Chris Rea’s “Tell Me There’s A Heaven” Meaning

You watch all the never-ending pain and suffering going on all over the world and you can’t help but wonder if life actually has a meaning. Does God exist? If God actually exists, then why is there so much pain in this world? Why do innocent children suffer and die? Is there actually any meaning to this thing we call life?

Ok, maybe there is a heaven somewhere where we eventually go to after living this hellish world. Maybe that place is better than life on earth. But if such a place doesn’t exist, then what is the point of life? There would simply be no meaning to life if there isn’t a heaven in the afterlife.  

“Tell Me There’s a Heaven”

Is there really a paradise where there is no suffering? This is exactly what the “little girl” in Chris Rea’s “Tell Me There Is A Heaven” is asking him. This girl (who is apparently the narrator’s daughter) has witnessed so much suffering in this world that she needs to believe that at the end of all this suffering there would be some happiness.

There’s a heaven

In the lyrics, we find out that the little girl’s grandfather (who is the narrator’s father) often reassures her that there is actually a heaven. According to him, in this place, exists eternal happiness. So basically grandpa gives her the idea that all the suffering of the world is part of God’s great masterplan that leads us all to everlasting happiness in the afterlife.

Father, is there a heaven?

Despite her grandpa often telling here heaven exist, the little girl asks her father again. She apparently wants further reassurance that there is a meaning to life. She wants to believe that all the abused children that have died are happy now in heaven. Grandpa has told her that these children “are happy now“. He assures her they feel no pain anymore since they “sit with God in paradise”.

But the little girl still wants some more reassurance. So she goes directly to her father and asks him if heaven actually exists. But the father isn’t sure of the answer. He is therefore unable to answer with a “yes” or “no”. He desperately wants to believe that such a place exists where people go and feel no pain. He truly wants to believe in it because if it doesn’t, then life means nothing. So he also proceeds to ask his father. At this point, he is desperately hoping that his father would be able to convince him that paradise is real.

At the end of the story, we never know if his father was able to convince him that “there’s a heaven“.

Inspiration behind “Tell Me There’s a Heaven”

Rae is known for incorporating real-life experiences into his songs. And this song is apparently no exception. Rea wrote this song after being inspired by questions his young daughter asked in relation to the horrors of this world. She had watched the horrible footage of man’s cruelty towards his fellow man on the news.

Release of “Tell Me There’s a Heaven”

In 1990, East West Records released “Tell Me There’s a Heaven” as a single from Chris’ tenth studio album titled “The Road to Hell”.

Credits

Chris Rea receives sole credit for the writing of “Tell Me There’s a Heaven”. He also owns co-production credits with British record producer Jon Kelly.