Chris Rea has revealed that he was actually banned from driving when he wrote the classic festive single, 'Driving Home For Christmas'.
The track which you can check out below, was released by Rea as the B Side to 'Hello Friend' in 1986. Two years later, a re-recorded version appeared on his compilation, 'New Light Through Old Windows'.
Speaking to the Daily Express, Chris Rea who originally wrote the song for Van Morrison, said: “It’s a frustrating song, but it’s also hopeful and comforting".
He continued: “It’s funny, because I’d just been banned from driving when I wrote it. But I was feeling good at the time too, and people say they can hear that infectious feel-good mood when they hear it".
"I still sing it at other drivers when I’m stuck on the motorway".
Rea went on to say that 'Driving Home For Christmas' is a "story everyone can relate to" which is about being "stuck in traffic" on the way to spend the holiday period with friends or loved ones. “Everyone in the country is doing the same thing at the same time".
The Christmas single entered the top 10 of the UK singles chart for the first time in 2022, peaking at number 10.
Chris Rea also spoke about the song featuring in the 2008 Gavin & Stacey Christmas special, and how it "started going into the top 40 year after year" due to the rise in streaming.
Speaking about festive tracks, Mariah Carey's 'All I Want For Christmas Is You' broke the record for the longest running singles in the US, reaching a 20th week at the summit of the Billboard Hot 100, despite being released over three decades ago.
“It’s amazing. Honestly, it really is. I can’t lie", Carey said when reacting to this news.
Having previously lost the top spot, Carey said that she "had no idea" that 'All I Want For Christmas Is You' would see her regain number one: “That just became such a thing that I never could have predicted it ever, so…". More on this story here.
