Chris Rea first wrote the song in 1978, 10 years before he released it.
He needed to get home to Middlesbrough from London’s Abbey Road Studios. His wife had come down to drive him home in her Austin Mini to save money, as it was cheaper to drive than travel by train, and his record company was not willing to pay for the rail ticket.
While stuck in heavy traffic and snow falling down, Chris started looking at the other drivers, who “all looked so miserable”.
He said: “Jokingly, I started singing: ‘We’re driving home for Christmas…’. Then, whenever the street lights shone inside the car, I started writing down lyrics.”
