Where do you start with A Guy Called Gerald? A hidden gem, the gateway betw… Read Full Bio ↴Where do you start with A Guy Called Gerald? A hidden gem, the gateway between Chicago house / Detroit Techno and the UK dance music explosion in the late 80s. He is one of a few special producers who entered dance music in the jacking zone. He is the first UK acid house producer and the first producer to have two instrumental dance tracks in the UK charts at the same. He formed 808 State with a drum machine, a 303, 2 Roland SH101s and 2 other humans. His collaborations stem from Frankie Knuckles, Goldie, Finley Quaye and Derrick May through to Herbie Hancock, remixed for David Bowie, Lamb, Stone Roses, Black Uhuru, Can, Tricky, Roman Fluegel and The Orb and toured with New Order, Tricky and Bebel Gilberto.

When the history of postmodern dance music is written he is ubiquitous: his visions, his stylistic versatility and open mindedness had a huge influence on the development of global dance culture. Very early on, he experimented with acid house and helped pioneer the style that was later called jungle and drum'n'bass. Fiercely independent he's preparing himself for a string of new releases, the launch of his online shop and touring worldwide.

The Manchester scene in the late 80s radiated from the Hacienda. It was a place which grew to be a breeding ground for the likes of Laurent Garnier and Chemical Brothers and in the Summer of Love the Hacienda had a theme tune called Voodoo Ray. It was A Guy Called Gerald's first release in 1988 and became a seminal classic that put British house music firmly on the map. As part of 808 State’s first incarnation he co-produced another Hacienda classic, Pacific State. He soon decided to concentrate on his solo project and toured worldwide (and with a quarter of a ton of equipment!) performing live.

In the early 90s he launched his own label Juice Box and released a series of 12"s that were the blueprint to what would become jungle. In 1992 he compiled these releases into the proto jungle classic "28 Gun Bad Boy" album. In 1995 he followed up with the definitive "Black Secret Technology" to critical acclaim. Black Secret Technology featured Finley's Rainbow with vocals by Finley Quaye and a collaboration with Goldie. Finley's Rainbow featured Finley Quaye who later re-released the tune on his debut album. In 2005 Knowledge Magazine ranked "28 Gun Bad Boy" EP was as the No. 1 jungle single of all time. His sound was an inspiration to many - Goldie, LTJ Bukem and DJ Krust have all stated his influence.

But never wanting to be stereotyped into any particular style of music his sound continued to develop. In 2000 he signed with !K7 Records and released "Essence" with guest vocals from singer/songwriter Wendy Page, Lady Kier and Finley Quaye. In 2005 the down tempo "To All Things What They Need". In 2005 he launched his Sugoi and Protechson labels. His latest album "Proto Acid / The Berlin Sessions" was released on Berlin's Laboratory Instinct label.

In 2006 he released "Proto Acid - The Berlin Sessions" album and in 2010 the follow up "Tronic Jazz - The Berlin Sessions" - on Berlin's boutique Laboratory Instinct label.

In July 2008 a remastered edition of the jungle classic “Black Secret Technology” was reissued. And in August of the same year “In Ya Head feat. Mia” came out on Berlin’s favourite Perlon Records.

2012 sees a new EP "How Long Is Now" out on Bosconi Records.

He continues to tour bringing his studio into the clubs worldwide.

Could You Understand
A Guy Called Gerald Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

rhythm?
Say if tell you a story from my hood
Could you ever
Could you understand
Could you ever now
Could you understand
Say if I tell you a story from my hood
Could you ever

Could you would you understand
Could you ever understand
Say it?s all about coming up
Cutting through but coming up
Say it?s all about coming up
Say it?s all about coming up
Listen eh hot in the daytime
Cold cash at the night-time
Listen hot stuff in the daytime
Cold cash money at the night-time
You know we make it right why all
Couple of zeros behind the one
Not for fun straight get the job done
Could you understand
Could you ever understand
My hood
'cause this is my hood
Could you ever
Would you ever know
Could you understand
Nowadays
Could you represent
Could you represent
Could you represent
Could you represent
Could you understand
Nowadays

Could you ever
Would you understand

Overall Meaning

In the song "Could You Understand" by A Guy Called Gerald, the artist tells a story from their neighborhood or hood, asking if the listener could ever understand the life experiences and struggles that they have faced living in their community. The lyrics suggest that it's all about "coming up," succeeding and making something of oneself, but it's not an easy journey. The artist speaks about the hustle and grind of their community and how it's necessary to make it, hot in the daytime and cold cash money at night. The song speaks to the idea that there are zeros behind the ones in the money they earn, indicating the hard work and dedication it took to achieve the level of success they have. The chorus repeats, asking if the listener could ever understand the artist's experience, representing the culture and community from which they come.

Line by Line Meaning

rhythm?
The artist may be asking if the listener is ready for the message and beat of the upcoming song.

Say if tell you a story from my hood
The artist is about to share a personal and likely gritty story from his hometown.

Could you ever
The artist is questioning whether the listener could empathize or understand the struggles presented in the story.

Could you understand
Similar to before, the artist is asking if the listener could comprehend the story and its experiences.

Say it?s all about coming up
The artist explains that the focus of the story is on thriving despite challenges.

Cutting through but coming up
The artist suggests that going against the odds is necessary to achieve success in his hood.

Listen eh hot in the daytime
The artist implies that the weather may be harsh but things heat up in the day.

Cold cash at the night-time
Conversely, the artist suggests that finances improve greatly during the night-time.

You know we make it right why all
The artist may be suggesting that he is making the right choices to improve his situation, despite outside opinions.

Couple of zeros behind the one
Refers to making large sums of money, possibly in a dangerous or illegal way.

Not for fun straight get the job done
The artist emphasizes that his actions and intentions are not for entertainment or pleasure, but to get ahead and survive.

Could you ever understand
Again, the artist questions whether the listener could empathize with his experiences.

My hood
The artist asserts that the story and its emotions come from his personal experience with his hometown and its struggles.

'cause this is my hood
Further confirms that the artist is the expert on the story given his first-hand knowledge and experiences.

Nowadays
The artist is shifting the focus to the present-day, possibly suggesting that the struggles in his hometown persist.

Could you represent
The artist is asking if the listener could accurately describe and represent the struggles and experiences of his hometown.

Could you represent
Reiterating the previous line's questioning of the listener's ability to represent the story.

Could you represent
Again, the artist is asking if the listener could truthfully display his experiences and present them to a wider audience.

Could you represent
Lastly, the artist repeats this question to emphasize the importance of the listener's understanding and representation of his experiences.

Could you ever
The artist concludes by asking one final time whether the listener could comprehend and empathize with the story and its struggles.

Would you understand
This final line may be asking whether the listener, even if they cannot directly empathize, could still understand and learn from the given story.

Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: DAVID SIMPSON, GERALD SIMPSON

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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