I’m driving home for Christmas Oh, I can’t wait to see those faces I’m driving home for Christmas, yeah Well I’m moving down that line And it’s been so long But I will be there I sing this song To pass the time away Driving in my car Driving home for Christmas
It’s gonna take some time But I’ll get there Top to toe in tailbacks Oh, I got red lights all around But soon there’ll be a freeway, yeah Get my feet on holy ground
So I sing for you Though you can’t hear me When I get through And feel you near me (Driving in my car) I’m driving home for Christmas Driving home for Christmas With a thousand memories
I take look at the driver next to me He’s just the same Just the same
Top to toe in tailbacks Oh, I got red lights all around I’m driving home for Christmas, yeah Get my feet on holy ground So I sing for you Though you can’t hear me When I get through Oh, and feel you near me Driving in my car Driving home for Christmas Driving home for Christmas With a thousand memories
I take look at the driver next to me He’s just the same He’s driving home, driving home Driving home for Christmas
Song Info
Released
November 1988
Recorded
1986
Genre
Pop – Christmas
Length
4:33
Label
Magnet
Songwriter(s)
Chris Rea
Producer(s)
Chris Rea – Stuart Eales
Background
British singer-songwriter Chris Rea’s festive hit “Driving Home for Christmas” has become a festive staple over the past three decades. First released as a B-side in 1986, the song gained renewed popularity when Rea re-recorded it in 1988 for his compilation album “New Light Through Old Windows.”
Though it only reached a modest #53 on the UK charts upon its 1988 single release, “Driving Home for Christmas” has remained a cherished seasonal favorite. Since 2007, the song has made an annual reappearance on the UK Singles Chart, peaking as high as #10 in 2021. In a 2012 poll of the UK’s most beloved Christmas tunes, it was voted the 12th most popular.
Rea’s wistful ode to the journey home for the holidays has also inspired numerous cover versions, including a 2011 take by Stacey Solomon that reached #27 on the UK charts. The track’s timeless theme of holiday nostalgia and connectedness has clearly resonated with listeners, cementing its status as a modern Christmas classic.
Whether crooned along to on the motorway or hummed while wrapping presents, “Driving Home for Christmas” continues to soundtrack the yuletide season for music fans across Britain and beyond. Chris Rea’s enduring seasonal hit has truly become an integral part of the soundtrack to the most wonderful time of the year.
Music Video
In 1986, Chris Rea recorded a basic video for the song’s appearance on the Dutch TV show TopPop. However, it wasn’t until over 20 years later that a more substantial promotional video was created. This newer video featured various celebrities, including Martin Shaw, Gail Porter, Jimmy Greaves, Matt Di Angelo, and Lionel Blair, and was produced in aid of the charity Shelter.
Rea said:
“I wanted to do something special this Christmas and what better way than to help keep a roof over people’s heads when they need it most – at Christmas. By teaming up with Shelter we can hopefully make a difference”
Chart Performance
In recent years, Driving Home for Christmas has charted in several countries:
2008: #4 in the Netherlands Digital Songs chart, #8 in the Euro Digital Tracks chart
2009: #3 in the Norway Digital Songs chart
2012 and 2014: #18 and #23 respectively on the Billboard Japan Hot 100
2016 and 2017: #9 and #5 on the Denmark Digital Songs chart
2022: Reached the Top 10 of the UK Singles Chart for the first time, peaking at #10.
