Road To Hell

Chris Rea's 'Road To Hell' is a poignant reflection on the state of society and the individual's experience within it. The song opens with a powerful image of a river that doesn't flow, polluted with every conceivable toxin. This metaphor suggests a natural world that has been corrupted and stagnated by human actions, hinting at environmental concerns and the loss of purity.

As the song progresses, Rea paints a picture of urban despair under the streetlights, where joy is overshadowed by fear and violence. The 'perverted fear of violence' suggests a society that has become so accustomed to brutality that it distorts human interactions, leaving people unable to express genuine emotions. The mention of 'common sense ringing out the bells' implies a call to awareness, a warning that the current path leads to destruction, not progress. The technological breakdown is dismissed, indicating that the problems faced are not merely technical glitches but are deeply rooted in the fabric of society.

The final verses of the song address the economic system, where credit and financial concerns dominate, reducing life to 'bits of paper' that have no real value. This critique of materialism and the relentless pursuit of wealth at the expense of human values and the environment culminates in the stark realization that this path humanity is on is, metaphorically, 'the road to hell.' Rea's song is a call to consciousness, urging listeners to recognize the dire consequences of our collective choices and to learn from these lessons quickly and thoroughly.