powell used to work together quite a bit. They used to make extraordinary good records, and in fact the musicians on the Crusader album also came from the Alan Parsons Project. And looking at my record collection right now, I have a few of Alan Parsons albums. I don't know if he is still making records these days, but he certainly made some very interesting and unusual records back in those days.

January 6, 2005
Anna Dolgikh (24) from Moscow, Russia:
Hi Chris! Thank you for your wonderful songs! Your last album is really exciting! Hope one day I'll hear you singing your new songs in Moscow! Chris, I have got a question that really concerns me greatly. How should parents bring up their child in order to make him strong and happy? I've seen two major approaches. The first one is when the parents try to protect their child from the problems of this "big world" around him. They try themselves to deal with difficulties their child face with and save him from pain and tears. The second one is to let the child resolve his problems himself (except very complicated, perhaps). My Dad considers this approach to be right assuming that the child should learn how to survive in this "big world" without help and should be able to overcome difficulties and build relationships himself. The most interesting fact that I've noticed that even when the parents try to combine two approaches one of them anyway will prevail. Chris, what approach is closer to you?
Chris de Burgh:
This question is one of the most difficult questions to answer for any parent. And there is no actual answer. It all depends on a number of environmental questions like "Where do you live?", "Who else is in your family?", "Are your mother and father in the home?", "Do you get on with your mother and father?", "What are your hopes and dreams for yourself and for your family?". It's a question that has dominated human thinking ever since time began: "What is the best way to raise your children?" Well, I think the first thing to consider is that there have been times when parents have ruled their children through fear and not love. Notably I would say in the Victorian era in English history. Not all parents of course, but there is an old rule which was used at the time: Children should be seen, but not heard. You can't stop children developing, but I think that you must always be encouraging to your child to develop and grow and try things out. But be there for them almost like an invisible wall. When they go that little bit too far, at least they know you are there. Even just today I was hearing about a family that grew up, where they had no rules. It was a very Bohemian, relaxed, easy-going atmosphere, where the girls in the family had their boyfriends stay overnight in their beds and all. And it did not work for this family. In fact, it was a catastrophe. One of the girls committed suicide. The other was a drug addict. Children do need rules, and they do need help, they need encouragement. I certainly don't have the answer, Anna, but with my children I am aware that as they grow through their teen years, the relationship with their parents changes. You must always shift and change. It is nothing cast in stone. You must always change, preshape their changes, understand their moods, understand why they are changing. And as you see, even my short answer, I think it presents more questions than answers. The protection against the big world? Well, that is a natural thing that parents try to do. But then again, if you are too protective of your children, when they finally get into the big world, it is a dreadful shock. They shouldn't be too streetwise, they should be a bit streetwise. Again, it depends on where you live and how you live. I must say, I would not be drawn to the second one that you are referring to, about a child having to fight the fight all on its own. I think you should allow the child to resolve their own problems on their own, but you should always be beside them in case they need you. It's like going with your child, climbing a tree. You know, you don't just send your child out and say "climb every tree in the garden", you just go out with them and say "Try that one! No, that might be a big high for you, try this one! Careful that you don't fall! Oh, well done, you went up that one all by yourself." That's what I call encouragement, but being there for them, when you feel that they need your advise and company. And being aware all the time of the shifting sense of change as children grow up. And as parents change as well! I hope this helps you a little bit, but it is a complicated problem.

January 5, 2005
Sibylle Marwitz (38) from Hilden, Germany:
Hi Chris, was the very first song you've ever written really called "A Waste of Love"? Your only comment on it so far is that it was "a waste of time", but I think the title sounds interesting and it must have been about something at least ;-) ... so do you remember how old you were when you wrote it, what inspired you to do so and what it's about? xx Sibylle
Chris de Burgh:
Greetings to Sibylle Marwitz, one of my great fans from many many years ago. And Sibylle, thank you for those wonderful compilations of pictures and articles you put together for me, most recently about Rosanna winning Miss World and what she has been up to. And the various articles that appeared in German magazines and newspapers about me and my family. Yeah, I think the first song I ever wrote was called "A Waste Of Love". And I was a bit flippant when I said it was a waste of time, but it wasn't really good. I think it is like anything, the first thing that you create, you think it is marvellous until you create something slightly better. And songwriting is no different from anything else. You just got to get good at it. And you write quite a lot of rotten songs before you start coming up with anything that is decent. I remember playing it to some people, thinking I am very clever, having written a song... but they weren't that impressed. I don't remember what it was about, except that it was in E minor. And I would have been about 14 or 15 years old.

January 4, 2005
Nico (26) from Ermelo, The Netherlands:
Dear Chris, Congratulations on your great new album! However, I have a question regarding the song "What you mean to me": I think it really breaks the whole peaceful and romantic atmosphere of the album... Is there a special reason why you included this different kind of song?
Chris de Burgh:
Thank you for what you are saying about my album. And you ask about "What You Mean To Me". Well, I know exactly what it does to the album: It lightens the mood. Some people have said exactly that, some people love that song. And other people are not mad about "What You Mean To Me". It's very difficult getting the balance of the songs right. And in fact you may have come across the three new songs on the special edition of "The Road To Freedom": "Little Angel", "Once Upon A Time" and "Even Now". You see, I think that if any of those three songs had gone in instead, the atmosphere of the whole record would have changed and it would have been extremely melancholy. So one thing that I am always very very aware of is creating balance on a record. And I do believe that, if I had been performing that album live, at that point after the song "Here For You", where many people are getting tearful, thinking about their children leaving the country at an airport, or indeed if you have a child leaving parents and friends behind, it does need something to lighten the mood a bit. And that's why I decided to put that one in there.

January 3, 2005
Norman (60) from Celle, Germany:
Hi Chris, I don't really have a question but a suggestion. I happened to hear a song on a local Radio station this morning and thought straight away, hey! I think Chris de Burgh could make a beautiful version of this. The song is one which I am sure you know, "Those were the days" done by Mary Hopkin about 30 years ago, what do you think?
Chris de Burgh:
Funny you should say that about Mary Hopkin. I know this song extremely well. It is based on a Russian folk song. Mary Hopkin was, and still is a beautiful Welsh lady. She was discovered by Paul McCartney and he produced and I believe co-wrote or wrote the song "Those Were The Days", based on this traditional Russian folk song. And it became a massive hit for Apple Records. I used to know every single word. In fact I was listening to, somebody sent me a CD of Russian folk songs, and I heard exactly that with Russian words, quite unusual sounding. I did a kind of a Russian song with "Natasha Dance", which speeds up at the end. Lots of Russian songs do that. "Those Were The Days", maybe there is a chance to sing it again for me, because it is a lovely tune.

January 2, 2005
Julia (54) from Melbourne, Australia:
Hello Chris, Some months ago I saw a documentary on TV about the discovery of almost two hundred year old graves of fallen soldiers from Napoleon's army. These soldiers died whilst in retreat from Moscow during one of the worst winters ever seen. Most of these men had either starved or froze to death. Your song "Snow Is Falling" from the new album "The Road To Freedom", reminded me of this very interesting, but sad documentary. These soldiers had lain in their graves for so long, just crying out to be discovered. My question to you is, what made you write this beautiful, melancholy song? Was it something that you had seen or experienced, or just something that came into your head? Thank you for your wonderful music, best wishes Julia.
Chris de Burgh:
Julia, I just read your question and I got the shivers, thinking of those young men who have been lying in a grave for 200 years. And when they disappeared, can you imagine the grief of the families, not knowing what had happened to them? And the companions not knowing what had happened in the retreat from Moscow? And I tell you, I didn't have this in my mind when I wrote the song. What happened was that I was in a beautiful hotel called Lainston House Hotel near Winchester in England, and I was working with my friend, Chris Porter, at his recording studio which is a few miles away. And I am staying in this place, and this hotel is at least 300 or 400 years old, it's absolutely gorgeous, I can recommend it to anybody who wants to find somewhere unusual to stay in that part of England. It's about 6 miles outside of Winchester. And they had a piano there in one of the drawing rooms downstairs. And one morning, it was a beautiful sunny morning, I started playing it. And the melody of "Snow Is Falling" just came straight out of my fingers. And it immediately started a film in my head. And the film was a vast white snowy landscape, and then the camera moves into trees, fir trees, heavy with snow, and it is absolutely silent. And occasionally a lump of snow would fall from the trees. But like little snowflakes are falling, we go deeper into the forest. And there is a clearing, broken earth with snow on the top, and it's the grave of three or four hundred young men. And an old man had been taken from their village and had been murdered. And nobody knows where they are. And as the seasons come and go, from spring to summer to winter, those bodies in there and those spirits are calling to be found, so they can have a decent burial and so their families know what happened to them. What you said in your question about these soldiers lying in their graves for 200 years, crying out to be discovered, it's exactly what I had in my mind. I have no idea where the idea came from, it just hit me. And I remember dramatically performing this in Russia, and I had an interpreter describe what I have just said to you about what I had in my mind. And at the end of the song it struck such a chord with those people, because that sort of thing has happened so much in Eastern Europe. You know, people had been taken in their hundreds and thousands and been murdered and never been found again. But at the end of the song, virtually everybody in the audience was crying. And it had a big impact on me. This song is beautiful, but it's melancholy as well, and I hope it makes people think a little bit about what is actually out there, waiting to be found.

January 1, 2005
Rowan Troy (19) from Kent, England:
Where did you get the inspiration for "Just A Word Away"? I have been a fan for a long time now since my Dad played all of your records but this one struck me in particular. In the lyrics you mention "It must be a daddy's pride and joy, a little baby boy" and also "Your sister Rosanna's fast asleep". I have a sister called Rosanna, she is my twin and I really like the song. I was wondering what inspired you to write these lyrics as it is very coincidental that I feel really connected to the song - keep up the good work!!!
Chris de Burgh:
Hi Rowan! "Just A Word Away" was written for my first son, Hubie. Because I had written already a song for his sister, Rosanna. And I wanted again to describe the bond that exists between fathers and their children. And I am saying to him that wherever you are in the world when you grow up, all you have to do is call me and I am there for you. It's an eternal kind of love that you have for your children. And I am fascinated by the fact that you also have a sister Rosanna, your twin! I wrote this song because I wanted to celebrate the birth of my second child and that indeed now we have a sister for him and a brother for her. And that's why I mentioned "it must be a Daddy's pride and joy, a little baby boy is lying in my arms here tonight".

December 31, 2004
Kaveh (17) from Rasht, Iran:
Hello dear Chris! I know that among the music composers you like Peter Gabriel more. But what's your idea about Vangelis? Do you like his works too? For me he's fascinating and matchless. Many thanks for answering to your devoted fans.
Chris de Burgh:
Peter Gabriel is somebody I met even before I went into the music business or very shortly after I began my career. At that point he was in Genesis and a very shy and retiring man, but on stage he completely changed, and he is one of those musicians I rate extremely highly. He is, I suppose, in a way a bit like me. We have decided to cut our own route through the forest, and he spends little time worrying about current trends and what's hot at the moment. His live shows are possibly the most spectacular of any artist in the world. If you have been fortunate enough to see a Peter Gabriel show, you realize they are absolutely extraordinary and the amount of time and effort and money and energy he puts into creating these concerts, it's just absolutely amazing. If you haven't seen him in concert, I very recommend it. I know very little about Vangelis apart from the music he composed for "Chariots Of Fire", but that music is timeless and my kids loved playing it. I've heard it played in school orchestras, you know, the theme of "Chariots Of Fire". I know he is a very gifted musician as well, and I am sure he is still making wonderful music.

December 30, 2004
Iris (35) from Switzerland:
Dear Chris, in one of your earlier songs you mentioned the "Lake of Geneva". What do you associate with Switzerland? Love, Iris
Chris de Burgh:
Again a country I have been to many times, and I adore being there. It is a beautiful country firstly. And travelling through Switzerland like I have, by train, by bus, by car, even on a bicycle in Zurich, I just love Switzerland and it is equally beautiful in summer as it is in winter. The mention of "Lake Geneva" in the song "Say Goodbye To It All" is slightly associated with a book by Ernest Hemingway, the American writer, called "A Farewell To Arms". And it's the second part of the story of "Borderline" about the couple who decide to break free and make their own lives away from the war zone. The refugees who made it across the Lake Geneva are like the character and his girlfriend in that book who decide to get away from the warfront. And it was raining all night long, the word 'rain' repeatedly comes up as a word of doom and foreboding in that book. But then as the song progresses, they find each other and decide to head off to the West coast of France and make a life for themselves. But going back to Switzerland, Geneva, Lausanne, the French part of Switzerland is great. Of course the food is wonderful, the wines are wonderful all over Switzerland. I speak French, so I am always very comfortable in that part of the country. But I have also spent a lot of time around Zurich and the German speaking part of Switzerland. So altogether it is a country I find fascinating in its history and in its culture and I enjoy the country very much.

December 29, 2004
Nils-Ole Finbak (41) from Bodø, Norway:
I know you've played 12-string guitar a lot through the years. Any influences (Anthony Phillips maybe) on that instrument? What do you prefer nowadays, 6- or 12-string ?
Chris de Burgh:
I have been a lot to your country in the past, and I have always enjoyed travelling there. I was just there during the summer, doing a big television programme which is called Momarkedet, near Oslo. 12-string-guitars make a big beautiful sound. I do have 6-string guitars, and it's a much cleaner sound with a 6-string. But the 12-string, when you are accompanying yourself as an individual artist, I just feel it gives a much broader sound. You can almost make it sound like an orchestra or you can just pick it very gently and make it sound very pretty. I don't know much about Anthony Phillips, but my fingers and I are set up for playing the 12-strings. I play two 12-strings on stage. I find that 6-strings, particularly steal string guitars, they are actually quite tough on the fingers. So it may sound strange, but 12-string is for me easier to play.

December 28, 2004
Iain Macdonald (36) from Troon, Scotland:
Hi Chris, I have been listening to your music since the early eighties and have always been amazed by the craft in your songwriting. The breadth of your songwriting styles is extremely impressive: rock, ballads, folk, pastiche allied together with great melodicism and lyrical artistry. The only other songwriter whom I can think of who has encompassed such a diverse range is Paul McCartney. Do you feel it's unfair the way in which his Beatles work is always constantly compared to his more recent work? I feel some critics never give his newer songs a chance, despite the fact that he has continued to compose many wonderful things since the sixties.
Chris de Burgh:
Well, Iain, you say very flattering things about my songwriting. I like to think of it as a craft. It's an artistic craft, but in my opinion it is no different to making a beautiful piece of furniture and getting the thing absolutely right. What the eye can see in a piece of art, like sculpture, or furniture indeed, or paintings, that is what is perceived as something that works or indeed, if it doesn't work. Same thing with music, I work extremely hard at making sure that the songs I write hang together correctly and say something that means something to me as well as the people listening. It's an awesome thing to think about the fact that when I make a record or people like me make records, there are those all over the world that I have never met who have very little idea about me, the way I live, and I certainly have very little idea about them and where they live, but we are connected by the music that I offer. And I find that a very exciting medium in which to work. Paul McCartney has always been my hero, not only because of his vocal abilities, where he can sing a beautiful ballad one minute, and then scream his head off the next minute, in like "Helter Skelter" or "Oh Darling" from the Abbey Road record. He is just a fantastic songwriter as well. I must admit I always felt that Paul McCartney's lyrics did not go particularly deep, but that's the songwriter he is and was, and of course the most successful modern songwriter of all time in his particular field. I do think it's unfair to compare him and his work to what he has done recently. I think people forget that it is very hard to constantly come up with strong melodies and strong ideas. Once John Lennon and he parted company, it was difficult for him to react to another songwriter when it was just him. I think there was a lot of duelling going on with him and John Lennon. John Lennon had such an extraordinary brain, you know, "I Am The Walrus" and "I'm So Tired", and all sorts of other very weird tunes. I know that when John Lennon wrote "Strawberry Fields Forever", Paul McCartney immediately wanted to write another song about Liverpool called "Penny Lane". So there was that, and their contributions towards each other's songs, it's often the case where two heads are better than one, coming up with something different. His more recent work, I think is extremely good. But I don't think he sells as many records as he did in the past when he was a member of the Beatles. And he is a very very gifted musician indeed.

December 27, 2004
Klaren Heidema (35) from Harderwijk, the Netherlands:
Dear Chris, at first I want to thank you for your music. Ever since I was an eighteen year old college student you have been in my life. Your music brings me comfort, warmth, hope and strength (to use your own words). Thank you. Here is my question. In the eighties I once watched 'Miami Vice' coincidently, when suddenly I heard your music in the background. It was: The Leader, The Vision, What About Me? from 'Into The Light'. It fitted the story beautifully, I remember. Did you know this? Did the producers ask for your (or the record company's) permission? I regret that I don't know exactly when it was.... Finally, my compliments for this website and your contribution (MOtL) to it. You really are the person you show in your songs! Hartelijke groeten van Klaren.
Chris de Burgh:
Thanks for the nice things you have said about my music since you were an eighteen year old college student. Yes, we were contacted in about 1987/88 by the Miami Vice producers, because they had heard "The Leader, The Vision, What About Me" and thought it would suit extremely well a particular episode. And I remember Miami Vice was, I guess it still is, a fairly big program. They have recently made a new feature film about Miami Vice. But back then it was Don Johnson and Phillip Michael Thomas. And I remember seeing the episode with "The Leader, The Vision, What About Me", because that is a nine minutes piece of music. And it worked absolutely perfectly, it was very exciting! It did fit the story beautifully. The producers obviously had to pay some kind of fee to the publisher and the record company for this, which is pretty standard in the industry. And thanks for your words about the website and MOtL. I try to be true to myself and an honest person when it comes to protecting the image that I have, because I don't believe I have any particular image. I am just me.

December 26, 2004
Marieke (24) from the Netherlands:
Hi Chris, I discovered you by a radio station called radio 2. They had your album as weekly player. I listened to The words I love you and decided to buy your album. It sounds fantastic, how do you see the radio medium in reaching younger people????
Chris de Burgh:
Hi Marieke! I'm delighted that you found my music on Radio 2 in Holland. They have been fantastic supporters of me and my music for the years that I have been making records. And that album "The Road To Freedom" was album of the week on their station. Radio is absolutely vital for getting through to people. You can make the best record ever made, but it will gather dust in a dark cellar unless it is played on the radio and brought to the general public, through television and radio of course, and on a concert stage. It's like seed, you know, you can plant a beautiful seed in the ground, unless you get rain and sunshine, it's not going to grow. It's the same thing with radio. Radio is vital, and I am always extremely aware of this, which is why I often call radio stations or go to radio stations. And in another way it is particularly important that a certain radio station has a way of reaching all ages, expands all generations. Some radio stations only aim at certain age groups, which I think is a shame. But at least you know what you're getting. For example in England, BBC Radio 1 is aimed at 25 and under and I would never listen to it really unless somebody says "oh you should hear this song", because it's not music that is of much interest to me. I don't exclude it from what I am listening to, but it's a station that is directly aimed at young people. Whereas in England, BBC Radio 2 is much broader, and of course it is the biggest radio station in the UK, it's the most listened to, because it offers something for everyone. And I think it is the same with Radio 2 in the Netherlands. And it is extremely important to constantly keep in touch with radio and the persons on the radio to ensure that your music can be played.

December 25, 2004
Martina Bley (37) from Essen, Germany:
Did you ever sing for a song "Wait" of the US Group "White Lion" in 1987? My colleague swears that is so!! By hearing the song chorus you really hear a voice that sounds like yours. But I can't believe it. It was recorded in the US und your name isn't mentioned in the CD booklet. Looking forward to your answer. It is unnecessary to say how I love your music. See you in Duesseldorf in May!!! Martina
Chris de Burgh:
By now I have already performed in Duesseldorf. But no, I have never sung the song "Wait" of the US Group "White Lion" in 1987. I have never heard of them to be honest, but it's funny, because sometimes I hear songs where the voice really reminds me of somebody else and it turns out to be wrong. So this is clearly what happened in this case. Thanks for the question.

December 24, 2004
Charles G. Maisiri (31) from Mutare, Zimbabwe:
What inspired you to sing "For Rosanna"? You seem to have the capacity to tell what lies ahead for us in the future if one listens to songs like "A spaceman came travelling" is because of being an artist or philosophy? Have you ever been to the war? Songs such as Borderline refer to the war and have just been wondering. I await your response.
Chris de Burgh:
Greetings to Charles and all my friends and fans in Zimbabwe! "For Rosanna" of course was for Rosanna, my daughter. At that point she just became two years old, and I wanted to put down in words and music the way I felt about holding my child for the first time in my arms. I've held other people's children, but when it's your own child, a whole floodgate of emotions explodes inside you. And I remember at the time thinking, this is the first time I could actually kill somebody, if they harm my child. Before that I was always a peace loving kind of a guy. But when you have your own child in your arms, you know, then it's you against the world and you are there to protect. It's fascinating to see how, amongst friends, when they had their first children, they felt the same thing, all these extraordinary, powerful emotions coming through and basically changing our lives forever in our relationship with our children. I don't think I know much about what lies ahead in the future, but thank you for saying that. "A Spaceman Came Travelling" was just an idea. I am a person who says "what if". What if the star of Bethlehem in fact was a visitor from another planet, celebrating the birth of one of the most extraordinary people to ever have walked the earth, Jesus Christ? I have never been to a war, and I hope that I never have to go to war. I certainly have learned a lot about wars, in particular the First World War, referred to in English as the Great War, where the numbers of young men killed, it was just absolute slaughter. And I have a very strong emotion in response to the years of 1914 to 1918. And "Borderline", it does refer to war, and it refers to the power of love, hopefully that will endure beyond a border and beyond the warring countries that have separated the two lovers.

December 23, 2004
Marianne Blaauboer (27) from Utrecht, the Netherlands:
Hi Chris, Having travelled the world over, like you have done for all these years: If you could make the perfect world citizen, what character traits from which nationalities would you choose? I know there is a risk of generalising entire nations and of course everybody is different, but a general idea?
Chris de Burgh:
What an interesting question! Well, I do have the fortune to have travelled the world all over, and I don't think there are any particular characteristics that I could take from any particular group of people. I like the gentleness of the people in the Far East, like the Indonesians for example and the Chinese. Then again, history has proven that they are very bloodthirsty as well. I am a person who does not like shouting societies, as you can find from time to time around the globe. I am much more into politeness, respect, gentle ways, gentle attitudes. And you can find these particular character traits in many countries. I like people who are interested in strangers, the Irish for example always put themselves across as a very hospitable country. And when Irish people travel abroad in football, they love to be known as, you know, the best football supporters, because they are fun-loving and again interested in the cultures of the countries in which they find themselves. Same for me really, I am a fun-loving kind of person and I am always interested in the countries that I go to. But I think broadly speaking, what strikes me is the humanity of every single person on the planet. We are to the eyes of an alien virtually the same, with a few differences that are, I suppose, noticeable. But we all have the same emotions, we are all scared of dying, we love our children, we fall in love, we fall out of love, we have the same physical desires, needs and attributes. And if you take away the skin, underneath we are all virtually identical. So, being a human being, for me, it's pretty good.

December 22, 2004
Marcin (18) from Lodz, Poland:
Hi, Chris! I'm so excited about writing this question! Well.. at first I'd like to congratulate your daughter on winning the Miss World... I couldn't believe, when I heard from my friend, Simon, that it was your daughter, who won! Ok.. and my question... I don't know, if anybody asked you this question before, but I'd really like to know, whether the "Lady in Red" is a real person or just fiction.. (this song is the closest to my heart, because it reminds me of someone..) And under what circumstances it was written? Oh! And play more concerts in Poland! Your music is GREAT! Don't change. Best Wishes... Marcin
Chris de Burgh:
Thank you for your kind words about my daughter winning Miss World. I think the story is well known by now, about how she was in a shopping centre in a small place outside of Dublin called Dun Laoghaire, and a girl came up to her in July of 2003 and said "Would you like to go into a local beauty competition?", which was just going on in a nightclub down the street. And Rosanna said "well, I am not busy on Saturday night". She went down there and she won that. I think she won a bottle of champagne and a weekend for two. She wasn't making a big deal about it, but then she said "Well, that actually means that I can go into the Miss Ireland competition", which she went into and won that. Then she went into the Miss World competition with 105 other beautiful girls and won that. And I put it down to the fact that she is a natural beauty with a beautiful inner light, and she is not fabricated or made up or bits added here or a bit of plastic surgery added there, she is naturally very elegant and a very good athlete. And I think all these things combined with the fact she's intelligent and a University student. And she decided to go to the competition just to see if she could succeed. My particular ethos is the same thing, to climb a mountain just to see if I can climb the mountain, just to push yourself a bit extra. "The Lady In Red" again is a pretty well documented story. I was writing for an album called "Into The Light", back at the time with my Canadian band when we were playing very big venues, football stadiums and so on. Most of that album is very rock orientated, and I wanted to write a couple of ballads. One wound up being called "Fire On The Water" at medium tempo, and the other was "For Rosanna". And I started writing this song, I got this first line "I've never seen you looking so lovely as you do tonight", and I began to develop it by putting in ideas of things that I have seen, places that I have been to, and it wasn't about anybody in particular or for anybody in particular. The word "red" only worked, because green was different, and difficult to work with black. You know "Lady In Red" seemed to be what we called alliterative, it seemed to work well. I used a scene from my memory in the second verse ("I never seen so many people wanting to be by your side, and when you turned to me and smiled, it took my breath away."), referring to an instant when I was out with Diane, my wife. That's the story, and I am very happy that it means a lot to you. It certainly has done very well all over the world. And I look forward to coming back to Poland, because I know I have a lot of fans there and I have always loved my trips there and the concerts.

December 21, 2004
Martin Peters (39) from Enniskillen, Northern Ireland:
Hi Chris, I love the lyrics and tune of your new song 'The Words I Love You'. You may have answered part of this question before but if I'm not being to personal, I just wondered what your thoughts were in writing this song and what the line 'and the One who died upon the cross, well He's the one for me' means to you. Thank you.
Chris de Burgh:
Well, the first part of this is about relationships between fathers and sons. Certainly it applied to my relationship with my father, and somehow the hardest words to say to him were the words "I love you". But I did and it was the most important time for both of us, before he died. And it was like meeting a crossroads and making the right decision. But looking at other people's religions and considering how so many terrible, terrible things have been done in the name of whatever God you believe in, be it Christ, Buddha, Mohammed. It's beggar's belief to me that something that cannot be proved, but is only part of faith, has caused such turmoil in people's lives for centuries and it continues to. So what I am actually stressing is that the person I believe in is Christ and Christianity. So when I am saying "We must show respect for all the rest and what a man believes", you can believe what you want, and you must have respect for other people's believes. "But the one who died upon the cross, well he is the one for me", well he is my choice. That's what this means.

December 20, 2004
Sina (12) from Tehran, Iran:
Dear Chris de Burgh, I really like your voice. I try to understand most of your songs but some of them are hard for me to understand. I like your new song "The Road to Freedom" a lot. But I have a question about my favourite song "I Will". I print its lyrics and try to memorize it. I like to know why you wrote this song and is there any personal experience behind this song? I really like this song and I wish you answer my question. I hope one day I can see you.
Chris de Burgh:
I remember at the time I was going out with Diane who was later to become my wife, and for some reason we had some kind of quarrel. And I was looking at some books in the apartment that I was sharing with a friend of mine and one of them, I don't even remember the title, but it was something about an island. And I started writing this song "I'm going to an island where the sun will always shine" and it then became a dream about protecting nature and protecting life and the things that I would do. There's an interesting line in this song: "Press my hands deep into mother earth". I find that an unusual phrase which works extremely well, particularly if you are a gardener. And it's just to be a part of nature once again. It really should appeal to those people who think that city life is getting too much for them and they want to return to the natural world. And that's what I had in my mind, writing this song.

December 19, 2004
Andy Claridge (23) from Nuneaton, Warks, England:
Chris, I hope you don't mind me being a bit picky.....but was it not Pino Palladino (as opposed to John Giblin) that played bass on Lady In Red? I have just read an article about Pino in "Bassist" magazine and in his career notes it quoted that he did. Aside from that my real question is, if you had to name your favourite guitar solo from any of your songs...which would it be? It's Me (And I'm Ready To Go) gets my vote! An absolutely stunning solo. Thanks!
Chris de Burgh:
Well, your question is actually half right and half wrong. Pino Palladino originally did play on the song "The Lady In Red", but this particular song had an interesting and unusual history. Because I recorded it first with my own band, using another keyboard player, and Pino played on that track, as I recall. But after a week of work it just sounded awful and I didn't like it at all. So then we completely rerecorded the track. And I remember John Giblin, the base player, a very tall Scottish man, came into our control room in the recording studio in London. And he plugged in his base, he said "I'm in a bit of a hurry here, but I'm happy to come and play on this track." And he actually didn't even take off his long black leather coat. And he stood there, playing this incredible base line right through, and after about maybe 45 minutes, he said "How was that?". He looked quite anxious to make sure that we were happy. I said "It's absolutely phenomenal. Thank you very much." He said "Well, I better run off now." So, it was John Giblin. And thanks for your remarks about "It's Me (And I'm Ready To Go)". The solo is by Phil Palmer who has played on virtually every album I've made since 1982. And he played on "Don't Pay The Ferryman" for example, and he is a wonderful acoustic guitar player, he played a lot of acoustic guitar on the album "The Road To Freedom".

December 18, 2004
Jacqueline Ebner (46) from Erskine, Scotland:
Hello Chris, when I was 15 my pop idols were the Osmonds and in particular Donny. I saw them at the Apollo Theatre in Glasgow and the following day my Dad, who worked for British Airways, managed to get me into the VIP lounge to meet them. As it turned out they were all asleep and we thought it would be impolite to waken them. My question is, have you ever used your musical influence to help your children meet their pop idols? Thank you Chris, Love Jacqueline x
Chris de Burgh:
Well, a lot of people say and I read it sometimes that it's occasionally not a good idea to meet your favourite star or your idols, because you can often be disappointed. I hope nobody has felt that way meeting me, but of course you can't please everybody all the time. On one occasion, my children wanted to meet Celine Dion, who was doing a concert in Dublin. And they really wanted to meet her, because they were big fans. And because Celine Dion not only comes from a part of the world where I am very well known and I love, which is the province of Quebec in Canada, she also opened a couple of concerts for me, before she was really anybody. And she was excellent then, and she remembered that, and I brought them backstage, she was very gracious and charming and took pictures of my children, and they absolutely loved that.

December 17, 2004
Ian McDonald (39) from Surrey, British Columbia, Canada:
Hi Chris, I was looking through old video tapes today and I discovered a program I taped where you are performing Say Goodbye To It All on the Queen Elizabeth 2 during the 50th Anniversary of D-day Celebrations. Can you tell me how you came to be involved in the event and how it felt to be part of such an important historical anniversary? Thanks.
Chris de Burgh:
I was asked to sing on June the 6th 1994, which was the 50th anniversary of the D-day celebrations, on the QE 2 ship, and I immediately said yes. Particularly when I heard that I would be singing in front of quite a large number of veterans of the D-day landings. This particular event was an extraordinary event. Any of you people reading this, who have seen the film "Saving Private Ryan", apparently in the words of veterans who were there at the time, the first half hour is as close to what it was like, the landings on the beaches of Normandy. I remember very well coming into the local airport which was totally fogged in and we were very lucky to land. I was very nervous about landing there, but I was determined that we would be there. And I sang "Say Goodbye To It All". I think it was the first time I did it like that. And it was very moving to perform like that to the people who were there at the time.

December 16, 2004
L. Morgan (18) from Tashkent, Uzbekistan:
Hello, Chris! I won't write about all the gratitude for you, for your music and songs. I just wanna tell you that you were the only light for me in the darkest times. And I'd like to ask about the greatest wonder in your life, that opened your eyes to understanding the world the way you do. Have you any regrets about it? And how did it change your life. With greatest love ever known on Earth, L. Morgan
Chris de Burgh:
Well, this is an absolutely beautiful question. And it gives me such inspiration and hope for the future, and for me that what I am doing is having an impact. Particularly in a place as far away from where I live, a culture so different from mine, but bonded together by mutual love of music. I don't really know how to answer your question. I am the person that I am. People say "do you have any regrets about things that happened in the past?" I say, no whatsoever. I think it is useless to look back and have regrets. I like the person I am today. There are very few things that happened to me in the past that I would do differently, because I have learned from everything. You know, things that perhaps have gone wrong, or that other people don't agree with, either in my personal life or in my public life. But to be perfectly honest, I am who I am today and I like who I am. And I was recently telling my daughter Rosanna who had just come back from visiting a hospital for people who are paralyzed by accidents, road accidents and riding and rugby accidents, and people had been telling her and told me just the impact she had on people. She walks in so graceful and so beautiful, and she has this inner quality, this inner light that just lights up a room. I saw that only once before and that was with Princess Diana. Ok, I may be a proud father here, but I have seen her doing it in a room, full of people just staring at her. And when she walks out the door, they go "Wow, she is gorgeous! She is so nice!" You know, one of those kinds of people. But that comes natural and from the heart. And I think that is the best way to be with who you are and your life.

December 15, 2004
Glenda Bennett (52) from Barnoldswick, Lancastershire, UK:
Hi Chris, a million thanks for the new album - it was well worth the wait, as always. I love the new 'feel' to your mood and music, it's as if it's what you've been searching for for a while now. Well, you've certainly found it, and hope you continue to produce more gems on your new label. All you need now to complete the dream is a grandchild; it will fill you with endless songwriting possibilities, as well as family fulfilment. (I can highly recommend it) So start dropping some hints to those kids of yours! My question is this - and probably impossible to answer - out of all the lyrics you have written over the last thirty-odd years, is there any one song, verse or even phrase that you are most proud of? You've written some brilliant lines, I still think 'Borderline' ranks amongst the best - 'But these are only boys, and I will never know how men can see the wisdom in a war..........'
Chris de Burgh:
Well, I'm delighted to hear the excitements ahead for me to be a grandfather, but I'm not quite ready yet. But I look forward to the day hopefully in a few years to come. After all, my eldest is 20. And I don't think she has any plans to settle down for a while. I think it's a good idea to see a bit more of the world and maybe consider marriage and family and kids, you know, when you're in your mid or late twenties, if you're a girl. But thank you for your remarks about my lyrics. I mean, I have written so many of which I feel particularly proud, because they were hard to find or they came out of the blue, I pushed and worked and changed things round. And the key, I think, is also writing words that marry with music. The one that you mention in Borderline "But these are only boys, and I will never know how men can see the wisdom in a war", well, you marry that to a melody line and it works even better if the melody is right. And I think the melody was right in that case. So, the only one, I mean there are loads and loads that spring to my mind, but one that I am particularly keen on is from the song "The Simple Truth": "The life of a child is more than a forest, the life of a child is more than a border, the life of a child is more than religion, the life of a child is only a heartbeat from eternity. We must believe for the sake of humanity. We must believe."

December 14, 2004
Volkmar Woerner (16) from Neusaeß near Augsburg, Germany:
Hi Chris, I've got another question for you. For your song "When winter comes", have you been inspired by a bit of the soundtrack of the film "Winged Migration" (Le peuple migrateur) by Jacques Perrin? I think that it sounds a bit similar. Thanks.
Chris de Burgh:
The answer is a quick no. I have no idea about the film "Winged Migration" by Jacques Perrin, but I think that's something I'll have a look out for, just in case the music sounds similar.

December 13, 2004
Mert Ener (23) from Istanbul, Turkey:
Hi Chris! First of all thank you very much for you answered one of my questions. But I felt really rude because when I read it I saw that I had not used any intro like "Hi Chris" or something like.. Have you ever felt yourself really rude and thought about turning the clock back? Thank you!
Chris de Burgh:
Well, this is a great question about being rude. I am sure there are things that we have always said to people and then think "gosh, I wish I hadn't said that". But then you have to move on and get over it. There are also many times when you are in situations you wish you had said something, and you only think about what you could have said several hours later. You know, these things are part of human life, and the things happen, I suppose, on a fairly regular basis in people's lives. And I am sure, I am actually no exception to that. As far as turning the clock back is concerned, this is obviously something we can't do. But if you really have been rude to somebody, then I suppose the best thing is to apologize. I always believe that writing a letter to somebody, explaining in plain terms why you have done something or why you haven't done something, is the best way. It's something rather than just ringing somebody up, you know, a letter can really achieve a huge amount. So that's what I do, if ever a situation has arisen in the past, where I feel I have been out of order, then that's what I have done and what I will continue to do in the future, but hopefully not too many more times. I am beginning to learn by my mistakes.

December 12, 2004
Elena (40) from Bucharest, Romania:
Dear Chris, your music makes me happy. After reading some of your answers, your words sound in my mind, like your music does. I wish I could send you my respect and admiration with the Moon and Sun. I am grateful for your music and am "envying" you. I wish I could bring joy in people like you do. Do you envy anybody?
Chris de Burgh:
Elena, what nice things you are saying, thank you very much! I have been to Bucharest, I have played concerts there, and I loved it. I was so impressed by the palace that was built by Ceausescu, not by the fact that he obviously ruined many lives building this place, but it's the quality, the workmanship by the Romanian people. The carpenters, the stone masons, the planners, the designers, I think it is absolutely remarkable. One of the wonders of the world that I have ever seen. Thank you for your respect and admiration. As far as envy goes, no, I don't think there is anybody I envy. Not that I have everything I could ever wish for, but I am happy in myself, and I like me. I think the moment you can come to that conclusion, that's the moment that you can really feel like you have something to offer to the rest of the world. One of my favourite songs is by George Benson called "The Greatest Love Of All", which is the discovery, if you can love yourself, then you can love the whole world.

December 11, 2004
Joe Mulvaney (28) from Dublin, Ireland:
Hi Chris. First let me say that your new album is truly excellent. My question is a little direct but please understand that it is one that I know a lot of my fellow Irish fans want to ask......why won't you play Ireland? I was lucky enough to see you in Wexford (and many many other times before in Dublin) and it was an electric night! I understand about your previous experiences with us Irish audiences and press in the past, but please remember that there is a huge amount of your fans here going cold-turkey! Sorry for being so direct, especially since I have been a fan for over 20 years and I think the way you have been treated here has been disgusting, but please come back to us! Thanks for your time Chris. Keep the beautiful and inspirational music coming.
Chris de Burgh:
Well, Joe, I think you've pretty well said it. The way that press in Ireland has not just treated me, but just about anybody who is successful. I give an example: Ronan Keating. It is almost impossible for him to perform in Ireland, because of the torrent of abuse that he would get. It's a small country with a press with a big ego and there's a lot of jealousy and envy. But obviously these people have a job to do and one thing that I think I can always point at for me is that I have always been a fighter. And when you are an individual, trying to get on in this business on a world-wide basis, you have to have an enormous amount of inner strength, a hard back, the chance to get knocked over and get up again and again and again. I think what happened to me was, having received a torrent of bad press, almost since I started it, even in like the early 80s, I came across press reviews of me and my concerts which were very unfortunate and very unpleasant. I think since then I have been extremely wary of performing in Ireland. When my daughter became Miss World, there was another, some horrible stuff in the papers written about me. For why? For nothing, you know. So now that other people are involved, like my family are old enough to read that sort of stuff written about their Dad, I just flat out refuse to perform in Ireland again. You know, I hate giving up, and in a way I suppose it is giving up, but I know that the moment I step on a concert stage in Ireland, these people with their small minds and their big knives who are the most powerful people in the country, these journalists, they will have a go at me. So I will respect the fact that they have a job to do, and it's not just me that gets this treatment, it's a lot of people who get this treatment. And I am not prepared to go into that arena ever again. And I am very very sorry about this, particularly about the fact, I know that there are lot of fans in Ireland who want me to sing. But I suppose one glimmer of light or hope perhaps for them would be that I might consider performing outside of the capital, where the cynicism is at its most rampant and its most high. You know, doing a concert, perhaps for charity would be a good idea. We have looked at various options. Somewhere, well away and maybe even a surprise gig somewhere, because I do believe I am still a talented man with a lot to offer. And the sell-out-concerts I have done all across Europe recently obviously proved the point. There will be those people reading this, who probably don't understand why all this happens, so I shall clarify one thing. I am looking at an award here in my studio, where I am giving you this answer, and it says "Awarded to Chris de Burgh for selling 250,000 tickets to one concert venue in Dublin called the Royal Dublin Society (RDS)". Now 250,000 people came to my concerts during a run of shows from the early to the mid and late 80s, which is an astounding number of people nobody has come close that since, as far as I know for indoor shows. And that's an important point to make. I think secondly the antipathy that I received was not held by the perception that I came from a privileged background, in spite of the fact I always kept saying that, you know, when I was growing up my family had very little money. I and my brother were educated in a good school, because of the money left by an aunt to my mother in her will. And my grandfather had bought the castle where I lived in, and that place was, as you know from listening to me before, was no furniture and no light, no heat and no water. It was a grim way of growing up. And I think also, the fact that I have a strong English accent doesn't help. But all in all, I have loved performing in the past in Ireland. But for the reasons I have already explained, which is the fact that I want to protect my family from insane and ridiculous stuff written about me. In Ireland, the moment you lift your head above the, what we say, above the parapet, somebody will shoot at you. And I am sure this is actually a familiar story for people who live in other countries. It's not unique to this country. But it just indicates one sure fact, that the power of the press is paramount and you cannot beat them. Anyway, thanks for the kind things you say about me, and who knows, you might be able to see me one day performing in Ireland, but it will be a bit of a surprise to both of us.

December 10, 2004
Valerie Tovey (50) from East Sussex, UK:
How do you feel about people taking photographs of you during or nearer to the end of a concert? I have to admit to having done it, but the results are such wonderful memories of your fantastic concerts, the photos mean so much to me. Thank you for your music and being the kind of 'nice' guy that I am absolutely certain you are. See you in October. Take care.
Chris de Burgh:
I don't mind people taking pictures during concerts. You know, some venues have a problem with people walking around taking pictures, but I love it when people get up and, particularly at the end of the concert or whenever everybody rushes to the front. I suppose it can be distracting for other people during the concert, but personally I don't have a problem with it. I think it all depends on the concert hall that we are actually performing in.

December 9, 2004
Stefan (34) from Preetz, Germany:
Hello Chris! While searching in a well-known internet marketplace for CD's, I have read the information that your latest album "The Road to Freedom" has a copy protection, while your former ones don't. I am somehow confused, as I use to make copies for listening to you in the car without exposing the originals to the heat. The funny thing is that on other websites of not-so-big-sellers, there is no protection on your album, a thing that fits much better to you...;-) In fact, this odd situation is the reason for not having purchased the album yet, as I usually run my CD's on PC's and DVD-players, and I am not very fond of having an album I cannot listen to. Thanks in advance for your reply and best regards!
Chris de Burgh:
I am not aware of the depth of the technology involved in copy protection, but all I can tell you is that, as you probably gathered from earlier answers on Man On (the) Line about downloading and so on, I'm very much against it. It's piracy and it's theft. But copyright protection in effect means exactly that you can't copy off a disc, as I understand it. To be honest, anything that protects the artist in a way they like to make the music, and what it costs them to make the music, I'm very much a supporter of.

December 8, 2004
Wendy Simpson (43) from Scotland:
Hi Chris. We recently saw Shania Twain in concert and during her tour, she has chosen to invite local charities to fund raise prior to the concert starting. The tickets were £1 each, all proceeds to the chosen charity, and the prize was to get on stage with her and have a photo taken. I appreciate that you are more involved with your audience than most, but bearing in mind your willingness to help those less fortunate, would you consider doing something like this at your concerts? And rather than a photo how about you singing their favourite song or doing a duet with them? I know you pass the mike out during your concerts, so this is like a variation on a theme you already use. Can't wait to see you in Birmingham and Edinburgh later this year...........I'll try not to shout too loud. Thanks for answering the questions you do. Wendy.
Chris de Burgh:
That was a great idea from Shania Twain, and she's a very successful woman, and she is using her success to raise money for local charities. This is one way of doing it. I personally support quite a lot of charities, either as a patron or in other ways. I recently went from Ireland with my daughter Rosanna to Manchester to do a concert in aid of a little girl called Kirsty, who was not expected to live, because her heart was in her body the wrong way round, and various other organs were misplaced. And she was at the concert, and she is now nine years old, very cheeky and very flirty and very pretty. And after the concert she joined me on stage for a very emotional performance of the two of us doing "The Lady In Red" together and she wore a little red dress. There was an auction of items to raise funds for the hospice that she was supporting. She raised nearly 3 million pounds in her short life! And an item came up, which was a painting with a beautiful poem by a very famous English painter, and at the auction where you bid against people, I bid more than 5,000 pounds sterling. And I think people expected me to bring it home with me and keep it. But in fact I said there is only one place I believe this picture should be, and that is in Kirsty's home. So I gave it to her and her family. Well, that is one way of supporting charities. The other way is obviously using your name to attract attention to an important function and a charity affair. But obviously there are various ways of doing it, and Shania Twain's way is a good one too.

December 7, 2004
Chris de Burgh:
Having read recent comments about singing on TV and the Dortmund show, I would like to put the record straight. The choice of playback or live performance on a recent TV show was down to the production team, the show format and various other factors As everybody knows, I love to sing live, but sometimes it just can't happen - or can be the wrong choice, as you are in the hands of unknown monitor and sound mixing engineers who can make a terrible job of re-creating the vocal sound that we spend hours and days in the recording studio getting good enough to appear on the final record. I have had many such disasters over the last 30 years, so it is often safer to use full playback for TV, but NEVER in concert, which is always live for me. I think that several of those who were asked to perform live on last week's show probably regretted it, as some of them were badly out of tune! Secondly, the decision to film a show on the May/June tour was made well before the idea to play Dortmund in November, and was based mainly on the ability of the venue to place all the cameras we needed around the hall. I knew that Dortmund would be a special night, so we recorded the show, hopefully for a CD to remember a brilliant evening. The on-stage filming was for the giant screens, and not of a sufficient quality for broadcast or DVD. I hope this message clears up some of your queries, so have a very Happy Christmas everyone, and I will see you in 2005. Love, C de B

December 6, 2004
Chris Williams (52) from Essex, UK:
Hiya Chris, Did you ever have a teenage crush on a pop star ? I never did, but then again I had a mid life crisis which is still going on.... thankfully ;-) !! Hugs, Chris
Chris de Burgh:
Well, Chris Williams, what can I say about you? You've been a wonderful support; you and your husband have been to so many concerts. You've been all over Europe. I think you've had a wonderful time and I think you're a fantastic supporter. A teenage crush on a pop star? Well, you know what, I don't think so. But I wouldn't use the word crush, but I was so utterly impressed when I was growing up as a teenager with the music of the Beatles and their lifestyle and their haircuts, and the way they were so funny with their press interviews. And I just thought the sun shone out of their hearts and their eyes and various other places as well. So the answer is, no, I can't recall a teenage crush. I had plenty of teenage crushes on young women, but I don't think there was any pop star particularly that I went mad about.

December 5, 2004
Bev Devereux (35) from Buckinghamshire, England:
Dear Chris, firstly thanks for all your music, you really are a songsmith. You were at my wedding, at the birth of my children and through all the tough times, especially when my husband Karl got cancer. Snows Of New York was never played so much and I 'm Not Scared Anymore has become a bit of a family anthem. I met Karl when I was 18 and finding out he liked your music was a bit worrying but I came to love you as well. Anyway he is cancer free now and is running the London marathon with his consultant and some other guys who have won their fight with the illness, your music really helped the healing process TA. My question is do you think about how your songs will affect peoples lives in a really positive way ???
Chris de Burgh:
What a fabulous thing you are saying here about my music and how it has helped you through all those stages of your life. If there is nothing that I have achieved that impresses me more is the ability to touch people. You know, when I get a letter like this, it makes me feel just grateful for the gift I have and grateful for the fact that I am still working and helping people and grateful for the enjoyment that I get out of it and the fact that so many people all over the world seem to find comfort and not just entertainment, but something more deep than that from my music. It makes it all worthwhile. So thank you very much, Bev, for what you have said. What can I say about your husband Karl? Well, that is incredible that he is cancer free and he is running the London marathon! And that the music helped the healing process. There are always, I suppose, a lot of cynical people around, who would look at Chris de Burgh or whoever, and say "This guy only ever wrote one song, 'The Lady In Red', and after all what can he do to help people?" Well, here is the answer! There are a lot of people who would disagree with that. I often feel, Bev, that my music can help people and touch people. An example for this is the songs that we have added on to "The Road To Freedom" album in the secondary release. "Once Upon A Time" for example about the break-up of a marriage and the child's point of view, which I spoke about earlier on Man On (the) Line. I feel that this will really help people who listen to it, and maybe it touches their own lives. Similarly "Little Angel" was a very strong, emotional thing for me and I know it helped people get through difficulties in their own lives. So it's not a responsibility, but it's a knowledge that I can look deep into my heart and come up with words and with music and with phrases and emotions that will help people and will touch people. And on a daily basis I am aware of this wonderful gift, and that is exactly what it is, a gift. And I hope to carry on using it as such for many many a long year.

December 4, 2004
Saeed (20) from Iran:
Hi! What a Question!! : How many years did it take for you to get married with your wife after the day you first saw her?!!
Chris de Burgh:
Well, I met my wife as Diane Morley in, I suppose it would have been in my very early twenties. And we did not get on. In fact, I took her out to dinner. She was the sister of a girl who was going out with a very dear friend of mine, who subsequently I wrote a song about called "Another Rainbow". And the four of us were kind of often together in later years, but the first time I met her I liked her very much, but I am not sure the compliment was returned, because she had a boyfriend at the time. We went out to dinner together and the evening was a bit of a disaster. She was very shy and I ordered all the wrong wines, and the food was lousy, and at the end of the night we even shook hands. And I didn't see her again for about three or four years. But then it was a different feeling, and it worked.

December 3, 2004
Cathy (30) from Paderborn, Germany:
Dear Chris! I've bought your new album, and I have to say that this is the best music I've ever heard! I just want to tell you that your powerful song "Road to freedom" reached my heart in such an intensive way that I started crying while hearing it . Thank you for this music, thank you so much! What kind of instrument is playing the melody above your voice, is it a tin-whistle?
Chris de Burgh:
Well, you know, that sound you are referring to on "The Road To Freedom" is a traditional whistle instrument. I have to tell you that we didn't actually have one in our studio, but with extraordinary abilities with sounds you can get real sounds from computers. This isn't a computer generated sound from a synthesizer, this is a real sound performed and played by somebody who knew what he was doing. It's the sort of sound you hear in movies, involving people getting ready for battle, it's an inspirational sound. And thank you very much for your comments about "The Road To Freedom" and how the song moved you.

December 2, 2004
Linda Howitt (33) from Glasgow, Scotland:
Curiosity is killing this old cat - did you really leap from a cupboard singing Hot Barrel Hannah the way the stories tell it??? I love the story but so often these tales turn out to be urban myths. I have a lovely mental image of the scene but what really happened? (Best of luck with the new label and belated congratulations to Rosanna.)
Chris de Burgh:
The answer is yes, I did leap from a cupboard singing Hot Barrel Hannah. Not quite the way it came out in the book or somebody else's story, but because this song which was never properly recorded, just for a demo, started with this howling noise at the beginning. I was in a room with three other people, and it was a very small room and I was sitting on a chair by a table. And there happened to be a cupboard. And I said "Well, I think I might as well go in the cupboard here, because this is going to be quite loud, this howling noise." So I started the song in there and I burst out of the cupboard. It wasn't like a surprise to the people in the room. I just went in there and then came out again. But yeah, those were the days that I'd do anything to try and get a foot on the bottom of the ladder of the music business. And it worked. Thank you for your words about Ferryman Productions and of course about Rosanna. In fact, just about that particular point, by the time you read this, Rosanna will be coming to the end of her reign as Miss World, and she has had an extraordinary year. She has been to wonderful places like Ethiopia, Sri Lanka or America, China several times. She has done fabulous work for charity all over the world. She has grown as a young woman. She understands what people see when Miss World walks into a room. And she has a beautiful light around her and she has shown enormous courage in facing the difficulties that she encountered, not only with the bitchy Irish media who always have a go at anybody who is successful, but they have been supportive of her in many other ways, but also dealing with the Miss World Organization who, to put it mildly, have never come across somebody either like her or parents like myself and my wife with the backup that we have, with legal advice and management advice, and enormous understanding of the show business world. So it hasn't been simple, but she has been graceful throughout, and I think she will look back on this year as one of the most extraordinary and interesting and exciting years of her life.

December 1, 2004
Raymond Gielen (33) from the Netherlands:
I'm a big fan of your music! I'm also a big fan of the music of Sting; I'm still hoping that you once would record a song together; because I think that the combination of voices would be magnificent. Is this something you'd like to do if the opportunity comes? I'm looking forward seeing you live again in Amsterdam later this year !!!!
Chris de Burgh:
I'm also a big fan of Sting, I think he is a wonderful songwriter and an extremely gifted musician. He and I were on the same record label for a while, A&M records, and I certainly would be interested in doing a duet with him. I've met him quite a few times on tours, and I think his early work with The Police is just really dynamic and inspiring and exciting. He is also a very committed musician and indeed he is a good actor. He is one of those people who appears to be living his life to the full, and if the chance ever rose, of course I'd love to do a song with him.

November 30, 2004
Morten Rose (29) from Denmark:
Hi Chris, first I want to say thanks for your fantastic new album! It is absolutely great! And I can't wait seeing you perform the songs live. I am from Denmark, and you haven't played live here for many years, so I am going to Germany and seeing you in Cologne. And now to my question: The song "The Journey", was that one written for Glenn Morrow ? Take care Chris, best wishes from Morten Rose
Chris de Burgh:
Hi Morten! I know that you are involved with the DVD that we have put together. You came from Denmark to the concert that you mention in Cologne, and probably you went to a few others besides. I started the song "The Journey" thinking about Glenn Morrow, and then I put it aside, because I couldn't feel that I could finish it. And I think it was the death of my father that made me look at it again, and realize that there are things that I wanted to say, like for example "Go with love upon your journey, go with wonder in your heart, you have left so much behind you, all the love you have given life. And I wish that I could hold you one more time." These things are important to me, and it's amazing how in a concert, even the sad inspiration behind this song becomes very very intense and uplifting. People really love it, they really respond to it, and it's one of the songs that, to my surprise, went down as one of the best songs on the most recent tour.

November 29, 2004
Richard Griffiths (21) from Somerset, UK:
Hi Chris, Like to complement you on a fantastic new album!!. My favourite song on "The Road to Freedom" is "Read My Name". Were there any influences behind the writing of this song?? See you on the UK Tour!
Chris de Burgh:
"Read My Name" was really inspired by the way how I like to live my life, which is to enjoy every minute on the planet, we are so lucky to be here at all, and not let days go by without doing anything. I always have this nagging feeling at the end of a day that I haven't done enough, that I haven't achieved enough, which is not a good way to finish each day, I suppose. You feel that slight guilt. But there's nothing to beat the feeling that you've really used every moment of every day to do something important for yourself or for other people. And I also believe that everybody has the opportunity to find somewhere in life that suits them. Some people do go on to become world famous for doing good things and creative things, some people become world famous for doing wrong things, but I think everybody within their own area can become whatever they want to be, if they try hard. For example some people might want to be the best baker in Berlin. Well, it's good to have an ambition, a mountain to climb, to put in front of you and say "this is what I am going to do". But most of all is to understand that this planet is spinning around for millions of years and will be carrying on for millions more years. We must not waste a minute, because death and departure from this life is eminent. For some people its instant, some people have a long life, but nevertheless use every moment and do something with your life! So when you've come to the end of your days, that people say "oh yeah, he was great, he really did something!" You know, that's what "Read My Name" is all about. And when, I'm sure, one day a man will cross the universe, he'll say or leave a plat behind saying "Read my name, I've come from Planet Earth. I've actually used my time. I've done something which I believe to be valuable."

November 28, 2004
Andrea Lucas (39) from Ludwigsburg, Germany:
Hi Chris, actually this is not a question from myself, but from my friend Karin. She asked me to translate it and send it to MOtL. So here is her question: Being a fan of Ireland I wondered if you are able to read and/or speak the Gaelic language? During a visit to Ireland I noticed that the place name signs were all in English and Gaelic, in parts of Western Ireland only in Gaelic. Thanks a lot for answering all those questions and both Karin and myself are looking forward very much to the concerts in May and June. Take care, Karin and Andrea
Chris de Burgh:
I know that you enjoyed the tour that you refer to at the end of your question, in May and June, because I saw you many times. This is a very quick answer to your question about Irish. Although I went to a primary school in Ireland until the age of 12, my secondary school was in England, and there was no Irish to be learned there. So I cannot speak a single word of Irish. I must admit I do have strong feelings about the Irish language, in as much as that all pupils in Ireland have to learn Irish, it's compulsory. And I feel that to learn Irish, which is a very minor language, because you have to, that means that the ability to go and learn another language like German or French or Spanish is lost. Although some people are able to obviously do other languages, I think it is such a shame that, you know, the choice is not there. It is compulsory, you have to learn Irish. And it's an unbelievable amount of people, after they have spent years and years of learning the language, they still can't speak and they can't understand it, after they finished. And they never use it really. I know that all public civil servants in Ireland have to be able to speak the language, because there is the dual language facility. And there is an area in the West of Ireland, where they only speak Irish, called the Gaeltacht. And my children have been there, they have loved it there. But again, just going back to the compulsory nature of the Irish language, I think if people really wanted to learn it, they would and it would keep the language alive which after all is the idea. I think it is important to keep a language alive like that, but perhaps the element of choice would be a better idea.

November 27, 2004
Paul Klerks (43) from Wijk bij Duurstede, Netherlands:
At your superb last album, The Road To Freedom, a choir sing some lyrics in the opening number 'When Winter Comes'. As a die hard I really wanted to know what these lines are. You're singing 'think of me when winter comes' but it goes about the choirlines.
Chris de Burgh:
Well, the choir is actually all me. All those voices are me, multilayered. I have this ability to sing extremely high, there I refer to one of the earlier questions, with falsetto. But it creates a very warm big kind of pad of sound. The words themselves? Well, I have decided to leave that as a mystery for anybody who can unravel them. And that's why I didn't print them on the lyric sheet. But I hope anybody having another listen may be able to work out exactly what I am singing.

November 26, 2004
Chris (47) from Edinburgh, Scotland:
I first saw you in about '76 with Gallagher and Lyle at the Usher Hall in Edinburgh. Graham Lyle has since gone on to write many hits, and I note he is credited as co-writer for the music on "Two Sides to Every Story" recently (2001?) released by you. Did this collaboration come out of a long friendship or from a business deal between your management teams?
Chris de Burgh:
In my early years, I did a fair amount of concert touring with Gallagher and Lyle and indeed Supertramp. The first tour I ever did was 1 Pound to see me, Gallagher and Lyle and Supertramp! And I think it was a good deal. But I am very fond of Benny Gallagher and Graham Lyle and I think they are just great songwriters. Songs like "Breakaway", "I Wanna Stay With You" and "Heart On My Sleeve" for example. And Graham Lyle and I have stayed in touch. We share a publisher and the idea of doing the song collaboration together started in the mid nineties, and it finished as "Two Sides To Every Story". And of course it was a business deal, but it was established way way back from a long friendship.

November 25, 2004
Ian McDonald (39) from Surrey, British Columbia, Canada:
Hi Chris, a while back on the email list there was a theme running called "101 things to do with Chris de Burgh" and focused on all the different things a fan could do with you if given the chance (Be careful of some of the ladies!!!). My question is if you could spend the day with one of your fans, how would you spend the day?
Chris de Burgh:
Hi Ian! You are a regular writer, and I have often read things that you have written and most of them I find interesting or amusing. "101 things to do with Chris de Burgh"? I can't imagine what some of the ladies would have in their minds. But if I could spend the day with one of my fans, well, I think it would completely depend on the fan and what they would expect, what they would like. If I had a chance to spend a day with a fan from Canada for example, we could talk about the background to the music that I made, what I had in my head, when I wrote songs. Maybe sitting on a little writing or recording session. Just perhaps they would like to get into the deeper part of me, which doesn't come out very often. If it were somebody from a part of the world, that I have never visited, for example Iran, I am sure they would be interested to see my lifestyle and how my home life tends to be very similar in many ways to everybody else's home life. So I think that would be an interesting way for me to find out as well about somebody else's life, and how I affected them, and how I helped them perhaps through difficult times and troubled times. So I think it would be very interesting for both of us, if we had a chance to do that.

November 24, 2004
Chris Raymond (52) from Whitton, Twickenham, UK:
Dear Chris, I have a serious question! Due to lifestyle choices I've needed to study death and dying. It's not as morbid or scary as most people think! Consequently my family know my wishes for my own funeral (which I hope is far into the future!) and your song "Shine On" will be played at the end of the service. I'd be very interested to know your thoughts about this subject and to hear if other people chose your music for funerals? Many thanks. Chris R
Chris de Burgh:
Of course there's nothing morbid about looking at death and dying, because this is a journey that awaits all of us. And I think it's wrong if you ignore it or pretend it doesn't happen. I think one of the great advantages about being brought up in the countryside is you see the cycle of life and death far more clearly than people who live in cities. They don't see the annual cycle of life and death like farmers do for example. As far as my music is concerned, yes, I have often heard of my songs being used at funerals. In fact recently I got a letter from somebody who is in the UK, whose husband died of alcoholic poisoning. And she and her children played "The Best That Love Can Be" at the funeral and it really helped them to think about the times before this unfortunate man became addicted to alcohol and it finally killed him. I know that many times in the past the words of "Carry Me (Like A Fire In Your Heart)" and the song have been used in funerals. Recently a neighbour very close to me used the song "The Connemara Coast", and I changed a few words for his father who died of cancer. "Shine On" that's a really elevating song, and I particularly like this song, the words "leave here a garden for our children". It always moves me, and I think of the spacecraft, looking down from outer space onto our fragile planet and saying, you know, we must not only tend to our own private gardens, but we must also look after the worldwide garden that we live in. Even "Lady In Red" has been used at a funeral, at a few funerals, I believe, like a favourite song. Or in one tragic case, shortly after the song was released, a little baby girl was born dead and they dressed her in a red outfit and buried her to the song "Lady In Red". So it obviously is something that people are scared of quite naturally, but it's reality, and if music can comfort people, so much the better. I, in fact, recently also within the last few months sang the song "The Journey" at a funeral of a friend of mine, Robert Sangster, who died in his early sixties. And with one hand touching his coffin and singing that song, I can tell you it was an extremely emotional moment for me and the other people in the church.

November 23, 2004
Dariush Gheisari (25) from Shiraz, Iran:
Dear Chris, thanks for your beautiful songs. I am a student and I want to know your idea about the student movement to freedom in Iran.
Chris de Burgh:
I have always felt that with the technological world we are living in, it is going to be extremely difficult for repressive regimes to hang on to their belief that they can cover the truth from young people about what is happening in the world today. In particular I am referring to satellite television and the internet, where I suppose some people would argue it's a good thing, some people may argue it's a bad thing, but it's possible now for young people all over the world in countries like Iran, in countries like Burma, in places that prior to the break up of the Soviet Union needed information about how life really can be to be understood by young people. Now I have to clarify this, I am not saying that the democratic Western commercial lifestyle suits every single country, because it doesn't, I think. But I do believe also that it's really important for countries to protect their national identity, their national culture and not become utterly westernized. By this I mean, I think it is a mistake to see, you know, the commercial signs of Coca-Cola, of Wendy's Burgers, of McDonalds, you know, everywhere. I am particularly resistant to that form of commercial take-over of countries and their own identities. The same thing happens with MTV, which is great that people can see MTV in countries where they couldn't see it before, but I must urge people in these countries I am referring to, to not only seek for freedom which is vital today, and you ask me about Iran, of course it is vital that freedom of choice will be brought to your country. But I think it is also vital that you protect your national identities and cultures in future years.

November 22, 2004
Mark Franklin (33) from Ashtead, England:
Dear Chris, what an absolute honour it is to have the opportunity to ask you a question directly! I have been a major fan since 1985 and have attended each UK concert tour since then. Your music has meant so much to me over the years, and I shall shortly get round to dropping you a letter via the fan club to express my thanks more personally. Anyhow, my question is connected with artists perceived to be similar to CdeB. Other fans have suggested to me in the past that I should listen to Corey Hart and Dan Fogelberg because they are similar in style to yourself. Personally, I have never found any artist who was that similar to you, and I was wondering what weird and wonderful artists you have been compared to, and which artists you consider produce music similar to yours. Thanks for such constantly terrific music through all these years - and the new album is sensational (Fantastic vocals by Rosanna on Here For You - perhaps she can too release an album!) With kind regards and best wishes!
Chris de Burgh:
Hi Mark! Thank you for the nice things you say about my music. I have no idea who I am like. You ask me who I have been compared to. Well, gosh, I have no idea! Now I am sure that many many other names, particularly in the early years, have come out of the bag. But I felt that what I had to do is create an individual style to the point where I want people hear me singing, there's absolutely no question who it is, an instantly recognizable voice. I think at one stage I was even compared to Rod Stewart, believe it or not. I suppose people I like who produce music similar to me would be the singers/songwriters like Jackson Browne and maybe even Paul Simon. But Paul Simon is very much into world music, but he is just a fantastic songwriter. And thanks for your comments about the music down the years and Rosanna's short foray into the music business, because she enjoyed singing that short bit on "Here For You".

November 21, 2004
Mike Bird (52) from Toronto, Canada:
Chris in a recent post you mentioned that "Portrait of an Artist" by J. Joyce was one of your favourite books. With your hectic schedule do you read much? Any other particular books or authors stand out in your mind? Have you read anything by Laurens van der Post? Your concert in Toronto last May still warms my heart.
Chris de Burgh:
Hi Mike! I recognize your name, and I am sure I recognize you as well. The book by James Joyce "A portrait of the artist as a young man" is definitely one of my favourite books. And when I am touring, there isn't really a lot of time for reading. What I have done in the past and recently when I did my Canadian tour last year and European tour this year, I bring an Apple i-book laptop computer and run DVDs. Either films that I like to see or want to see, or I've been watching an amazing six DVD series about the First World War with original footage from the First World War. And the origins of the war and what happened during it and subsequently. And it is just shocking to see the carnage that happened in the Great War, as it's called. So I like to watch things that are geographically interesting, historically interesting or indeed just plain escapism. And there are many authors that I admire. Amongst them would be Oscar Wilde, the Irish writer. Actually looking across at my bookshelf right now in my studio, there's the biography of Oscar Wilde by Richard Ellmann. And I come across very unusual books, for example "The man who listens to horses" by Monty Roberts, a favourite book. And an extraordinary book called "The man who touched the sky" about the historical background of men and their desire for flight, going back to the days of the Montgolfier brothers in their balloons. And subsequently Joe Kittinger, who in the early 60s as part of the US-Russian space race, he went in a hot air balloon above 100,000 feet in an especially pressurized suit, because at about 30,000 feet if you had an unpressurized suit, your blood would begin to boil in your body. And he not only went up in a hot air balloon, but he jumped, he went into free fall for really quite a long time, I forget how many minutes, doing terminal velocity. And he opened his parachutes. It is just an extraordinary book and I highly recommend it, by John Acton, the book is called "The man who touched the sky". And another favourite book was written by Dava Sobel called "Longitude" about the man who created an instrument that sailors could find their way safely from one part of the ocean to the other. I remember reading a book some years ago by Laurens van der Post and enjoying it very much. And thank you again for your kind words about my show in Toronto. It was a real great memory for me.

November 20, 2004
Sharon Foster (36) from Perth, Australia:
Hi Chris, I see on your new album that you have a song called "Songbird" about Eva Cassidy (who is absolutely amazing). Can you tell me how you discovered Eva, and what inspired you to pen a song about her?? Thanks and peace be with you - Sharon
Chris de Burgh:
The first time I heard Eva Cassidy, I was driving in my car and I heard her singing "Somewhere Over The Rainbow" and I was absolutely amazed. Immediately I thought to myself: "Gosh, I'd love to do a duet with this girl! She has one of the most extraordinary voices that I have ever heard." Subsequently I heard her version of "Fields Of Gold" which I thought was gorgeous. Unfortunately a bit little later on I discovered that she had died of cancer at an early age and that she was virtually unknown in the world. A few places in the North Eastern part of America. But what happened for her in England was that a friend of mine, the broadcaster Terry Wogan, started playing it on his very important radio show in the morning. And instantly people all over England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales reacted to this beautiful voice and the irony that she was only being discovered when she was dead. And even more incredible is that she sang those two songs live. What a seriously huge talent she was! And I remember I was sitting at my piano one day, waiting for some friends to come to my house, and her name came banging into my head. And I went "oh, I've got to write a song about her", which is why Songbird came up. That came up really fast. I had no idea she had an album called Songbird! And it was my dedication to her to thank her for her incredible talent.

November 19, 2004
Kaveh (28) from Kermanshah, Iran:
Dear Mr. Chris de Burgh: I know that you have so many people that like you very much, but you must know there is a person that breathes and lives for you. I'm listening to, singing with and learning from your excellent songs about 20 years and I know you're not an ordinary man. You're a messenger, you're from god, and all I want from god is to see you once in my life. But I have a question my leader: You always sing about war, freedom, lord, children, other world and so many beautiful things but sometimes specially in latest albums you talked about: bed, stripper,... And I want to know the reason of singing these songs if possible. I'm trying to come to your concert 2004 in Frankfurt for the first time and only god knows what I'm feeling. God save you.
Chris de Burgh:
I hope you have now already seen me performing in Frankfurt this year. It's an unusual question again! Strippers? Well, you've got to remember I was very young when I wrote that one, I was in my early twenties and I wanted to have a bit of a laugh. It's not something I think I would write nowadays. Not that I have become a more serious person, in fact I hope I never grow up. That's what I say to my children anyway. But words come out, phrases come through, which I want to expand on. Like the song "If Beds Could Talk". If you go a bit deeper into that, it's all human activity, all energy sources leave a trace of what happened behind them. Not just in beds, but in houses, which is why people feel either cold or warm in houses or in furniture. Old furniture can give off a tremendous sense of energy and feeling of the past. Old buildings, you know, old architecture, I think we leave our footprint wherever we go.

November 18, 2004
Pedram (35) from Tehran, Iran:
Hi Chris! Thanks a lot for being such a tremendous source of inspiration for me since circa 1980! I've written loads of letters to you over the years, asking questions, but I haven't been anywhere near as lucky as those fans who either get to go to your concerts or at least get a reply. Anyway, I, for what it's worth, rate THE RISEN LORD as your best ever; there are an awful lot of reasons behind this one, in particular being some traces of Eastern mysticism in the lyrics. We Iranians can't help but react to such elements as they're the foundations of our rich literature. I've been desperate to ask you three questions about this song ever since it came out way back in 1988. 1) What inspired you to pen such fantastic words? 2) How much do you identify yourself with the traveller on his ongoing spiritual quest? And finally, 3) to what extent do you see this journey the result of one's free will? Please answer these questions this time!
Chris de Burgh:
Wow, what an interesting question! Thank you very much for your comments about "The Risen Lord". Well, earlier on Man On (the) Line, I have spoken about the fact that we must always be polite to strangers, because who knows that this person may be the risen Lord. And in this song I find myself almost in the footsteps of the followers of Christ after he'd been crucified. And you may recall from the Bible that some of them doubted that he had come back to life, the resurrection, and others believed it would happen. But perhaps in this song I am thinking about myself walking down a road 2000 years ago, and a stranger comes towards me. And it's that moment of decision, am I going to help this person? "Because I saw him stumble, heard him fall, I helped him with his load. The further that we walked, the heavier he became, and I believe I've felt the weight from another world." This man is full of the excitement of telling these people that he has met, or this man that he has met ("Brother, can you spare me food and give me a drink of wine?"), he can't wait to tell somebody the story, that he thinks he has seen the risen Lord as prophesied in the Bible. I don't know what turned me onto this, but I was very moved by the piece of music that I wrote right at the beginning of that song, and it just immediately started that particular film going in my head. It's interesting that you suggest there are traces of Eastern mysticism. Well, I am not sure that I knew too much about Eastern mysticism, but I certainly, unlike every other human being, I believe there is more to this life than what we can just see and hear with our senses. I think all of us are going through life on some kind of quest, whether it to be a quest for earthly riches or whether it would be a spiritual quest. As far as I am concerned, what I am interested in is doing something positive with every day that comes and leaving a warm feeling behind. You know, touching people emotionally and spiritually in the way that I believe I can, because I feel fortunate to be able to be so deeply in touch with my own emotions and so happy with who I am that I have plenty of affection and love to spare to share with others. When you ask me about free will, of course in some countries your free will is being impaired. It is difficult to express yourself freely, as you know full well of the country you live in. But I think within that framework, you are able to spiritually travel and find your own soul and hopefully seek your own salvation as a result of knowing who you are and knowing where you want to be.

November 17, 2004
Laura (16) from Scotland:
I have loved your songs since I was a kid and know a lot of the words to Spanish Train and so was wondering where did your inspiration come from for Spanish Train.
Chris de Burgh:
Well, I suppose that this is a story that some people have heard me say to them before, but I tell you what happened. It's I was literally on a Spanish train during the recording of the album "Far Beyond These Castle Walls". We took a short break, I went down to Portugal and then I went to the border between Portugal and Spain and I got on this train. And it was like something out of a dream, because it was two carriages, and this was at the time of Franco in Spain, and the civil guard (the guardia civil) were much feared. And as the train started heading north towards Seville, there were two guardia civil walking around, up and down the two carriages. And I remember there was one very old lady who had all her shopping with her, and every time when the guardia civil came into the carriage where she was in, she'd grumble and moan and stand up and make a fuzz of going back into the other one. And if the police then walked up into where she was, again where she moved to, she shouted at them and walked back again. She obviously didn't like them a bit or was very scared of them. And as this was going on, I looked up to the hill on my right, and I noticed that a farmer had got dozens of bits of wood, really bent and twisted, and he was trying to form a kind of fence all the way up the hill by putting three or four of them together. And as I glanced out, as the train was going very close to the Quadalquivir river, I glanced up to my right and I saw what appeared to be dancing skeletons up the hill. Now I don't know what was happening in my brain at that time, and I suddenly got this idea that the train driver was a skeleton and I wrote down the words in a little book that I had with me: "There's a Spanish train that runs between Quadalquivir and old Seville. The dead of night the whistle blows and people hear she's running still." And that's where it started. And then I finished the song several weeks later, having started with that idea and it really put me onto the road of writing story songs, allegorical songs as well, where you can get across your point by telling a story.

November 16, 2004
Editor's note :
We're interrupting the daily questions and answers today for a special message from Chris de Burgh.
Chris de Burgh:
A special comment about the Dortmund show on November 6th. After all the anticipation and preparation for this special anniversary night, for me it was even more amazing than my wildest dreams could imagine - the atmosphere, the energy and excitement of the crowd, and the waves of love that I felt on the stage. Thanks to all who were there, and I hope the recording reflects that wonderful night in the Westfalenhalle. I have one regret - that I never had a chance to personally say hello to all those at the Meet and Greet. Although these kind of events happen often in the music industry, I think that a combination of things created a mood of disappointment for some. I was told a different time to what others heard, I had no idea there would be so many, and in the end it was more of rush and crush than meet and greet!! I am totally focused just before a show, and such a big one meant a lot of pressure on me. It would have been better to meet fans 6 hours earlier, but this would have been impossible for some. There was a high level of expectation which may not have been fulfilled, so I am sorry if this was the case, we will get it right next time! Hopefully the three hour ten minute concert left everybody there with terrific memories!! Hope to see you again soon!

November 15, 2004
Jesper Ryskin (27) from Rungsted, Denmark:
Hi Chris! I played with you once on a tour in Denmark, where you played "unplugged", with only yourself Peter and us four string players. I was great fun, and thank you for that experience! I was just wondering if that was the last time you will do a tour without your normal band, or you are considering doing this unplugged style once more. Send my best regards to Peter! :)
Chris de Burgh:
I have very much enjoyed doing the concerts with Peter and the string players. And of course the shows that I have just done all over Europe and the UK are unplugged. Though I wouldn't use that word "unplugged", because that suggests you're actually pulling out your electric cable, you know, your sound system. And just going acoustic, which is what I don't do. I'm plugged, I'm not unplugged, but it is certainly solo and it's an experience that I always enjoy.

November 14, 2004
Marie Peterson (35) from USA:
Hello Chris: I would just like to know how long it took for you to write and compose „Lady in Red?" Did you ever get writer's block? Did you have a gut feeling that it would reach the number one love song? Would you share with me your secret for writing a "hit" Thank you Chris. With total admiration, Marie.
Chris de Burgh:
Curiously enough I was just talking about "The Lady In Red" on the last answer. The story behind the composition of "The Lady In Red", I think is one that is quite well-known. But I'll repeat it again here, which is that I was writing songs for an album called "Into The Light" at a time when my band and I were doing very big venues. And I wanted to write a rock album, a really hard-hitting, strong kind of record with lots of exciting music on it. And there were 2 or 3 ballads. One was called "For Rosanna", one is a medium tempo called "Fire On The Water". And one day I wanted to write a gentle ballad, but something that would balance the rest of the songs on the album. And the idea for "Lady In Red" came from just a line that jumped out of nowhere: "I've never seen you looking so lovely as you did tonight." And that was like a clue. If you give that line to twenty songwriters, they all come up with something different. But for me it was a clue. So I worked on it. The keyword in there is "never". Obviously this is somebody who is very familiar with somebody else, knows them a long time, that's why the word "never" is important. And for some reason this particular night this woman was looking absolutely stunning. And he hasn't noticed. And that's the secret of the song. So in terms of how long did it take, well a lot of songs take a short time, like minutes, to get the structure and the melody. And then it takes weeks, if not months, to polish it and get it right. So it's kind of like the well-known saying, 10 percent inspiration, 90 percent transpiration. You have to work on it to make it right. And writer's block? No, I have never felt that I have writer's block. Sometimes I felt disinterested in writing songs for one reason or another. Or perhaps, you know, after the failure of yet another song, that I thought was wonderful, to do anything, I thought well what's the point of all this? The point of it all is you people, the fans out there who support me and love me and make me feel that I am doing something right. That's the reason I keep coming back to write songs. And I did have a feeling about "Lady In Red". I didn't know it was going to be a number one, I certainly didn't know it was going to be such a huge song all over the world. And it still is.

November 13, 2004
Sasha Shevelko (28) from Moscow, Russia now in Brighton, UK:
Dear Chris! It is a bit embarrassing that I have been your fan since my childhood in 80-s in Moscow, but only now I have discovered your website and watched a first documentary on TV. I think the idea of this site is amazing. I am so happy you have a chance to read what I am writing. This is like a chance to touch your soul. Thank you for your time and what you do for the fans. I have heard your music throughout my life in many places. To be honest, mostly it was "Lady in red". I always could not understand, why many other your songs are not so popular (I mean Russia, for example). It seems that people heard about many awards and listen to "what is popular" and, as a rule, do not have enough chances to discover many of your masterpieces. Do you think that your music is not "advertised" enough? Thank you, Sasha P.S. I am so happy that I will see you in Brighton in October for the first time in my life!
Chris de Burgh:
Hi Sasha! Thank you for your kind words about not only the site, but the chance to talk to the fans. And I must apologize for being so slow in getting back to the Man On (the) Line section. I received an awful lot of questions, I mean pages and pages and pages. And I suppose I felt a bit daunted about it. It was daunting to pile in and it's like getting into very cold water, which incidentally is something I do every morning. I have a plunge pool at home, very icy water. And I go in there for quite a long time, well, maybe 20 or 30 seconds. Just right over my head, right underneath. And it's amazing the feeling after you get out. You may think I am crazy, but I like to do that. But now that I have started answering the questions, it's like being back on track again. What gets played on the radio is what gets popular. You have to look at the choices that must be made by the people running the radio stations and indeed the television stations to really understand what makes a song a hit and what isn't a hit. It's got nothing to do with quality, it's got to do with whether it suits their radio format or not. Which is why so many songs are tailor-made for radio play, but they don't have a lot of heart and soul in them. Which is why I have always tended to move away from that area by writing songs that mean a lot to me and hopefully to other people that don't necessarily get played on the radio. And that's the way I have always been, and that's the way I will always be. Yes, people know me for "Lady In Red" and I met people just even last night who said "Oh, your song is wonderful." It was an old lady and she was charming, but I wanted to point out that I have actually written 175 other ones apart from that one song. But that's what people like to say, so what can you do? I hope you enjoyed the concert in Brighton!

November 12, 2004
Nadin (16) from Switzerland:
Dear Chris, you've travelled so much or you are still travelling so much. Which was the country that impressed you most of all? And why? With best wishes, Nadin
Chris de Burgh:
Hi Nadin! I see that you are 16 years old and from Switzerland. I wonder if you had a chance to see my concerts in Switzerland earlier this year. I do travel an awful lot. And to be perfectly honest, when I go somewhere for the first time, there is always something that I find impressive about it. Like the first time I went to America, the scenery in America. First time in France, first time in Paris for example, what a gorgeous, gorgeous city that is! First time in just about every country I have been to, I spoke just now about Lebanon, most interesting! I spoke about in the past visiting Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. First trip to Russia, Poland... You always have, I suppose, preconceived ideas about countries. And when you get there, you find them either living up to that preconception as being a great place to visit, or other things that happen, very interesting places to visit. For example my first trip into mainland China was extraordinary, because I didn't expect such a high level of commercial growth. But all in all there is no particular favourite place that I visited. But I must admit, there is nothing like coming home.

November 11, 2004
Alan (36) from England:
Chris, I went to see you in concert in September 2000 in Beirut. You were in concert in the hippodrome in Beirut. That night the concert was being recorded and I am sure you said that it was going to be released as a video. Has that ever happened? Is there any way of buying the concert footing. It was an awesome concert and meant a lot to me as it was in Beirut.
Chris de Burgh:
Yes, I remember this very well. I am not sure what happened to the recording, I have to tell you. I know that it was recorded and, I think, transmitted in Lebanon. But I haven't seen a copy of it and if I ever find out there are copies available, I will make sure that this gets posted up on the website, so people can have a chance to enjoy that particular evening in Beirut. And of course it was a hot Lebanese night. And I had not written the song "Lebanese Night", I don't think, by then. I was, probably later, as I was writing, referring back to the events around the time of my trip down to Lebanon. A place I am very fond of visiting.

November 10, 2004
Stephen (38) from Kincardine, Ontario, Canada:
Do you ever put on one of your albums to listen to while you are doing other things?
Chris de Burgh:
I don't often put on one of my albums to listen to as background. I usually do it for a reason. When I was preparing for "The Road To Freedom" tour, I listened to so many songs from the past, wondering if I could do them, perform them possibly in a different way for the tour. And it was great! I tell you, I was really on a high, going down memory lane. And I have always said that I acknowledge I have a failing, which is, well, one of my many, I am sure, which is that I am not very good at looking back from where I have started. Like climbing a mountain, I am not particularly good at giving myself a pat on the back saying "gosh, you really have achieved a lot". I tend to be looking forward, up the mountain, to see how much further I need to climb. I suppose it's part of my ambition, part of what drives me on, part of what makes me love what I do. But listening back to music that I made 30 years ago and less than that was a very interesting afternoon or a couple of days work. It wasn't work, it was fun, to be honest. And it made me feel that I am actually not a bad songwriter. You know, I obviously listen to a lot of other people's music. And I manage to sort of put myself in the order of the people that I admire, and people that I feel I am nowhere near as good as. But then again there are quite a few people that I think I am better at songwriting than they are. Because it is a skill and I put a lot of work into it and down the years I think I have written a few really good tunes.

November 9, 2004
Lore Mueller (52) from Lohmar, Germany:
Dear Chris! I had the chance to listen to some of your soundchecks (Volendam, Schwaebisch-Hall, Siegen, Coburg). I've heard parts of unreleased songs, cover versions, songs from your early days which I would very much like to hear at a concert, and songs you often perform. Can you please tell me why you choose this or that song for the soundcheck? I'm looking forward to the new album (and 2 or 3 of your concerts) very much. I love to hear you solo, listen to almost nothing else but your voice.
Chris de Burgh:
The purpose of soundchecks is, firstly, to allow the sound technician who is in the front of house to mix the sound the way he would like to hear it in that particular venue. Because every venue is different. It has more echo or less echo, more reverb, maybe plush seats that soak up the sound. Different base end, different top end, it's an art in itself getting that bit right. The second thing is for me to be on stage, listening to my monitors. Again they change in every single venue. Not the actual monitor boxes, but the sound coming out of them changes, depending on what's around me. And the third thing, once I am comfortable with that, is to allow me the chance to start warming up my voice, which is why I just pick on random songs that I have loved from the past. I don't really let go some very high and hard notes just in the soundcheck. I usually tend to favour quieter, gentler songs just to get the voice moving. And they tend to be tracks that I have done in the past, perhaps sung at parties or tracks that I have enjoyed learning in the past and would like to revive again. That's what it's all about. Thank you for your lovely comments about me and my voice.

November 8, 2004
Sara Harvey (28) originally from Guernsey, now in Lichfield, Staffordshire, England:
Hi Chris! At "Taking it to the Top" fades out you whistle a tune which to me sounds like the tune whistled at the end of The Beatles' track "Two of Us". Is this done deliberately or is it an unconscious recognition? Looking forward to seeing you in Birmingham on "The Road to Freedom" tour!!
Chris de Burgh:
Thank you very much for your question, Sara. Often I put little clues into either lyrics or into melodies, hoping that people will pick up on them. Notably on the new album, when I did "Five Past Dreams", there are quite a few musical clues in there, taking back to "The Lady In Red". And you are absolutely right, Sara, that bit on the end of "Taking It To The Top", that is a deliberate reference to "Two Of Us". It only happens once, one little short whistle. You have very good ears to pick up on that! And I hope you enjoyed the show in Birmingham!

November 7, 2004
Chris Raymond (52) from Whitton, Twickenham, UK:
Dear Chris, I have a question about shopping! Do you hate it or are you one of those rare men who like it? I'm talking here about both supermarket shopping for essentials and shopping for clothes, gifts etc? Over to you! Thanks! Chris R
Chris de Burgh:
Hi Chris! Your question is about shopping. Well, I have to tell you, I'm a typical male. Supermarket shopping I don't mind, because you kind of go in there for a reason, perhaps you are cooking something up that evening or else you are replacing the essentials that you require. If I am supermarket shopping, which I have to say is not very often, if I know that I like a particular brand of marmalade, I will buy two or three. And it never ceases to amaze me how some people, when they go shopping, knowing that they are going to use washing up liquid or soap powder on a regular basis, why they don't get just a lot of it and store it! Maybe it's down to storage, maybe they haven't got the place to store it and it's not a good idea to buy in bulk, but going on to general shopping, I am a typical male. I don't find it interesting. If I want a belt or a tie, I go and buy a belt or a tie. If I want to get some shirts or trousers or shoes, I go to do that, and I do it as quickly as I can and get out. But women are, I think, which is why if you go into any major store, the women's area is always the one nearest the door. The psychology of this is of course that women need make-up, they love to browse, they love to wander about, particularly if they got friends of women or going together with a girl-friend. And women can, as you know, Chris, they can spend hours and hours just wandering around the shops and they come back with nothing. Well, this is not the man's way. Unfortunately we tend to be slightly different. Maybe it goes back to the hunter, gatherer part of our physiological and mental make-up.

November 6, 2004
Jose Guerrero (37) from California, USA:
Of all the songs you've written, which are you most disappointed in not seeing either released as a single or not charting as well as you'd hoped?
Chris de Burgh:
Interestingly enough I lived in Santa Monica for six months back in the late seventies and I have always been fond of California. Very interesting lifestyle out in California, and I have done a few shows out that way as well. Hopefully I'll have a chance to go back again. I can't tell you how many songs that have come out as singles which have not done what I expected, and I have been disappointed. I think I said earlier that disappointment is very much part of the business that I am in, even at this late stage in my career. Things that you believe could go well or should go well just don't. And then there are some real surprises. I suppose I really wanted "Don't Pay The Ferryman" to be a hit, and it was. And I really wanted "High On Emotion", because I love the song, and that was a very big hit. And "Lady In Red", I knew there was something extremely special about that song. Funnily enough in the same way, when my daughter Rosanna went into the Miss Ireland competition, I didn't know she'd win it, because there were a lot of factors going against there. Not least the fact she had a famous father, and anybody voting for her might be accused subsequently of only voting for her because she had a famous Dad. However, she won that, but she won it and went into the Miss World competition, I just had this good feeling weeks, possibly months before, when I saw her appearing in public. I remember turning to my friend Kenny and I said "she's gonna win Miss World, there's something about her". You know, when you got that good feeling about something that's going to go the way you think it will? But unfortunately, going back to the music business, there have been many occasions when, I spoke earlier for example about "Love Of The Heart Divine", this was never released as a single. I just thought it was a really good tune with a lovely idea. But what radio requires and what the songwriter feels is important to get across to his audience, they are two completely different things.

November 5, 2004
Wilhelm Gerike (37) from Marburg, Germany:
Hi Chris, There are two adjectives you should know about me. I'm blind and I'm lazy. My question: Is it possible signing the CD-covers in Braille like the CD Division Bell by Pink Floyd?
Chris de Burgh:
Of course there is no reason why Braille cannot be put onto CD covers. I guess nobody has really thought of it, or perhaps come up with the technology to create that on an ongoing easy basis. I know that Braille is used a lot in elevators and in fact, there's one winemaker that I know for sure from the Rhone area in France who put Braille on the front of their wine bottle labels to enable those who are unsighted to realize what they are drinking. And I think it's a great idea.

November 4, 2004
Kristian Specht (34) from Cologne, Germany:
Dear Chris, first of all I take my hat off to you, for answering all these questions regularly and even personally!! That shows again in a very friendly way that you are still "a normal guy" although you're being a star. I'm 34 now and it is 12 years ago that I saw you on stage for the first time, Dortmund 1992. (7 times since then) But I have to make a confession....... I went to this concert only, because I donated a ticket to my then-major girlfriend. At that time I thought, that girl achieves it that me, the cocksure Bruce Springsteen fan is going to a Chris de Burgh concert......must be love ! But I couldn't believe what happened then at the concert. It was absolutely amazing. Rocking and powerful (much more than I ever expected), calm and contemplative at the same time, relaxed, funny spontaneous talking to audience, and, what impressed me the most, a very, very private atmosphere. .......... All in all, absolutely at the same live performing level as the ultimate live performers Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band. (That is indeed the highest award I can give... :-) I take my hat off to you again!! And that is true for the other concerts I saw on stage you as well.............. But there is one little thing I really miss during the last years. I miss that gorgeous girl called PATRICIA. That's a great live song and really one of the concert highlights, I think. Will you play it again sometime ? Maybe on your solo tour? Anyway, sorry for that long story, I know there are many more who are looking forward to an answer. All the best to you and your family, take care......Kristian
Chris de Burgh:
Hi Kristian! What an amazing memory that is, reading what you said about Dortmund in 1992 at the Westfalenhalle. As you, I am sure, are aware, I am performing there on the 6th of November as a conclusion to my solo concert tour of Europe. And to say thank you to my fans all over Germany for having supported me for so long and it is the 20th anniversary of my first performance at the Westfalenhalle. And it is going to be a spectacular night, made for me by the fans. There are going to be thousands of people there. And hopefully it will be as exciting as the shows in the past. Of course with a band you can create more excitement, because you've got the power of the drums and the rocking guitars and base and stuff, but I hope that the excitement will be generated on that night. How very nice of you to compare me to one of my heroes, Bruce Springsteen. As far as Patricia is concerned, you know I have always said that I will try and play the songs that people want to come and hear, and I will never dismiss a song just because I don't particularly want to sing it anymore, even if people want to hear it. But Patricia is a pretty old song. I don't know if people have noticed that on my most recent solo tour, I don't think I did any songs from the album "Spanish Train And Other Stories", because for me that's going back an awfully long way. I wrote Patricia more than 30 years ago and I have performed it an awful lot. And I suppose from time to time I feel, well, maybe it is showing its age, or maybe Patricia is showing her age. By now she must be nearly 100 years old. So it's worth remembering that. Maybe I will do it again. Or even better, maybe somebody from the audience could come up and sing it, and I'll play!

November 3, 2004
Sheila Gardner (43) from Hounslow, Middlesex, UK:
Hi Chris, I am really looking forward to the new album and tour this year! Here is my question - During one of your concerts you sang a very beautiful and emotional song titled Once Upon A Time. This song really touched me personally. I would have loved to have heard this again and wondered why it was omitted from the Road To Freedom album. Have you any plans for this song? Here's hoping, Sheila x
Chris de Burgh:
Welcome back, Sheila! You are somebody that I have met frequently in the past, and thank you for all your lovely gifts and kindnesses to me and my family. The question about "Once Upon A Time" has now been answered, because this song has appeared on a new version of "The Road To Freedom" album. It's one of my favourites. I felt that it wasn't appropriate on "The Road To Freedom" album initially, and the first 11 songs, because it is a pretty sad tune and I was trying to stir away from that in "The Road To Freedom", because it is such a positive feel to the whole album. But when you look at the divorce rate, which is 40% now in many parts of the world, maybe higher, I often wonder what happened to the children and who is going to be their voice. Who speaks on behalf of the children in a broken marriage and that's what really struck me about this song. I know that frequently when I have sung it, people who are children of a broken marriage react very strongly and powerfully. Like the idea of the child having the bedtime stories, you know, which is always "once upon a time", and then sort of significantly moving that to the mother and the father, and the child thinking "once upon a time they must have been in love". It's the way things go, you know, and love does not, as I said in another song, it does not come with a lifetime guarantee.

November 2, 2004
Rene Horsch (39) from Reuver, The Netherlands:
To start with a cliche as many other questions started with: I LOVE YOUR MUSIC! I have to be honest, I lost track a bit after Flying Colours, I started as a Getaway addict and bought all the earlier albums. Now I'm fully on track again, owning all CD's and trying to get all CD-singles (I have 48 now). Even though not everybody is extremely enthusiastic about Timing Is Everything, I have to say the album in total is very nice. I also have a true question: I saw you in concert in Rotterdam (when the storm blew), afterwards in The Hague (solo) and was blown away on both occasions. You CAN do it with band but just as good as without the band. The question is: Do you need more exercise to train your voice for a concert now compared to when you were a true youngster, or is it easy all the way for you? The main reason I ask this is that I find that your voice is excellent but sometimes when you have to get really high up, it doesn't sound as easy as it used to do 15 years ago. Please don't be offended, this is no criticism, just wondering. I already have 1st row tickets for Amsterdam, so I will keep on track. Really looking forward to The Road to Freedom. Thanks for the great music over the years and keep on for (how many?) years.....
Chris de Burgh:
By the time I have answered this question about my singing abilities, you will have hopefully seen me at the Pepsi Stage in Amsterdam. And I hope I hit the high notes as well as I used to! Well, of course, it's natural that as you grow older, your muscles become ever so slightly stiffer and need more work. The same thing applies to the muscle of the voice. I tend to prepare for concerts by doing soundcheck before hand, singing for at least half an hour to get the voice working. And I have never felt that I had any particular problems hitting the high notes. If anybody hears me belting out "Don't Pay The Ferryman", that high note is B and that is pretty high. Although I know I can hit a full C. Nevertheless the best time for my voice to really show its power is when I have been on tour for a while. It's really working well and it feels strong and I feel fit and healthy. I also have the ability to have very high falsetto notes. Sometimes, if I am having trouble breathing to hit a high note, I'll just switch to falsetto and it makes it a lot easier. But my range is at least 3 octaves, probably 3 and a half. And I continually work on it, and of course drinking a lot of water helps.

November 1, 2004
Amir (27) from Shiraz, Iran:
Hi Chris! Before asking my question, I must thank you for your kindness towards the Iranians. Still, I have to correct the misunderstanding that is caused by my country mate's note. Here, the foreign songs are illegal (especially the Rock one's about sex and things like that), not all types of music. However, I have seen CD's, containing all your albums, as well as some other singers and bands like Modern Talking and Pink Floyd in the music shops. What's more, your lyrics book (along with the Persian translation) is published here and it is reprinted for several times. Well, my question deals with your view towards different types of vehicle in your songs. For example, as far as I have seen, "train" is considered as the symbol of the passage of life resulting in a quick death (as in The Spanish Train, and The Lonesome Cowboy), while "ship" is the symbol of departure and separation from the loved one (as in Ship to Shore, and Sailor). "Horse" is also a symbol of an old-fashioned but safe life (as in The Lonesome Cowboy). I would be glad if you allow me to know your own idea about this kind of classification, and what you had in mind when using these vehicle names. Thank you again. Amir
Chris de Burgh:
Thank you for putting me straight about what songs and what music is allowed to be sold in Iran. I suppose for years I have noticed that I keep on coming back to symbolism in lyrics and in poetry. It has the effect of taking the listener's mind back to something that happened before in your work. Painters use this a lot, particularly ones who have got a large body of work. Poets, people like William Butler Yeats for example, the Irish poet, used the tower and the sea and the storm a lot. I am sure if you go into the work of Vincent van Gogh, it's the same thing. And I like to return to words like train and, like you pointed out, horse and ship. These are all words associated with movement and travel. And because I do so much of it, I imagine they apply in my case quite importantly. But also they are a symbol of change. When you are moving, you are changing your lifestyle, even for a short time, going on holiday for example, or moving house. So these words do repeat themselves a lot in my work. Interesting question!

October 31, 2004
Gabi Liddell (44) from Norderstedt, Germany:
Hi Chris! I had the great pleasure to meet you a couple of times but was never brave enough to ask you something that has come into my mind some time ago. As you certainly have realized, a lot of young artists (?) out there in the music business have a huge success with covering songs from well-known, established artists. I have not heard any of your songs covered by somebody (thank god!) but which song (except "Lady in Red", please!) could you imagine to be covered by whom? Looking forward to your tour and the concerts I will be able to enjoy! Warmest regards from Gabi from Germany
Chris de Burgh:A lot of my songs have actually been recorded by other people in different countries all over the world. I know that "Lady In Red" is probably one of the well-known ones. But I have had extraordinary covers of songs like Tom Jones did "I'm Counting On You". I've had heavy metal versions of "Don't Pay The Ferryman". I've had Chinese people singing "A Spaceman Came Travelling". I've done very well as far as covers are concerned.

October 30, 2004
Reighan Jackson (8) from Toronto, Canada:
I saw your concert in Toronto with my Dad and really enjoyed it. My favourite song is "Revolution". You played your guitar and the piano, but I wanted to know if you played any other instruments and how you learned. Thank you.
Chris de Burgh:
So we have a little 8 year old boy now from Toronto, Canada! I really was amazed at that show you saw in Toronto, I am sure it was the Hummingbird Theatre, with 3,500 people. It was a memorable evening for me. You liked "Revolution", yes that's got a fair bit of excitement and drama to it. Well, I am self-taught on the guitar and the piano, and I can't really play any other instruments unfortunately. My son Hubie can play the saxophone very well, and he can play the guitar and the piano extremely well. But, no, I never learned anything else apart from those things. And I learned by listening to music and following the chords, because virtually all modern songs today are played on a minimum of three chords, well sometimes actually two chords. But it's never that complicated to work out in your head when you are listening to a song. So there's no great mystery to that. Just keep listening to the music and keep practising.

October 29, 2004
Ben Wing (21) from Hemel Hempstead, Herts, UK:
Hello Chris, You have been my favourite solo artist for as long as I can remember. I have studied music my whole life, and I am studying sound engineering at the moment in London, so I know a fair deal about record companies and the way they work. So I was very interested when I saw you had set your own company up to record your latest album. Is this a new venture of yours, thus do you plan to take on other acts, or is it just a way of escaping the pressure's of large record companies telling you what to do? Thanks for your time.
Chris de Burgh:
Great question, because in fact you've answered both of the questions that you've asked, yourself really. Obviously you know quite a lot about the music business and studying sound engineering sounds like you are going to go into my business, which is good. This new venture of mine, setting up Ferryman Productions, well it's all those things that you talk about. It is a way of escaping the pressure of larger record companies, and we have found fairly dramatically in the last few years that dealing with a record company that has little interest in you as an artist mainly because they have acquired you from a different record company, you know, for example the one I was signed to, A&M, was bought by the Polygram group and then the Universal music group. And when you are a big company like Universal music, you may not always want to spend time and money on acts that have come from a different source, not people they have actually signed themselves. They pay lip service to their support, but sometimes it's very frustrating and it has been extremely frustrating in the last few years, dealing with these people. And I am being respectful here, but there are a lot of people who go into the music industry who are unqualified. Ben, you sound like you are really going for the qualifications. But people who are just enthusiastic about music, they can't necessarily run record companies, which is why we have seen in the last few months an enormous amount of people have lost their jobs in record companies all over Europe, for a number of reasons, including difficulties with the internet, downloading, piracy, lack of real talented musicians. Myself I put it down to the fact that the record companies have not been investing in long-term artists. The short-term artists and the lack of quality offered by so many of these new acts who believe that just getting on TV is the answer to everything, I think they are responsible for their own downfall. So, if I do come across an artist who I absolutely adore, and we are able to look after this artist in Ferryman Productions, I would definitely be interested.

October 28, 2004
Louis Picard (41) from Quebec, Canada:
For some reason (I still don't know why !!) I am very fond of the song : "Old-fashioned people" from the Crusader album . Is there any song from yourself or other singer/band that you are very fond of and you just don't know why, as the song may not be a well-known song?
Chris de Burgh:
Interesting question! "Old-fashioned people" is obviously about old people. And I have always been interested in old people, reminding myself repeatedly that they once were young people. And that could be somebody's grandpa or grandmother when you are looking at some elderly person whose body is not functioning in the way it used to, and they are not as fit as they used to be. And they are also scared of change, you know, the world is changing so fast that old people find it very hard to come to terms with. But as far as any song from other singer or band, I tend to pick up on songs just by the song rather than the band or the singer. I think that one of the biggest problems that I have is, when I am listening to the radio, I hear a song and think "that's great, who is that?" and then they never announce it! If you are lucky you might get a DJ announcing it who it was after about 20 minutes and playing 3 or 4 songs in a row. Quite often they don't and just go straight to an advertisement. It is very frustrating. But I am a songwriter, and I always respond to what I feel is a well-written song or a really great singer.

October 27, 2004
Jane Creasey (48) from Lincoln, England:
I have just received your tour dates for 2004 and am disappointed it's a solo tour. Will you be touring with a band ever again?
Chris de Burgh:
Well, I am sorry about that, but, you know, I have toured so many times with a band, and this was a very good chance for me to present "The Road To Freedom" album in a solo way, because that was always the intention. And it has done extremely well all over Europe, and in fact even on the last two tours that I did with the band, so many people got in touch, either through the website, or wrote to us or wrote to my office and said that their favourite bit was the bit without the band. They loved the solo stuff, which was another factor in my decision to do a solo tour. But that said I love playing with the band, and the fun that we have together, and I think a lot of people enjoy the band. So yes, we will be playing again some time in the future, Jane.

October 26, 2004
Amir Flaishman (30) from Tel Aviv, Israel:
Hi there Chris, just wanted to know how does an average day of yours look like? I bet you don't have these boring days at office like I do :-)
Chris de Burgh:
Well, a day at home is just like any other Dad's day at home. Except that I don't go to an office, I work at home. I take my children to school in the morning. I get some exercise, do some hill walking or swimming. I don't swim with the dog, but I take the dog hill walking, or take the dog into the sea sometimes. And then I work at home, I have plenty of phone calls, bills to pay, correspondence to catch up with, and usually in the afternoon I find myself in my studio, playing a bit of guitar or piano, maybe thinking about the future and thinking what I have to do next. And, you know, making plans and hopefully writing a bit of music. I was never much good at working in an office, but lots of people do enjoy it, and some people don't enjoy it, but have to do it. So life is never dull. But when I am on tour, it's completely different. That's a very very different and very intensive lifestyle. Which means late nights because of the concerts that go on late, and getting up late and a lot of travelling. But it is never dull.

October 25, 2004
Paul Olner (31) from Derby, UK:
Dear Chris, I have listened to your songs for many years, I was wondering what your views were to "people downloading yours and other peoples work of the internet" regardless if they pay for it or not, would you prefer people to only be able to purchase it from retail shops only? (keep releasing good songs, you are the best)...
Chris de Burgh:
One thing you have to remember, Paul, is who actually pays for the record. Most times you have an artist who is signed to a record company. The record company pay for the recording of the album. Some cases, it could be 100,000, other cases even a million pounds. Now that money is initially bankrolled by the record company, and then the artist must earn that money back on his own royalty rate. Let's say you have an artist who is on 15% of the retail price. It is going to take quite a long time to earn back a million pounds on 15% of the retail price. So until he reaches that point, the record company is still paying for the album and he is struggling obviously to sell records. And he goes out promoting, touring, TV and just works hard to reach the magic point where he actually breaks even. The moment he breaks even and he is actually earning money, you know, you've got to remember that at all times money has been stolen by downloading, it has been stolen from the artist. That's who eventually has to pay for it. So, if people are downloading music, say if people download my music without paying for it, what they are in effect doing is stealing from me. Because I have had to pay for that music. I know, a lot of people do not have much sympathy for record companies, because record companies have gone out of their way, I think, to show in some cases, how much money they've got. They throw lavish parties, they fly around in private jets and drive around in limousines, so there is not a lot of sympathy. This doesn't apply to my own record company by the way, Ferryman Productions. We are a very low cost company with just a few people working for us. But the point of it is that the artist at the end of the day is the person who pays for the music. So, when I put in a lot of work, writing a song, recording a song and paying for the song, to be told that, say 20,000 people have downloaded it, well that's a theft, you know. It's piracy and quite simply, it's wrong. But if you pay for it, that's different. The internet is also available to purchase, so you don't have to go to retail shops to buy albums nowadays, you can actually get it direct off the internet. And that again is causing problems for record companies and retail shops, because people have immediate access to purchase. You know, I don't want to make a big issue out of this piracy problem personally, because some people will say it brings your music to a wider audience if they can download your songs. That is, I suppose, an argument. But at the end of the day, as I said, it is the artist who paid for the music.

October 24, 2004
Martin Travers (35) from Farnborough, Hampshire, England:
Hi Chris, Thanks to you I am a big fan of the Scottish band Runrig - I first saw them when they supported you on the Flying Colours tour. Do you have any memories of touring with Runrig ? Did you use to have any say in who your supports acts were and do you keep in touch with any of them ? Good luck with the new album, Regards, Martin
Chris de Burgh:
Thanks for your question about Runrig. Excellent band! We had a lot of fun with them on the tour, particularly after shows. Nowadays as most people come to my concerts, my concerts tend to be so long there's very little point in having an opening act. But back in the days when we did have one, Runrig was certainly amongst the finest that I have ever worked with. Very nice guys, I could even understand their Scottish accent, which in some cases you just can't. No, I haven't seen much of them recently, but quite often you do run into people at different television shows and so on. But I follow their career with interest, and I know they have done some very large shows. I think at Loch Lomond they played to thousands, hundreds of thousands maybe of people. That might be an exaggeration, but I seem to remember a large, large crowd came to see them in Scotland, because they are still very popular out there.

October 23, 2004
Sudeep Chandra (33) from Bhopal, India:
Can't imagine a life without music. I myself am a singer and my inspiration have been YOU, Neil Diamond, E. Humperdinks, Paul Anka, Sir Cliff Richard, Sir Elton John and likes. If you come to INDIA, I'll follow you where ever you perform and maybe it'll be my greatest moment in time to stand by you and sing maybe a line or two along with you. I die for songs like 'The Risen Lord' and 'The last time I cried'. Would you allow me to sing a few of your songs as cover?
Chris de Burgh:
What a charming message and question! I have just had some people come back from India, and they say that my name is very well known over there and very popular. I have never been, and of course I'd love to go! Yes, I think, if you are singer, Sudeep, you should try singing some of the songs that I have written, and the ones you mention "The Risen Lord" and "The Last Time I Cried" are two of my personal favourites from the past. And if I ever get to India, of course I would be delighted to see you and talk to you. And who knows, there may be a chance to do a song together.

October 22, 2004
Keith Radcliffe (38) from Liverpool, England:
If asked to appear in "I'm a celeb get me out of here", would you do it ? And if you did do you think you would find some lyrics for a song or two?
Chris de Burgh:
You are from one of my favourite cities in England, Liverpool! If I was asked to appear in "I'm a celeb get me out of here", I would say no quicker than you can say "fried eggs". Because I think those programs are trashy and dreadful. And for some reason there are a lot of people thinking that being on TV, being famous is some kind of first step to an unimaginably successful career, doing something else. I think they are full of very sad people. That said, they are riveting to watch, which is why they are so successful. But most of the people who have been on these programs, really I've just felt sorry for. Fame is a very very fickle thing, it really doesn't change much. I think you have to have something solid behind you before you can become famous, it's something to fall back on. And the answer is I am sure I could find some lyrics for a song or two. Well, I wouldn't be in such a program, but certainly from observing it and observing how people interact. The most recent one, I think, happened in Australia. And one of the reasons these things are so successful isn't necessarily the people involved, because most of them you look at with a mixture of pity, indifference. But it is the human thing about "who wins?", that's why a competition is so exciting. And that's why the background to these programs is by getting six million people to ring in, to vote for somebody. The amount of money generated for the television company and for the telephone company is absolutely massive. And that's why these programs exist. They try to think of new ways to come up with methods of getting you to go to your phone and vote for somebody and spend money making the call.

October 21, 2004
Lance Johnson (35) from Mesa, Arizona, USA:
I read a book called My Elvis Blackout by Simon Crump. I wouldn't really recommend the book, but I read it out of curiosity due to the fact that you were in it. In this book, the author's character kills you and you come back for a little time in a zombie-like state. As much as we like to say that these types of things do not bother us, I imagine that is not really the case. How do you personally deal with something sick and hateful like this?
Chris de Burgh:
Well, you know what Lance, if I was born with a name like Simon Crump, I would spend the rest of my life trying to get all that anger and resentment out of me by being very rude about other people. It doesn't bother me in the slightest. What is the old saying? Sticks and stones can break my bones, but words can never hurt me. Or something like that. No, I wouldn't even give this a passing thought. When you are a famous person, you are there, you are up for grabs to have people have a go at. I know there are comedians who make fun of me. But, you know, I look at my beautiful family, I look at the house that I live in and I look at my fans all over the world, and I look at my successful career and I think, well it's all based on jealousy and envy and really I don't give it a toss. Thanks for the question though!

October 20, 2004
Olga (16) from Crimea, Ukraine:
Hi, dear, Chris! I am very in love with your songs and music! They are beautiful, wonderful...they are great!!!! What do you usually do that compose the song and music for it? This is the first question. Second. Have you got idol among actors or singer? And last. Have you ever been in Russia or in Ukraine on the tour? And if you didn't, will you be there some day? Answer me, please!! Thanks, for all. Your fan, Olga!
Chris de Burgh:
Hi Olga! Thank you very much for question. And thank you for the lovely things that you say about my songs. I reckon the first question is whether I write the music first or the lyrics, I think this is what you mean. Or perhaps, Olga, you mean what do I first think of? It's very hard to know. Sometimes it's the question that's been in my head, or an idea that's been in my head, growing for a while. Other times it just comes straight out, because a piece of music will suddenly provoke an idea. I spoke earlier about the way that my visual imagination is always stirred by music. Which is why I find it very hard to listen to music in the background, because I am always listening into the music and sort of trying to figure out what's going on in there and how it affects me. So sometimes ideas just come out of the blue. Idol amongst actors and singers? Oh yes, there are plenty of people I admire. You know, great old actors from the past like Paul Newman or Steve McQueen. Current actors, there is just a real bunch of excellent actors around today, and actresses, both in Europe and America. Singers I would rate very strongly people like, well my hero was always Paul McCartney, because he could sing a beautiful ballad and then he could sing a really strong rock song right after. And yes, I have been to many places in Russia, and I have performed in Kiev twice or three times, and I will be back there, because I have always had a very good reception. I look forward to it.

October 19, 2004
Bob Puett (35) from Puyallup, Washington State, USA:
Chris, 'Borderline' has long been one of my favorites of your songs. I always wanted to know what you meant by the line "I'm ready with my lies..." The great thing about the song is that each listener can draw his or her own inferences. But I would like to know what you were thinking when you wrote that line. Thank you for your great music.
Chris de Burgh:
Well, again it's a film in my head. The two countries are now at war, and let us say for the sake of argument, it's Germany and France. And I have a young Frenchman who is in love with a girl, say from somewhere near Strasbourg, Alsace-Lorraine, somewhere which is now a warzone. And he takes a train to the border. And when he gets there, he sees the young soldiers. And when he says "I'm ready with my lies", it means, he is telling the immigration authorities what he is actually doing there, why he is at the border and whatever he is doing. Perhaps he is coming for work, or maybe he says I have a relative here. And then he sees the loved one, waiting down at the end of the station, and he runs up to her. But the most important reflection is looking at the soldiers, the young soldiers and saying to himself that these are only boys, because they are! They are 16, 17, 18, 19 years old, they are only boys, and I will never know how men can see the wisdom in a war. And this is the line that just gets an incredible reaction everywhere in the world that I sing it.

October 18, 2004
Tim Richards (17) from Hudson near Montreal, Canada:
Wow, first I must say, Chris, you are an extremely talented artist and I absolutely love your music, I'm sure you've heard that all before. I too am an artist, at least i like to think so. Your music has inspired many photographs of mine, and I've even done an illustration for your song the Girl With April in Her Eyes. I also recommended the song to a friend of mine who's also an artist to see what he could come up with as an illustration (his is much nicer than mine). He told me he thought the song was beautiful and very inspiring, as well as with the other songs from that album. My girlfriend's mother even cried when she listened to it. So my question is this, what inspired you to write The Girl With April in Her Eyes? I also wonder if you get many letters like this, about artists doing illustrations and such inspired by your work. Thanks Chris! P.S. I too have this very cinematic imagination that you often speak about here. Your songs always inspire very detailed and beautiful 'films' in my head. Oh and about that awesome helicopter you've got, that is great, I've always loved helicopters, and hope to acquire my license in the future too. I love aircraft and flight, it has always been a passion of mine.
Chris de Burgh:
Well, I have just spoken about Montreal, and here we have Tim Richards who is 17 years old. I am delighted that there are younger fans who are coming through. "The Girl With April In Her Eyes"? I remember, when I was living in California and I had just written the song, I went to buy a guitar. I went to see a guitar which I subsequently bought. A beautiful twelve-string Guild guitar which I still have. And it was a young fellow who was also wanting to be a musician. I played him "The Girl With April In Her Eyes". And he looked at me as if I had just stepped off the moon or something. He said "That is so different and so strange and unusual!". I remember to this day thinking that what for me is natural and normal, for other people who don't come from the same kind of background that sort of song must have been really unusual. There wasn't anything particular that inspired this song, except there was a poem that I came across years ago. Which to be honest I can't remember whether it was Keats or Shelley, but the key to it, maybe one of the readers of this could remind me what poem it was, but it was about an old man who lived in a big old mansion, he never opened the curtains and he lived there in misery until one day a beautiful young woman came. And she transformed the house and brought life into it and love and laughter and flowers. And when she left, the whole place went grey and miserable again. In the same sort of way we have this king who is known to be a tyrant and a bully and it goes also back to the well-known saying that you must always be kind and polite to travellers and strangers, because who knows it could be Christ himself having returned to the planet. And so it's always important to be polite to friends and neighbours and most of all to people who you haven't met. So this girl arrives at the king's castle because he has called the spring. Because he is a wicked man, spring has not visited his land and it's all still under snow. And when spring comes to his door, he gets her thrown out. She is only looking for food and a bed for the night, but he orders his slave to turn her away, the girl with April in her eyes. So she has come to save him and she has come to bring spring to his lands and to him, to his life. But he doesn't recognize that, because he is a bully and a very unpleasant man. He throws her out and she is found the next day dead. Ironically you see again, the one person that did look after her is the one person least able to afford it. She finds a poor man living in the woods. So instead of the man who has got everything, the king, looking after her, it's the man who has nothing who looks after her. And again this is, I suppose, a moralistic story. And the final scene, which is one I have always liked, is that the countryside is covered in snow except for the one patch where the girl has been buried and is covered in flowers. So it's a very old-fashioned and romantic theme about greed, about generosity and about recognizing that there are people who are there to help you and you must know them when they come to your door. Finally, I am delighted to hear that you have a cinematic imagination. It gets you to go to places all over the world, without really having to leave home. And helicopters, yes the Bell 407 that I have, which I have been doing a lot of flying on, is a wonderful way of getting around and beating the traffic. And good luck if you're going to become an airline pilot or a helicopter pilot, because it's obviously a terrific thing to have learned. And where you live in Montreal is where the Bell helicopter facility is based, and I visited it to have a look before I bought the 407 that I have.

October 17, 2004
Pascal (38) from France:
Hi Chris, excuse for my awful english language, I'm French (it's not an excuse, I know!). I remember in March 1983, the first concert of my life was "The Getaway", live at Nice in the South of France. I have the spades knave and the eight of club, you remember the cards you throwed. We were approximatively 400, and one year and six month later, we were 4000 (the High on Emotion syndrom!). I have 3 questions, 1st do you feel the same impression when you make a concert with only a few hundred people or a thousand, what do you prefer the sweet intimacy or the hysterical atmosphere ? 2nd, why don't you do more french dates, "a warm night in Nice" for example !!, and 3rd, can you send me the rest of the cards pack because with only two cards, it's not very funny to play(lol)
Chris de Burgh:
A lovely question! The concert in Nice in the South of France, I remember it was in a very large tent on the seafront near the Marillion hotel. And the French audience has always been fantastic, very supportive, very energetic, lively. And even up in French Canada, I remember in Montreal, one of the first shows I did in North America, maybe it was the first show, I was stunned and amazed by the reaction of the people. If they don't like you, they tell you, if they love you, they really let you know. And they seem to really like me, because "Spanish Train And Other Stories" became a mega hit mainly because of the support from Montreal. And in France I've had big hit records, notably "High On Emotion", which you mention, which was a big number one hit down there. And "Lady In Red" was a big hit, "Don't Pay TheFerryman". France has been one of those places I love to go. I speak French, I am a complete Francophile which means I adore the country, I adore the people, the wines, the foods, the scenery, the architecture. Paris has got to be one of the most beautiful cities in the world, and I often visit there either privately for a holiday or during work. So I am very much hoping that the French audience is coming back to see me again. And I will be doing a concert in Paris very shortly in November. And I also recently played the Olympia in Paris last year. The cards came from a special kind of catapult thing. At the moment that the Devil shouts "My hand wins!", I touched this footswitch and all the cards went flying through the air. And Pascal, you've got two of them, which is pretty interesting. You got the jack of spades and the eight of clubs. That's pretty good! Your question about intimacy and people? Well, it depends, you know. I love the big crowds, I love the energy generated, I love the jumping around. In fact when I play at Dortmund on November the 6th in the Westfalenhalle, one of my favourite venues in Europe, that's going to be a hell of a big crowd. And I am really looking forward to that. That's going to be daunting, because when you're on your own in front of that many people, you've really got to be good, you know, and give them everything they are expecting and more. But in front of an intimate audience, really what is happening is that the audience will go away, feeling that they have had a special evening with somebody that perhaps means quite a bit to them, because of the music and the 30 years behind it.

October 16, 2004
Toni Jehan (40) from Southend-on-Sea, Essex, UK:
Hi Chris! Hope you are well. My question is: Are there any resident ghosts at Bargy Castle? Take care, love Tonixx
Chris de Burgh:
Hi Toni! Lovely to hear from you again. You're a wonderful poet and you're an inspiration to all those who meet you and come to you for help. No, as far as I know, there are no ghosts at Bargy Castle. But there has often been the feeling that there are spirits around. The ones that I have encountered have been benign spirits, good spirits. Although sometimes it makes your skin going to goose bumps, I feel that the best thing to do is just talk, it may sound strange, but talk to an empty room, if you suspect there is a spirit in there. Because all they want to do is they want to be noticed and heard. But I've never come across anything malicious or nasty at Bargy Castle. It's got a wonderful warm and homely feel in spite of the fact that the tower has been there for 800 years and the rest of it since the 16th century. It's got a very nice feel to it.

October 15, 2004
Cynthia Latrash (40) from Amman, Jordan:
You have been an inspiration to me Chris and I love your music. I happen to be a DJ on our National radio station and believe me when I tell you that your songs are played whenever I have a live show. Please tell me what prompted you to write the song Sailor, my all time favourite of yours. Thank you so much.
Chris de Burgh:
I am delighted that you like my music so much, Cynthia. And thank you for your support. You know, it's so important to have the support of radio DJs and the media to help get the message across. I could make a really wonderful album, and if it doesn't get played on the radio, nobody will ever hear it! And this obviously does happen from time to time, rather more frequently than I would like. With reference to the last question about "Love Of The Heart Divine", obviously that didn't get picked up so often on radio. I still think it is a wonderful song. But going back to "Sailor" from the album "Eastern Wind". I think this probably came from the image of a man looking through the bars of a window, looking out at the moonlight. The inside of the prison cell is bathed in moonlight, and he is looking longingly out to sea, and I can see a boat with sails in the harbour which is leaving the harbour. And at the same time there's a seabird sitting on the window sill of his cell, and obviously the bird can move in and out. And on this occasion it just moves away and flies off towards the ship that is sailing off, probably back to where he comes from. And in my mind he comes from Scotland and he has been caught up, maybe again a couple of hundred years ago, he's been caught up in some conflict that he had nothing to do with. And he is calling out to the people in the boat "I wish I could go with you back to the hills and the valleys of the land that I love!" And watching the bird flying so freely gives him a terrible aching in his heart.

October 14, 2004
Inga Anzenhofer (28) from Butzweiler, Germany:
Hi Chris, I wonder whether Love Of The Heart Divine is a kind of sequel to Borderline and Say goodbye to it all? With your mention of "Flanders Tide" you probably place the story in WW1 while SGTIA is about WW2. But metaphors like "when the soldiers left on the morning train" and the kind of love described in these three songs fit perfectly together to tell the story of the same two people! Personally I think it's a pity that this song was no radio-single because it's on the very top of the songs you've created!
Chris de Burgh:
I am glad you like my song "Love Of The Heart Divine". It's actually probably one of my top ten favourite songs. I love the story, I love the feeling that I get from it, which is exactly what I intended. The dream of the two young people who grew up together, they probably went to school together in the same little village, somewhere in the South of England. And they become lovers in their teens. And at the outbreak of the First World War he goes off to fight. And as she waves good-bye, as the morning train is leaving, with all the soldiers are leaning out and waving, she feels the first kick of the baby inside and hasn't told him. So, you ask is this a sequel to "Borderline" and "Say Goodbye To It All"? Well, the answer is, no it is not. But I have a very strong desire to finish off that particular story, which I intend to do very shortly by writing the second part of the story, of what happened next to those people. It does tell the same perennial story of love and war, and how people are affected. Again, I am very sorry that this wasn't a radio-single, because I think it is a very strong tune. But then again my business is full of disappointments, interposed with a few high moments.

October 13, 2004
Ammar Awaydah (28) from Tripoli, Lebanon:
Hello Chris. I have lived your music ever since I was 10 years old (i.e. 18 years ago). What astonishes me is the diversity of music styles you perform, which is so UNIQUE, especially now that you have released and published a huge amount of songs! In such a diversity of styles, how do you manage your concerts, moving so smoothly from one style to the other e.g. from storytelling to romantic love ballads to rock music etc.? Is there any particular song you would like to play as an introduction or "overture" in any concert? From all the styles you performed, which is the closest to Chris de Burgh's self? In other words, where do you mostly find yourself in writing, composing and performing, or are they all equal in terms of personal preference? Thank you so much for your inspiring work, keep on!
Chris de Burgh:
A very interesting question! It made me think about the diversity of styles. Well, it's because I can really concentrate on one style for the duration of when I need to, like if it's a ballad or a sad song. It's because I believe that I wear the song like a coat. And again, I think, as a singer you have to immerse yourself in the story and the words and the music, and most of all you have to believe what you're singing. The overture that has been presented at recent concerts is "When Winter Comes". It works very well. But I am sure that if I carry on, and create a musical, which is one of my plans in the future, there will be an overture involved bringing in different melodic lines from some of the songs that will be in the musical. I think in terms of personal preference they are equal, although the ballads are lovely to sing to have an emotional impact, but then again I love in my concerts when people get up and dance and run to the front and, you know, bring a bit of activity and action to the concert. So I don't mind what style I do, as long as it's having an impact and people are reacting to it, hopefully favourably.

October 12, 2004
Gunter Kohl (30) from Trier, Germany:
Dear Mr de Burgh, have you ever thought of taking part reading a "Hoerbuch" (sorry, I don't know the English expression for a book read out on CD) to release it on CD? You have a pleasant voice and maybe you could be the storyteller in a fairytale - or what about some of the unknown Irish literature? (Now that you have your own label...) And an egoistic request: please keep on releasing CD-singles :-)
Chris de Burgh:
No, I have never done a talking book. I did one time a narrated story, a musical story, for Classic FM, the big classical radio station in England, for transmission on Christmas day a few years ago, which was very interesting. It is actually very hard to do, because you have to change your voice a little bit for each of the characters. I think I was quite successful. But being a storyteller in song is, I think, my strength rather than telling a story by talking. And keep on releasing CD-singles? Well, the market is collapsed for CD-singles just about. But I will certainly carry on making songs that will be part of multi-track CD-releases, not necessarily just a CD album.

October 11, 2004
Andrea Lucas (39) from Ludwigsburg, Germany:
Hi Chris, a few weeks ago my friend Dany and I visited Chris and Stewart Williams for a weekend - without going to one of your concerts, just spending time together. It was very strange for Dany and myself to see the cars moving on the "wrong" side, well, the "wrong" side for us, since the people in England drive on the left side and not on the right side like we do in Germany. So I'd like to know is it still unfamiliar for you when you come over to Germany or other European countries or are you in the meantime used to it? Take care, Andrea
Chris de Burgh:
Thank you very much for the photographs you sent me from the recent tour. I know that you and the Stewart family and all your other friends had a lot of travelling, and I hope you had a really good time on the tour. And I am sure I'll see you again on the British tour. I travel so much that driving on the opposite side of the road is totally natural and normal to me. Except of course, when I am driving, I have to think a little bit harder. The hardest thing for me to do, if I am for example driving in Germany, is the left turn of a road. Because I naturally want to go to the first road of say if there are two entrances, I want to go the first one which is the oncoming traffic, so I have to try to remember not to do that. The worst one of course is when you are driving somewhere, and the traffic is on the middle of the road! Which happened to me a few times around Africa and a couple of times crazy drivers in places like Lebanon on my first visit, where people sort of ignored the lights and tended to drive down the middle of the road. I think they got a lot more discipline now, certainly on my last trip there.

October 10, 2004
Ian McDonald (39) from Surrey, British Columbia, Canada:
I (among others) am guilty of writing several parodies of your songs on the email list. Have you ever had the opportunity to read any of the parodies that have been done? What do you think... any favourites? And if you could write a parody of one of your songs which one would you choose and how would it go?
Chris de Burgh:
Yes, I have read some of your parodies, and yes, they have made me smile. Because parody is one of the oldest forms of wit and satire. Often parody and satire hit easy targets, because otherwise they wouldn't work. I haven't got any particular favourites in terms of parody, although an Irish comedian called Brendan Grace once wrote a parody of "The Lady In Red", which I don't think ever got recorded. But he certainly uses it in his stage show from time to time. And it's called "My legs are all red from dancing with you" to the tune of "The Lady In Red". It was very funny. Parody is often used when you suspect somebody is taking themselves too seriously. So in that respect I will have to, I suppose, in trying to decide which song of mine I would parody myself, I would have to look at whichever one I thought perhaps I took a little seriously. So the quick answer would be, I would probably go back right to the very beginning, where I was naïve of course and absolutely thrilled to be making my first album. And for some reason I still cannot explain some of the tracks on "Far Beyond These Castle Walls" were narrated instead of sung, they were spoken. One song in particular called "The Key". I know what the song was about, it was about a girl who kept running away from affection and love when it was right in front of her. And it was somebody I knew. So I would probably do a pretty good self-parody of that song.

October 9, 2004
Shima (23) from Tehran, Iran:
Dear Chris, this is a really a great pleasure for me to talk to you. It's my biggest dream to be at your concert. I had always loved your songs and I live each moment with them, I have a question and that is I want to know have you ever heard anything from Molana Rumi, the most famous Iranian poet of 7th century? And what is your idea about his character? And please let me know if someone asks you what will be your aim of living in this world and what has made you satisfied about it, what would you answer? I love you because of the most different songs you have. They all talk about love, passion, faith and hope. Thank you!
Chris de Burgh:
I have spoken before about my affection for the people of Tehran and Iran. Thank you for all the messages on the website, I love to read them. And thank you for the kind things that you've said about my songs. Well, the quick answer is, no, I haven't heard anything about Molana Rumi, the most famous Iranian poet of 7th century. But I'll certainly do my best to find out a bit more, so I can talk about this poet when I come to Iran. My aim of living in this world, I think, can be well summed up by my song "Read My Name" where every day counts. You know, at the end of every day, I am always a little uneasy, thinking now "Have I used my time properly? Have I done what I wanted to do today? Have I lived today? Have I wasted my time or have I done something?". So at the end of every day I always make a conscious decision to think now what have I achieved this day. Have I enjoyed myself? Have I helped other people to enjoy their lives? And for me that is the most important thing about being on this planet, it's to do something for yourself, something significant, and also help other people in whatever way you can.

October 8, 2004
Mark John Franklin (33) from Ashtead, England:
Dear Chris, I have been a fan of yours for nearly 20 years now and would like to say thank you for the terrific music you have been making all this time - and please don't stop! My question relates to the new album, and in particular the first three tracks which do connect with each other (first and second are not separated and second and third are linked by lyrics). Was this a conscious decision to create one of your famous "trilogy" pieces (Revolution.., The Leader..) or was it coincidence that these three songs just fitted together by their theme? Many thanks!
Chris de Burgh:
No, I didn't actually set out to write a trilogy, as I have in the past, but it just seemed so clear to me that the three songs had a lot in common. I particularly wanted to have something to start the title track. And "When Winter Comes" seemed absolutely perfect scene setting, very atmospheric and it did you take you to that place at the beginning of "The Road To Freedom", where I wanted to be, which is in a very wild and scenic setting, perhaps in the West of Scotland or the West of Ireland. And as always it has a strong image of film about it, and that's what I had in my head. And then "Snow Is Falling" again seemed to tie in and connect with the young man in "The Road To Freedom" story. Who knows what happened to him? Was he found in the shallow grave and in the forest, or was he lost in the forest? It is no actually explained, maybe he survived. So they do tie together nicely. And again, part of the reason I decided to do this is because on this record, although it is obviously a commercial enterprise, it wasn't vital for me, because I wanted to make a really good CD that felt strong right from the beginning. Not as so many CDs do nowadays pack, you know, 3 or 4 good songs at the beginning and then the rest of it is filler and not particularly good. I wanted to make every track count. And do it a very unusual way, I mean how many albums nowadays start with an instrumental piece? So that's the reason I did it, just to do something different and unusual and personal.

October 7, 2004
Jacqueline Ebner (46) from Erskine, Scotland:
Hello again Chris, Just received the new album through the post and I love it. Can't wait for Edinburgh and the Albert Hall. My question is: the photography on your single and album was done by David Morley. Is this a relative of Diane's? Many thanks, your friend forevermore, Jacqueline xx
Chris de Burgh:
Another familiar name to me! And hopefully you are looking forward to the concert in Edinburgh and of course the Albert Hall. David Morley is a professional photographer, and he is my wife Diane's younger brother. This is David and there is another one, Peter Morley, who is younger again. And Dave is a very talented photographer, he did portraits of me on previous albums and he also directed the electronic press kit (EPK) that we did, and a lot of interview footage behind the scenes at the making of "The Road To Freedom" album.

October 6, 2004
Ilka Goepfert (33) from Allmersbach, Germany:
Hi Chris! Wow, fine new homepage design! What do you think about it?
Chris de Burgh:
Yes, I am delighted with it! I think certainly as I surf the internet, and find out more and more about the internet, it is one of the more attractive webpages and designs that I have seen and it certainly draws you into the whole thing. And it hopefully makes people want to learn a bit more about me and the news and the music and the guestbook. I am always so impressed by the guestbook, which I read frequently as I do the Yahoo website where people chat to each other. And I read them regularly too. But on the guestbook of the cdeb.com website, people from all over the world, and in particular I am impressed by the number of people from countries like Iran, for which as you know, I have a deep affection and I sincerely hope that the changes these people long for will actually come, as I plan to be the first international artist to perform there. So hopefully the sooner the better.

October 5, 2004
Melanie Edwards (42) from Liverpool, England:
Hello Chris. It is eighteen years since 'The Lady In Red'. Was 'Five Past Dreams' written specially as part of the theme for 'The Road To Freedom' or some time ago and is now appropriate for this album? Also, we first heard 'When Winter Comes' in 1992 during 'The Chris de Burgh Story' on Radio 2. Are you pleased that you have been able to record it for this album? The album arrived on Friday and I love every single track. With Love--and all the yellow roses in the world! Melanie xx
Chris de Burgh:
Again somebody I know very well indeed! And I am sure I'll be seeing you, Melanie, also in Liverpool cathedral. "Five Past Dreams" was written especially for "The Road To Freedom" album and as the follow up to "The Lady In Red" story. Because as you probably gathered, if you've been to one of my concerts, I talk about it a bit, about how the film that I saw in my mind for "The Lady In Red" had the couple dancing together at the end of a long evening. And also having discovered one another again, you know, it's natural and normal in relationships for people to drift apart, but you have to work hard to get back together again. So on "Five Past Dreams", and I know I have said this before, either from the stage or in interviews, it is the second part of "Lady In Red", and we see the same couple approaching dawn. There's half a bottle of champagne left. They are standing by a grand piano, he is wearing a tuxedo with the shirt open and she is wearing a long red dress and they are watching the dawn light. So it is hopefully a romantic conclusion to the story that began in 1986. And finally, Melanie, to come back to "When Winter Comes", yes, I'm delighted that this track has finally been recorded the way I love to hear it. And it is very filmic, a lot of people have told me that it should be used in a film, and I am sure one day it will be.

October 4, 2004
Dawn Hughes (35) from Liverpool, UK:
Hi Chris and hello from Liverpool. Hope you're going to come back here again soon (apart from the football of course). Can't wait to see you again. My question is: does the title of your new record "The Road to Freedom" have any reference to Irish history and the turbulent and tragic events of the last 100 years or so? I ask this as I've just seen a book with the same title and wondered if that was where you got your idea from?
Chris de Burgh:
You are a young lady I know well, and it was lovely to see you again in Liverpool. And I hope to meet up again soon, perhaps when I perform at Liverpool cathedral towards the end of October. The title of the new record "The Road To Freedom"? No, it actually has no reference to Irish history, but it does have echoes of most of the struggles that people have gone through to find freedom. I think if you look carefully at the lyrics, you will come to the same conclusion that I did, and the old man in the story did. It's that the words "freedom" and "democracy" don't count for much, when you're living on the borderline and you're struggling to stay alive. They are just concepts in the minds of people who have more time to pursue them. But nevertheless as we have seen for example in South Africa, freedom is definitely something worth pursuing. And I think people reading this in countries like Iran will know exactly what freedom means when they finally get it. You refer to the turbulent and tragic events of Ireland in the last 100 years or so, well they are very much part of the national psyche here in Ireland. And the freedom and the struggle for the freedom, that this country currently enjoys, is very much part of the background that I live with on a daily basis in this country, which is a very spiritual country, but it's tinged with a lot of melancholy as well. And maybe I'll have a chance to explain that in more detail when I meet up with you again in Liverpool.

October 3, 2004
Vern Hines (42) from Auckland, New Zealand:
Hi again Chris, thanks for answering my last question, it's great to get a response from you. The album cover for The Road To Freedom is superb, I can't wait to buy it from your website. I couldn't get "Timing"' in NZ and had to import it at more than dbl the cost of albums here. (worth it though) My question is about the new cover: What made you choose a human eye with a reflection of the earth in it? And is there any reason why my part of the world is shown as opposed to say, your beautiful country ? Congratulations on Rosanna's success and thank you for the years of wonderful music, may it continue for a long time. Take care, Vern Hines
Chris de Burgh:
I've never been to New Zealand. I have been to Australia a few times and I hear that New Zealand is absolutely gorgeous. So hopefully I'll be able to make it down to your country at some stage and perform for you there. The cover for "The Road To Freedom" album? Well, this was a collaboration between myself and Kenny and the art director. But really it was Kenny's idea to have the eye. We always kick around loads and loads of ideas, but he came up with this one and putting a portion of the planet. I think the reason we got that part of the planet is because it worked very well. And, just by complete irony, the eye is my daughter's eye, Rosanna. And the area, if you look to the top and the left hand side, is around the area of South China where she won the Miss World competition. And if you also look carefully, you'll see the reflection of a guitar in the right hand side of the eye. And this really was a feeling that I am still out there, playing around the world and enjoying my performances around the world. And thank you for the congratulations about Rosanna. Those of you who have seen her or have seen pictures of her over the last year, will realize she is a tall, beautiful, young woman. And then you look at pictures from me and wonder where on earth did she come from? Well, she has a very beautiful mother!

October 2, 2004
Lara Diener (18) from Berlin, Germany:
Hello Chris, I was so amazed when I discovered this little section on your website! I really appreciate your effort to keep in touch with the fans. How do you manage to invest so much time in it and have you ever been at a point where you were really annoyed with a fan? I want to tell you that I enjoy listening to your songs and that they actually touch me very much although I am too young to understand all your thoughts and feelings that are reflected in your songs. Thank you very much, it would be great, if you answered. Lara
Chris de Burgh:
Well, as you can tell, I haven't invested much time in it recently, Lara. Because, as I have explained, I have been extremely busy and I have also been taking some time off during August and early September. Not necessarily to go away on holiday, but I've got lots of stuff to do at home and spend time with my family. I'm delighted to be able to do this, and indeed the internet is such a wonderful way of keeping in touch with friends and fans all over the world. And I think by now people realize that when I speak to "Man On (the) Line", I am speaking honestly and sincerely and that my true feelings are out there and becoming known. And I am also thrilled at reading not only the questions, but the guestbook and the responses to things I have done in the past. And you also ask me, Lara, if fans ever annoy me. Well, the answer is: very very rarely. I think most people understand that I'm very approachable, but also I need privacy. I suppose the most difficult times are when I am either preparing to do a concert or after a concert. I suppose, because I make things look so easy, I appear to be relaxed, but I am actually very focussed. And that requires a lot of mental energy to get into the area of being able to do a 2 1/2 hour concert every night, or certainly 5 or 6 nights a week. And you just start running out of mental energy to deal with other things. Even sometimes after concerts, even if I am in a room for the fans, and I talk to one or two of them, I just don't have the energy to go and talk to everybody. Because I am really tired, you know, it's not just a physical thing, it's a mental thing. And occasionally, I suppose, people do get on my nerves, but it's a very very rare thing.

October 1, 2004
Chris de Burgh:
Well, here it finally is! I've been very busy and when I haven't been busy, I've been relaxing. It's been such an incredible twelve months that I felt that I needed a bit of time off to consider future plans and get ready for the next leg of my European tour which has just started at the Channel Islands and is coming up in England very shortly. So I am going to answer all these questions hopefully.
Editor's note:
Watch out for new questions and answers daily, starting tomorrow!