Although I've played Chris De Burgh's "A Spaceman Came Travelling" off and on for the last 30 years, thanks to a British various artists Christmas compilation CD, I've almost never heard it on American radio. (Frankly, I wish I'd heard it more often instead of the far too frequent radio spins of "The Lady In Red" when it was a hit.)
It stands to reason, then, that Kate Rusby's cover of it from last year wouldn't get its due in the states, either. Vocally and instrumentally, Rusby's version effectively conveys the desolation and uncertainty one might feel as an outsider in such circumstances. Her vocal anguish is more controlled than De Burgh's, resulting in a somewhat toned down rendition without De Burgh's melodramatic flourishes during the chorus.
Credit to her for covering a tune that most artists wouldn't tackle.
