Overview
- Rea, 74, said he wrote the 1986 song during a driving ban in remarks quoted by the Daily Express and reported by outlets including NME and PerthNow.
- He originally penned the track for Van Morrison, first releasing it in 1986 as a B-side before re-recording it for a 1988 compilation.
- He described the song as a relatable story of holiday traffic on the way to loved ones, and said he still sings it at fellow motorists on the motorway.
- The song has seen renewed chart life in recent years, entering the UK top 10 for the first time in 2022 and rising with seasonal streaming.
- Rea recapped serious health setbacks, including a 2016 stroke, pancreatic cancer and treatment-induced diabetes, yet said he is slowly recovering and continues to make new blues and jazz instrumentals.