Many years ago, Chris Rea told German broadcaster NDR that the idea for the title had already come to him in the late 1970s, when he himself was in the midst of a sea of cars in the run-up to Christmas. And it is probably precisely this autobiographical aspect (which every motorist can likely sympathise with) that makes the song so appealing. And also of course the fact that it describes the modern magic of the Christmas season so very accurately. People who work in retail or nursing will rightly see things differently. But for much of our increasingly fast-paced society, the time between Christmas Eve and the turn of the year represents the ultimate in taking our foot off the gas. Life shifts down two gears – hardly any emails, hardly any appointments, and more time for loved ones.
In his automotive Christmas story, Chris Rea, who has two daughters himself, sends the protagonist on a journey to precisely this cosy Christmas season. He says in the lyrics that he is looking forward to it so much that even the flickering of the brake lights in the inevitable pre-holiday traffic jam suddenly seems to him like the sparkle of Christmas lights. “Top to toe in tailbacks / Oh, I got red lights all around,” he sings cheerfully as he moves forward inch by inch.
And because you always have enough time in stop-and-go traffic to look to the right and to the left, the song ends with these wonderful lines: “I take a look at the driver next to me / He's just the same / He's driving home for Christmas”.