Chris de Burgh

I’m running a bit late with today’s song after a marathon recording session for Coffee Break Spanish. I’ve decided to play Chris de Burgh’s A Spaceman Came Travelling which dates from 1975. Although not a hit in the UK when it was first released, this song has since featured on countless Christmas compilation albums.

Around the time he wrote the song, de Burgh had read Erich von Däniken’s book Chariots of the Gods and this book apparently made him think “what if the star of Bethlehem was a space craft and what if there is a benevolent being or entity in the universe keeping an eye on the world and our foolish things we do to each other”.

I’ve tried to make a reference to the 1970s style of the original with my choice of instruments for this one. I hope it works! If it’s your first time on the site, find out more about the 365 Songs project or for more Christmaciousness, see all of my December songs here.