Fatal Hesitation



The cafes are all deserted, the streets are wet again,
There's nothing quite like an out of season
holiday town in the rain,
When the tourists go and the cold winds blow,
And my girl is on a plane, home...

I'm never gonna love another,
the way that I have loved you,
It's taken me a little time to discover it,
Now I know it's true, but fatal hesitation,
Made me miss the show,

Oh Romeo is standing in the rain,
And I know that I have let her slip away,
Fatal hesitation, fatal hesitation...

I saw you again this morning, walking down the beach,
And though you are a thousand miles away,
You were only just out of reach, but when I got up close,
And I saw her face, I knew it couldn't be so, no, no...

Oh Romeo is standing in the rain,
And I, yes I know, I have let her slip away,
Fatal hesitation, fatal hesitation,
I'm going to get on my boat and sail away;

Oh Romeo is standing in the rain,
And I know, I have let her slip away,
Fatal hesitation, fatal hesitation,
Fatal hesitation, oh Romeo is standing in the rain,
Fatal hesitation, yes I know, I have let her slip away;

I'm gonna read a little Shakespeare,
And get her out of my head,
It doesn't matter any more;
I'm gonna miss her just a little bit,
Just a little bit...
"It's a whimsical song about a guy who lives in a holiday resort. I had a few places in mind; Brighton in England, Cannes in the South of France, Bray in Ireland. I get a very palm tree feeling about this. Anyway, this guy is quite the lad - a bit of a romeo in a gentle kind of way. And he says 'There's nothing quite like an out of season holiday town in the rain, when the tourists go and the cold winds blow - and my girl is on a plane home'. The time is November, it's raining and everybody has gone home. The girl that he's loved for all summer has gone, too - and he's just realised that he should have made his move. But it's too late... 'Fatal hesitation made me miss the show'. He's not upset about it, though, but as he's walking along the beach he thinks he sees her in the distance. He runs up to her and, of course, it's another woman. He knew it was unreasonable, because his love was a thousand miles away, but he just hoped it would be her. It's not a sad song, it's actually up-lifting. He says 'Aaaah - damn it; I'll just get on my boat and sail away'. Then, right at the end he adds 'Well, I think I miss you just a little bit, anyway...'"
The Getaway Gazette, May 1986

Albums

"Fatal Hesitation" appears on the following albums:

Into The LightSpark To A FlameThe Love SongsThe Lady In Red (The Very Best Of Chris De Burgh)The Ultimate CollectionNotes From Planet EarthGoldNow And ThenHome

Videos