Chris de Burgh’s reputation in the United States is largely based on his hit ballad “The Lady in Red.” For some fans who aren’t crazy about the sappy stuff, the song’s longevity on soft-rock playlists might be a source of frustration.
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But you must give credit to de Burgh for coming up with a concoction that could scratch the romantic itch of so many listeners over so many years. It’s one of those slow-dance songs that refuses to be put out to pasture by changing musical tastes.
“Red” Redemption
At the time that Chris de Burgh unleashed “The Lady in Red,” he was already more than a decade into his recording career. Born in Argentina but raised in Ireland, de Burgh released his first singer/songwriter album in 1974.
It looked like big success might arrive earlier in his career, after his 1975 single “A Spaceman Came Travelling” hit the top of the charts in Ireland. Instead, de Burgh seemed destined for the journeyman’s path when subsequent efforts failed to make much of a dent.
Still, he was able to maintain his record deal and do well as a touring act. Things started to break a little bit for him in 1982 when his single “Don’t Pay the Ferryman” found footing, even making the Top 40 in the U.S. But there wasn’t anything to suggest there was a worldwide smash forthcoming.
Who’s That “Lady”?
It’s clear no one involved saw the runaway success of “The Lady in Red” coming. In interviews over the years, de Burgh has insisted he wasn’t even convinced the song was the best on Into the Light, the 1985 album that contained it. The fact it wasn’t chosen as the first single also testifies to the lack of excitement for the song.
de Burgh had the song in gestation for a while, as he had started writing it after an argument with his wife. He was worried the refrain of the way you look tonight wouldn’t help the song separate from the competition, especially since there’s an American Songbook standard of the same name.
Then de Burgh noticed his wife at a formal occasion wearing a red dress, and the rest of the song clicked into place. Once released, “The Lady in Red” was pretty much unstoppable, as it topped the charts in Ireland and England while making it all the way to No. 3 in the U.S.
Behind the Lyrics of “The Lady in Red”
“The Lady in Red” is all about that moment when you see someone you’ve known for a long time in a new light, perhaps because you’ve been taking them for granted for a while. And I have never seen that dress you’re wearing / Or the highlights in your hair that catch your eyes, the narrator admits, and then he realizes the error of his ways: I have been blind.
Even as others try to cut in, he’s laser-focused on his love: There’s nobody here, it’s just you and me / It’s where I want to be. When he claims, I hardly know this beauty by my side, it’s a subtly impactful line. It speaks to how a longtime relationship can cause the participants to overlook each other.
“The Lady in Red” has soundtracked many a romantic evening, whether it’s for a slew of people on some crowded dance floor, or just for two lovers all alone at home. In any case, Chris de Burgh hit the passionate sweet spot on this, the biggest hit of his career.
Photo by Craig Sjodin /Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images
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