Blue Öyster Cult have been described as heavy metal, light metal, psychedelic rock, occult rock, acid rock, and progressive rock. They have also been recognized for helping pioneer genres such as stoner metal and speed metal.
The band is influenced by artists such as Alice Cooper, Grateful Dead, The Doors, Jefferson Airplane, MC5, The Blues Project, Jimi Hendrix, and Black Sabbath.
While Blue Öyster Cult has been noted for heavy rock, they would often add their own tongue-in-cheek style. Keeping with their image, the band would often include out-of-context fragments of Pearlman’s The Soft Doctrines of Imaginos into their lyrics, giving their songs cryptic meanings. Additionally, the band would keep a folder of Meltzer’s and Pearlman’s word associations to insert into their music.
Blue Öyster Cult's longest-lasting and most commercially successful lineup included Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser (lead guitar, vocals), Eric Bloom (lead vocals, "stun guitar," keyboards, synthesizers), Allen Lanier (keyboards, rhythm guitar, backing vocals), Joe Bouchard (bass, backing vocals), Albert Bouchard (drums, percussion, backing vocals). The band's current lineup includes Roeser and Bloom, as well as Danny Miranda (bass, backing vocals), Jules Radino (drums, percussion) and Richie Castellano (keyboard, rhythm guitar, backing vocals).
Cold Gray Light Of Dawn
Blue Öyster Cult Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Casts only one shadow
The cold grey light
By the penthouse on the ghetto
Kill the other witness
Knife plunged to the hilt
The unforgiven dawn
Will only spotlight your guilt
In the cold grey light of dawn
You can't lie to yourself anymore
In the cold grey light of dawn
You can't hide the truth
Hide the truth anymore
You call up Emmy
You've rehearsed the lines
But she knows about Judy
She knows you're lying
Put your foot in it, yeah
It's getting caught
Leave it in long enough, yeah
It starts to rot
In the cold grey light of dawn
You can't lie to yourself anymore
In the cold grey light of dawn
You can't hide the truth
Hide the truth anymore
No matter what you did
No matter who you are
In the fading light
From a middle aged star
You've seen every blemish
Every sign of age
And it's useless to whine
And it's useless to rage
In the cold grey light of dawn
You can't lie to yourself anymore
In the cold grey light of dawn
You can't hide the truth
Hide the truth anymore
Cold grey light of dawn
You can't lie to yourself anymore
In the cold grey light of dawn
You can't hide the truth
Hide the truth anymore
Hide the truth
Anymore
Hide the truth anymore
"Cold Gray Light of Dawn" by Blue Öyster Cult is a song that delves into the themes of guilt, deception, and the harsh reality of facing one's inner truth. The lyrics portray a scene where someone is trying to hide their actions and lies under the cover of darkness but is ultimately confronted by the unforgiving light of dawn.
The opening lines, "That endless light/Casts only one shadow/The cold grey light/By the penthouse on the ghetto," suggest that no matter how much darkness surrounds the person, the truth will always be revealed. The reference to the penthouse in the ghetto symbolizes a contrast between luxurious appearances and the reality of one's actions. The lyrics continue to explore the consequences of deceit, depicting a scene where the singer tries to eliminate a witness to their actions, ultimately highlighting their guilt.
The chorus, "In the cold grey light of dawn/You can't lie to yourself anymore/In the cold grey light of dawn/You can't hide the truth/Hide the truth anymore," emphasizes the inability to continue deceiving oneself when faced with the truth. The singer's attempts to maintain their lies and distort reality are futile in the face of the harsh light of day.
The second verse introduces another character, Emmy, who seems to be aware of the singer's lies and infidelity. The lyrics depict a failed attempt to deceive Emmy, with the line "Put your foot in it, yeah/It's getting caught/Leave it in long enough, yeah/It starts to rot" suggesting that the longer the lies are maintained, the more they corrode and unravel.
The final verse reflects on the inevitability of aging and the futility of complaining or being angry about the flaws and mistakes that come with it. The fading light from a middle-aged star symbolizes the fading vitality and youth, where all imperfections and signs of age are visible. It emphasizes the point that in the end, there is no use hiding from the truth or attempting to deny it.
Overall, "Cold Gray Light of Dawn" exposes the struggle of trying to maintain lies and hide the truth from oneself and others, ultimately highlighting the inescapable reality that will be revealed in the light of day.
Line by Line Meaning
That endless light
The constant presence or knowledge
Casts only one shadow
Reveals only one hidden truth or consequence
The cold grey light
An unforgiving and impartial illumination
By the penthouse on the ghetto
In the unlikely or incongruous location
Kill the other witness
Eliminate any opposing evidence or testimony
Knife plunged to the hilt
Act with extreme force or commitment
The unforgiven dawn
The revealing moment or time when all is exposed
Will only spotlight your guilt
Will only highlight and expose your wrongdoing
You can't lie to yourself anymore
You can no longer deceive or delude yourself
You can't hide the truth
You cannot conceal or deny the reality
Hide the truth anymore
Suppress or cover up the truth any longer
You call up Emmy
You reach out to someone for support or validation
You've rehearsed the lines
You have prepared and practiced what to say
But she knows about Judy
But she is aware of your secret or affair with Judy
She knows you're lying
She understands that you are not telling the truth
Put your foot in it, yeah
Make a mistake or say something embarrassing
It's getting caught
The mistake is being noticed or revealed
Leave it in long enough, yeah
Allow the mistake or deception to go on for a while
It starts to rot
It begins to decay or become corrupted
No matter what you did
Regardless of your actions or choices
No matter who you are
Irrespective of your identity or status
In the fading light
As time passes or circumstances change
From a middle-aged star
From a person who was once admired or in the spotlight
You've seen every blemish
You have noticed every flaw or imperfection
Every sign of age
Every indication of getting older or less vibrant
And it's useless to whine
Complaining or lamenting is futile
And it's useless to rage
Expressing anger or outrage is pointless
Cold grey light of dawn
Unforgiving and revealing illumination at daybreak
Anymore
Any longer or from this point onward
Hide the truth anymore
No longer conceal or deny the truth
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Queerienlannister
That endless light
Casts only one shadow
The cold grey light
By the penthouse on the ghetto
Kill the other witness
Knife plunged to the hilt
The unforgiven dawn
Will only spotlight your guilt
In the cold grey light of dawn
You can't lie to yourself anymore
In the cold grey light of dawn
You can't hide the truth
Hide the truth anymore
You call up Emmy
You've rehearsed the lines
But she knows about Judy
She knows you're lying
Put your foot in it, yeah
It's getting caught
Leave it in long enough, yeah
It starts to rot
In the cold grey light of dawn
You can't lie to yourself anymore
In the cold grey light of dawn
You can't hide the truth
Hide the truth anymore
No matter what you did
No matter who you are
In the fading light
From a middle aged star
You've seen every blemish
Every sign of age
And it's useless to whine
And it's useless to rage
In the cold grey light of dawn
You can't lie to yourself anymore
In the cold grey light of dawn
You can't hide the truth
Hide the truth anymore
Cold grey light of dawn
You can't lie to yourself anymore
In the cold grey light of dawn
You can't hide the truth
Hide the truth anymore
Hide the truth
Anymore
Hide the truth anymore
bit of blue oyster cult for tonight, enjoy people
@Ash-RATQUEEN
That endless light
Casts only one shadow
The cold grey light
By the penthouse on the ghetto
Kill the other witness
Knife plunged to the hilt
The unforgiven dawn
Will only spotlight your guilt
In the cold grey light of dawn
You can't lie to yourself anymore
In the cold grey light of dawn
You can't hide the truth
Hide the truth anymore
You call up Emmy
You've rehearsed the lines
But she knows about Judy
She knows you're lying
Put your foot in it, yeah
It's getting caught
Leave it in long enough, yeah
It starts to rot
In the cold grey light of dawn
You can't lie to yourself anymore
In the cold grey light of dawn
You can't hide the truth
Hide the truth anymore
No matter what you did
No matter who you are
In the fading light
From a middle aged star
You've seen every blemish
Every sign of age
And it's useless to whine
And it's useless to rage
In the cold grey light of dawn
You can't lie to yourself anymore
In the cold grey light of dawn
You can't hide the truth
Hide the truth anymore
Cold grey light of dawn
You can't lie to yourself anymore
In the cold grey light of dawn
You can't hide the truth
Hide the truth anymore
Hide the truth
Anymore
Hide the truth anymore
@bluefukingreene
these guys are not only underated they are one of the best bands of all time.
@Ariovistus1
Epic Band! BOC Forever! \m/\m/
@eddiep2899
...underrated... doubtless
@stevenwilkinson1265
100%
@jackpeterson7008
Imho, top 3.
@Queerienlannister
That endless light
Casts only one shadow
The cold grey light
By the penthouse on the ghetto
Kill the other witness
Knife plunged to the hilt
The unforgiven dawn
Will only spotlight your guilt
In the cold grey light of dawn
You can't lie to yourself anymore
In the cold grey light of dawn
You can't hide the truth
Hide the truth anymore
You call up Emmy
You've rehearsed the lines
But she knows about Judy
She knows you're lying
Put your foot in it, yeah
It's getting caught
Leave it in long enough, yeah
It starts to rot
In the cold grey light of dawn
You can't lie to yourself anymore
In the cold grey light of dawn
You can't hide the truth
Hide the truth anymore
No matter what you did
No matter who you are
In the fading light
From a middle aged star
You've seen every blemish
Every sign of age
And it's useless to whine
And it's useless to rage
In the cold grey light of dawn
You can't lie to yourself anymore
In the cold grey light of dawn
You can't hide the truth
Hide the truth anymore
Cold grey light of dawn
You can't lie to yourself anymore
In the cold grey light of dawn
You can't hide the truth
Hide the truth anymore
Hide the truth
Anymore
Hide the truth anymore
bit of blue oyster cult for tonight, enjoy people
@MrPlooky
I need those lyrics..
@johnshirley5222
eight years writer the lyricist clicks thumbs up
@jedendwatrzy4189
Killer song by the band. One of their best!
@Hartlor_Tayley
Love you guys. Decades of incredible Rock and Roll. Thank you Blue Öyster Cult.