Don't Pay the Ferryman

Last updated
"Don't Pay the Ferryman"
Don't Pay the Ferryman, Chris de Burgh Cover Art.png
Single by Chris de Burgh
from the album The Getaway
ReleasedSeptember 1982
Studio Farmyard Studios (Little Chalfont, Buckinghamshire, England)
Genre Art rock [1]
Length3:48 (album version)
3:24 (single version)
Label A&M
Songwriter(s) Chris de Burgh
Producer(s) Rupert Hine
Chris de Burgh singles chronology
"Waiting for the Hurricane"
(1981)
"Don't Pay the Ferryman"
(1982)
"The Getaway"
(1982)

"Don't Pay the Ferryman" is a song by British-Irish artist Chris de Burgh. It was released in September 1982 as the lead single from his album The Getaway .

Contents

AllMusic critic Sharon Mawer stated the song has become "a standard art rock classic" and one of de Burgh's most frequently played songs on radio, despite not reaching the Top 40 on its original UK release. [1]

Background

The song tells the story of a man who boards a ferryboat and sets off. A storm approaches and the ferryman demands payment. The song's narrator warns the passenger not to pay the ferryman until the boat arrives at its destination on the other side.

The repetitive lyrics are believed to have a connection with mythology. The song describes the ferryman as "the hooded old man at the rudder". The ferryman demanding his payment is also similar to the Greek ferryman of the dead, Charon. He demanded an obolus (coin) to ferry dead souls across the River Styx. Those who did not pay were doomed to remain as ghosts, remaining on the plane of the mare, the restless dead.

In the bridge of the song, lines from Shakespeare's The Tempest can be heard, [2] spoken very low by British actor Anthony Head.
[Act 5, Scene 1, lines 230 - 237]

BOATSWAIN: I'd strive to tell you. We were dead of sleep
And (how we know not) all clapp'd under hatches;
Where, but even now, with strange and several noises
Of roaring, shrieking, howling, jingling chains,
And moe diversity of sounds, all horrible,
We were awak'd; straightway at liberty;
Where we, in all her trim, freshly beheld
Our royal, good, and gallant ship;

This section of the song is omitted from the version of the song released as a single, which is approximately 20 seconds shorter than the album version.

Music video

The music video for "Don't Pay the Ferryman" was directed by Maurice Phillips. [3]

Chart positions

It became de Burgh's first UK hit single almost eight years into his recording career when it entered the chart on 23 October 1982 and peaked at number 48, staying on the chart for five weeks. [4] In 1983, the single reached number 34 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States. [5] It was a major hit on the Australian Kent Music Report chart, where it reached the Top five and spent 25 weeks in the Top 100. [6]

Weekly charts

Charts (1982-1983)Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report) [6] 5
Canada Top Singles ( RPM ) [7] 32
Germany (Official German Charts) [8] 24
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ) [9] 29
UK Singles (OCC) [10] 48
US Billboard Hot 100 34

Year-end charts

Chart (1983)Position
Australia (Kent Music Report) [11] [12] 36

Notes

The song was referenced in the Trailer Park Boys episode "Dressed All Over & Zesty Mordant". [13] [ importance? ]

Related Research Articles

Sharon Lea O'Neill is a New Zealand singer-songwriter and pianist, who had an Australasian hit single in 1983 with "Maxine" which reached No. 16 on both the Australian Kent Music Report and Recording Industry Association of New Zealand charts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manic Monday</span> 1986 single by the Bangles

"Manic Monday" is a song by the American pop rock band the Bangles, which was the first single released from their second studio album, Different Light (1986). The song was written by American musician Prince, under the pseudonym "Christopher". Originally it was intended for the group Apollonia 6 in 1984. Lyrically, it describes a woman who is waking up to go to work on Monday, wishing it was still Sunday so that she could continue relaxing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tony Bennett discography</span>

The discography of American traditional pop and jazz singer Tony Bennett consists of 61 studio albums, 11 live albums, 33 compilation albums, three video albums, one extended play and 83 singles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Janet Jackson singles discography</span>

This is the singles discography of American singer Janet Jackson. Janet has sold more than 100 million records worldwide. Billboard ranked her as well as the third greatest female artist of all time on Billboard Hot 100 history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Lady in Red (Chris de Burgh song)</span> 1986 single by Chris de Burgh

"The Lady in Red" is a song by British-Irish singer-songwriter Chris de Burgh. It was released on 20 June 1986 as the second single from the album Into the Light. Charting at number one in several countries and reaching the top three in the United States, the song was responsible for introducing de Burgh's music to a mainstream audience worldwide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Queen discography</span> Cataloguing of published recordings by Queen

British rock band Queen have released 15 studio albums, 10 live albums, 16 compilation albums, 2 soundtrack albums, 2 extended plays, 73 singles, and 7 promotional singles. Queen was formed in London by Freddie Mercury, Brian May (guitar), and Roger Taylor (drums), and in 1971, John Deacon (bassist) became a member.

<i>The Getaway</i> (Chris de Burgh album) 1982 studio album by Chris de Burgh

The Getaway is singer Chris de Burgh's sixth original album, released on A&M Records in 1982. It was the first studio album of de Burgh's to chart in the UK, following the compilation Best Moves a year earlier. The album peaked at number 30 in the UK and spent 16 weeks on the chart. In the week beginning 7 February 1983, the album went to the top of the album charts in the then West Germany. In Canada the album spent 36 weeks in the Top 100.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Talking in Your Sleep (The Romantics song)</span> 1983 single by the Romantics

"Talking in Your Sleep" is a song by American rock band the Romantics. Released in September 1983, It became the band's most successful single in the US, reaching No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 in early 1984, being their only US Top 10 hit. The song would have a release two months later in Australia and New Zealand, a release later that year in Japan, and in January 1984 in the UK. It failed to chart in both countries. It became a UK hit in August that year for British group Bucks Fizz. The song is in natural minor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bon Jovi discography</span>

American rock band Bon Jovi has released 16 studio albums, three live albums, five compilation albums, five EPs, 66 singles, 14 video albums, and 71 music videos. Bon Jovi has sold over 130 million records worldwide, making them one of the best-selling bands of all time. As of 2018, the band has sold 21.8 million albums in the US Nielsen SoundScan era. Billboard ranked Bon Jovi as the 45th Greatest Artist of all time, achieving 6 No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200 & 4 No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100. According to Recording Industry Association of America, Bon Jovi has sold 34.5 million albums in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lionel Richie discography</span>

Lionel Richie is an American R&B and pop singer, who has released 11 studio albums, three live albums, and seven compilation albums. Formerly the lead vocalist of The Commodores, Richie began a solo career in the early 1980s and has released over 40 singles, five of which became number-one hits on the US Billboard Hot 100.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tina Turner discography</span>

American-born Swiss singer Tina Turner released nine studio albums, three live albums, two soundtracks, and six compilation albums. Widely referred to as the "Queen of Rock 'n' Roll", Turner had reportedly sold around 100 to 150 million records worldwide, making her one of the best-selling female artists in music history. According to Recording Industry Association of America, Turner has certified sales of 10 million albums in the US, alone.

<i>The Greatest Hits</i> (Wet Wet Wet album) 2004 greatest hits album by Wet Wet Wet

The Greatest Hits is the second Greatest Hits compilation album released by Scottish pop rock quartet Wet Wet Wet. Released on 8 November 2004, it was the band's first release since disbanding seven years earlier. The album reached #13 in the UK Albums Chart, and spawned the single "All I Want", which peaked at #14 on the UK Singles Chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dead or Alive discography</span>

The discography of Dead or Alive, a British dance-pop group, consists of six studio albums, seven compilation albums, twenty-eight singles, and two video albums. Formed by frontman Pete Burns in 1980 in Liverpool, the band were first signed to the independent Rough Trade label in 1982, though moved to Epic Records the following year. Their debut album, Sophisticated Boom Boom, was released in 1984, producing a series of minor hits in the UK, most notably their version of "That's the Way " which gave them their first UK Top 40 hit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gloria Estefan singles discography</span>

The discography of singles, promo singles, remixes and Latin tracks for Cuban-American singer Gloria Estefan and Miami Sound Machine consists of 50 singles and 24 promotional singles. Miami Sound Machine began releasing singles in 1977 and continued until 1989, when Estefan began being credited solely as a solo artist. Miami Sound Machine released a number of commercially successful singles through the late 1980s, including "Conga", "Dr. Beat", "Anything for You", and "Bad Boy". Although Miami Sound Machine was no longer featured in the credits of releases from 1989 onwards, they remain Estefan's backing group until this day, though none of the original members remain.

<i>Now and Then</i> (Chris de Burgh album) 2008 compilation album by Chris de Burgh

Now and Then is a 2008 compilation album by Chris de Burgh, containing many of his greatest hits, plus some album tracks. It was released on UMTV Records on April 21, 2008. "Live For The Day" is a new song not previously released.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stars on Stevie</span> 1982 single by Stars on 45

"Stars on Stevie" a.k.a. "Stars Medley" a.k.a. "Stars on 45 III: A Tribute to Stevie Wonder" is a song issued in 1982 by the Dutch studio group Stars on 45, in the UK credited to 'Starsound', in the US 'Stars On'. It was the first single from the band's third full-length release The Superstars and was Stars on 45's fourth single release in both Europe and North America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chris de Burgh discography</span>

The discography of British-Irish musician Chris de Burgh consists of 23 studio albums, 9 compilation albums, 4 live albums, and 66 singles, along with 8 videos and DVDs and one box set. His 23 studio albums consist of 19 of completely new material, 2 albums of cover versions, 1 album featuring a mix of new songs, cover versions, and re-recordings and 1 consisting of acoustic versions of previously released tracks. His debut album, Far Beyond These Castle Walls, released in 1974, reached number 1 in Brazil, but failed to chart elsewhere.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Don't Wake Me Up (Chris Brown song)</span> 2012 single by Chris Brown

"Don't Wake Me Up" is a song by American singer Chris Brown, taken from his fifth studio album, Fortune (2012). It was written by Brown, Alain Whyte, Alessandro Benassi, Brian Kennedy, Jean-Baptiste, Marco Benassi, Michael McHenry, Nick Marsh, Ryan Buendia. and William Orbit. The song was written in its entirety in one night to an instrumental created by Marsh. From there, he provided additional production along with Orbit, Whyte, and members of Free School. Further production was done by Benny and Alle Benassi in the song's final stages. It was released digitally on May 18, 2012 by RCA Records, as the fourth single from the album. "Don't Wake Me Up" is an EDM song that features heavy bass and a repetitive chorus. The lyrics of the song describe a lost loved one who exists only in a dream.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Don't Mind (Kent Jones song)</span> 2016 single by Kent Jones

"Don't Mind" is the debut single by American rapper Kent Jones. The song was released on April 25, 2016, by Epidemic Records, We the Best Music Group and Epic Records as a single from his debut mixtape Tours (2015). The official remix features Pitbull and Lil Wayne.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cliff Richard singles discography</span>

The singles discography of English singer Cliff Richard consists in excess of 200 singles, of which 159 singles have been released in the UK in varying vinyl, CD, cassette and digital formats. Listed alongside the UK singles in the discography below are a further 20 singles which were released in other territories, as well as 22 singles which were sung in German and only released in German-speaking countries.

References

  1. 1 2 Mawer, Sharon. "Now and Then – Chris de Burgh". AllMusic. Retrieved 1 February 2016.
  2. "Don't Pay The Ferryman - Chris de Burgh". YouTube . December 21, 2007. Retrieved July 10, 2024.
  3. "Chris De Burgh: Don't Pay the Ferryman (1982)". IMDb. Retrieved October 25, 2019.
  4. David Roberts. British Hit Singles & Albums . Guinness World Records Limited
  5. Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits, 8th Edition (Billboard Publications)
  6. 1 2 "Forum – ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts – Top 100 Singles 1983". Australian-charts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 31 January 2017.
  7. "RPM Top 50 Singles - January 15, 1983" (PDF).
  8. "Chris De Burgh – Don't Pay the Ferryman" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts.
  9. "Chris De Burgh – Don't Pay the Ferryman". Top 40 Singles.
  10. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  11. "Kent Music Report – National Top 100 Singles for 1983". Kent Music Report . Retrieved January 22, 2023 via Imgur.com.
  12. BigKev. "Forum – ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts – Top 100 End of Year AMR Charts – 1980s". Australian-charts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 30 January 2017.
  13. "Trailer Park Boys Transcripts". Transcripts.Foreverdreaming.org. Retrieved 25 February 2017.