You Must Be Evil

Album: The Road To Hell (1989)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This song follows the title track on Chris Rea's album Road To Hell, which is about a day in the life of a typical working stiff in England. "You Must Be Evil" finds him coming home after enduring yet another traffic jam to discover his daughter watching the news on TV, which has made her distraught.
  • The song is a commentary on the news media, which Rea felt was overly sensational and crafted to appeal to our base instincts. In the months leading up to the album, he watched a lot of TV news, which he realized was bad for his emotional and mental health. It was even worse for his six-year-old daughter, who was terrified after seeing a man set on fire during a broadcast.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Director Mark Pellington ("Jeremy," "Best Of You")

Director Mark Pellington ("Jeremy," "Best Of You")Song Writing

Director Mark Pellington on Pearl Jam's "Jeremy," and music videos he made for U2, Jon Bon Jovi and Imagine Dragons.

Emmylou Harris

Emmylou HarrisSongwriter Interviews

She thinks of herself as a "song interpreter," but back in the '80s another country star convinced Emmylou to take a crack at songwriting.

Neal Smith - "I'm Eighteen"

Neal Smith - "I'm Eighteen"They're Playing My Song

With the band in danger of being dropped from their label, Alice Cooper drummer Neal Smith co-wrote the song that started their trek from horror show curiosity to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

The Punk Photography of Chris Stein

The Punk Photography of Chris SteinSong Writing

Chris Stein of Blondie shares photos and stories from his book about the New York City punk scene.

Martyn Ware of Heaven 17

Martyn Ware of Heaven 17Songwriter Interviews

Martyn talks about producing Tina Turner, some Heaven 17 hits, and his work with the British Electric Foundation.

Ian Astbury of The Cult

Ian Astbury of The CultSongwriter Interviews

The Cult frontman tells who the "Fire Woman" is, and talks about performing with the new version of The Doors.