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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.
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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,
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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. In
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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.
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classic" and one of de Burgh's most frequently played songs on radio, despite not reaching the Top 40 on its original UK release.
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723:"Forum – ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts – Top 100 End of Year AMR Charts – 1980s"
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The music video for "Don't Pay the
Ferryman" was directed by Maurice Phillips.
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A True
Reportory of the Wracke and Redemption of Sir Thomas Gates, Knight
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chart, where it reached the Top five and spent 25 weeks in the Top 100.
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of Don't Pay the
Ferryman (Link to this site can also be found on
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chart in the United States. It was a major hit on the
Australian
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critic Sharon Mawer stated the song has become "a standard
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BOATSWAIN: I'd strive to tell you. We were dead of sleep
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Where, but even now, with strange and several noises
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1068:Notes from Planet Earth – The Ultimate Collection
1052:Spark to a Flame: The Very Best of Chris de Burgh
477:episode "Dressed All Over & Zesty Mordant".
289:Of roaring, shrieking, howling, jingling chains,
283:And (how we know not) all clapp'd under hatches;
549:"Chris De Burgh: Don't Pay the Ferryman (1982)"
270:can be heard, spoken very low by British actor
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249:(coin) to ferry dead souls across the River
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292:And moe diversity of sounds, all horrible,
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521:"Don't Pay The Ferryman - Chris de Burgh"
298:Where we, in all her trim, freshly beheld
664:Chris De Burgh – Don't Pay the Ferryman"
647:Chris De Burgh – Don't Pay the Ferryman"
1886:Song recordings produced by Rupert Hine
630:"RPM Top 50 Singles - January 15, 1983"
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295:We were awak'd; straightway at liberty;
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591:, 8th Edition (Billboard Publications)
325:, the single reached number 34 on the
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1528:Scene from Shakespeare's The Tempest
609:Australian-charts.com. Hung Medien
301:Our royal, good, and gallant ship;
208:is a song by British-Irish artist
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589:The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits
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680:"Official Singles Chart Top 100"
575:. Guinness World Records Limited
572:British Hit Singles & Albums
1876:Songs written by Chris de Burgh
1685:Noises, Sounds & Sweet Airs
1044:The Very Best of Chris de Burgh
855:Spanish Train and Other Stories
753:Transcripts.Foreverdreaming.org
749:"Trailer Park Boys Transcripts"
499:"Now and Then – Chris de Burgh"
471:The song was referenced in the
1562:Return to the Forbidden Planet
847:Far Beyond These Castle Walls
781:Chris de Burgh's official site
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1901:References on Greek mythology
983:Moonfleet & Other Stories
27:1982 single by Chris de Burgh
863:At the End of a Perfect Day
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179:"Waiting for the Hurricane"
18:Don't Pay The Ferryman
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1896:Music based on The Tempest
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788:Don't Pay the Ferryman
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777:Lyrics with guitar chords
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1536:Ferdinand Lured by Ariel
1275:Decades of the New World
651:GfK Entertainment charts
260:of the song, lines from
206:"Don't Pay the Ferryman"
33:"Don't Pay the Ferryman"
1891:A&M Records singles
1823:What's past is prologue
1531:(c, 1736-1738, Hogarth)
1501:Shakespeare's Shitstorm
1394:Three Shakespeare Songs
1123:You'll Never Walk Alone
684:Official Charts Company
1779:The Book of Watermarks
1729:The Sea and the Mirror
1477:The Journey to Melonia
1435:Don't Pay the Ferryman
1102:Don't Pay the Ferryman
710:– via Imgur.com.
385:Official German Charts
186:Don't Pay the Ferryman
1555:Beach Blanket Tempest
727:Australian-charts.com
124:3:24 (single version)
1871:Chris de Burgh songs
1722:Caliban upon Setebos
1701:The Enchanted Island
951:Timing Is Everything
369:Canada Top Singles (
1744:A Midsummer Tempest
1187:William Shakespeare
959:The Road to Freedom
529:. December 21, 2007
347:Charts (1982-1983)
1397:(Vaughan Williams)
1312:Commedia dell'arte
1027:Compilation albums
795:(list of releases)
170:singles chronology
81:Farmyard Studios (
1906:Songs about death
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245:. He demanded an
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1771:Video Games
1704:(2011 Sams)
1696:(Adès 2004)
1693:The Tempest
1645:The Tempest
1610:Une Tempête
1587:The Tempest
1512:(2022-2023)
1493:The Tempest
1425:The Tempest
1418:The Tempest
1410:The Tempest
1402:The Tempest
1379:Adaptations
1318:Sea Venture
1192:The Tempest
1140:Discography
1116:Missing You
991:Footsteps 2
927:This Way Up
887:The Getaway
758:25 February
706:January 22,
555:October 25,
453:Australia (
357:Australia (
309:Music video
267:The Tempest
262:Shakespeare
215:The Getaway
161:Rupert Hine
155:Producer(s)
61:The Getaway
1881:1982 songs
1860:Categories
1816:Sea change
1747:(Anderson)
1712:Poetry and
1453:Yellow Sky
1429:(Nordheim)
1413:(Sibelius)
1405:(Sullivan)
1306:Naufragium
1304:Erasmus's
1200:Characters
1036:Best Moves
733:30 January
614:31 January
505:1 February
501:. AllMusic
481:References
408:UK Singles
232:Background
1833:Sculpture
1731:" (Auden)
1677:Der Sturm
1427:(ballet)
1232:Ferdinand
975:Footsteps
448:Position
425:Billboard
383:Germany (
352:position
328:Billboard
1763:(Atwood)
1760:Hag-Seed
1755:(Rogers)
1739:(Warner)
1590:(Dryden)
1547:Musicals
1520:Painting
1437:" (1982)
1242:Stephano
1207:Prospero
871:Crusader
721:BigKev.
587:(2004).
533:July 10,
226:art rock
222:AllMusic
104:Art rock
68:Released
1794:Phrases
1569:Amaluna
1469:Tempest
1289:Ovid's
1260:Sources
1237:Gonzalo
1227:Sycorax
1222:Caliban
1212:Miranda
1133:Related
1087:Singles
793:Discogs
526:YouTube
427:Hot 100
330:Hot 100
256:In the
195:(1982)
190:(1982)
181:(1981)
135:A&M
91:England
1844:(1966)
1782:(1999)
1752:Island
1736:Indigo
1629:(2008)
1621:(1973)
1504:(2020)
1496:(1998)
1488:(1991)
1480:(1989)
1472:(1982)
1464:(1956)
1456:(1948)
1445:Screen
1283:Essays
1079:(2008)
1071:(2001)
1063:(1997)
1055:(1989)
1047:(1984)
1039:(1981)
1018:(2016)
1010:(2014)
1002:(2012)
994:(2011)
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978:(2008)
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962:(2004)
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946:(1999)
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930:(1994)
922:(1992)
914:(1988)
906:(1986)
898:(1984)
890:(1982)
882:(1980)
874:(1979)
866:(1977)
858:(1975)
850:(1974)
551:. IMDb
258:bridge
247:obolus
243:Charon
110:Length
77:Studio
48:Single
1637:Opera
1579:Plays
1386:Music
1328:Films
1217:Ariel
653:.
633:(PDF)
467:Notes
130:Label
99:Genre
1370:2010
1365:1992
1360:1980
1355:1979
1350:1963
1345:1960
1340:1911
1335:1908
999:Home
760:2017
735:2017
708:2023
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535:2024
507:2016
350:Peak
323:1983
251:Styx
1189:'s
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