Born in California, and raised in Virginia, Chris has built a reputation for uplifting and emotive solo shows in New York's lower east side, as well as inspiring collaborations with musician friends also coming up in the New York music scene - especially his close friend and longtime tour mate Matt Simons ("Catch & Release", "With You"). Chris has played over 1000 shows throughout America and Europe the past few years, and self-released his most recent album The Noise, which he coproduced with Grammy-winning producer Will Hensley.
"On The Blvd", Chris's new single, is out now on Sony Music -- he will be supporting Matt Simons on his European tour this spring, and touring behind his new material throughout 2016.
https://www.facebook.com/chrisayer/
Vanity
Chris Ayer Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Cuz souls don't die, I don't think,
They all just get diluted (it's true and)
And everyone is looking round
Asking "what am I supposed to do with
All this information? –
Just give me back my youth.'
Baby, your eyes are cold and jaded
Come with me, and live unpremeditated
And even though you might lose control of what you meant to try to be
It's only vanity
You blame sinners and cigarettes
But you'd better just get over all that
Cuz that TV's been real busy making subtlety extinct
Were we wiser, maybe if we knew
What starts the souring of a view
Then we wouldn't all drink so much
To relax away the kinks
Baby, this party makes me feel jaded
So lonely and premeditated
And even though we might lose control of what we meant to try to be
It's only vanity
Only vanity
It's not what you mean
Or how you dream
About the life you'd like to lead
That's all forgotten, for the way it seems
Lookin out on a summer's day
Is better when it's on the way
Than in retrospect, when your intellect
Makes sure that you've forgotten
Those side affects we can't prevent
Like where april through august went
And how we ripened, and were left
Here bruised and cold and rotten
Baby, slide on into bed; you've made it
Walk in sleep, and the risk is eradicated
Now you know, you won't lose control of what you meant to try to be
And it's only vanity
It's only vanity
The song "Vanity" by Chris Ayer is a contemplative track that explores the meaning of life and the fleeting nature of youth. The lyrics talk about how people get wrapped up in external things like material possessions and physical appearance, and forget about the true essence of life. The first verse sets the stage for the song, with Chris singing about his habit of looking up at the sky to stay rooted. He believes that souls don't die, but they get diluted over time. The chorus of the song repeats the phrase "It's only vanity," which is a reflection of how all the external things in life will eventually fade away.
The second verse talks about how people are always looking for something more and are never content with what they have. The line "just give me back my youth" is particularly powerful, as it speaks to the idea that youth is something that people take for granted and wish they could get back once it's gone. The bridge of the song touches on the idea that we are all products of our environment and that the media plays a role in shaping how we view the world. The final verse is a bit more hopeful, with Chris suggesting that we can find peace if we let go of our preconceived notions of what life should be like and just be in the moment.
Overall, "Vanity" is a beautiful and thought-provoking song that encourages listeners to be more present in their lives and to not get caught up in superficial things.
Line by Line Meaning
I've got a habit of looking up at the sky, to stay rooted
I look up at the sky to remind myself that souls don't die, they just get diluted
And everyone is looking round asking 'what am I supposed to do with all this information? – Just give me back my youth.'
People are overwhelmed with information and yearn for the carefree days of their youth
Baby, your eyes are cold and jaded. Come with me, and live unpremeditated. And even though you might lose control of what you meant to try to be, it's only vanity
Your eyes seem disillusioned. Let's live impulsively, even if we don't end up becoming what we intended. In the end, it's all just vanity.
You blame sinners and cigarettes, but you'd better just get over all that cuz that TV's been real busy making subtlety extinct
Stop blaming others and external factors for your problems because the media has destroyed subtlety
Were we wiser, maybe if we knew what starts the souring of a view, then we wouldn't all drink so much to relax away the kinks
If we knew what causes a negative perspective, we wouldn't need to resort to drinking to relieve stress
Baby, this party makes me feel jaded. So lonely and premeditated. And even though we might lose control of what we meant to try to be, it's only vanity
This party is depressing and lacks spontaneity. Even if things don't go as planned, remember it's all about appearances.
Only vanity. It's not what you mean or how you dream about the life you'd like to lead. That's all forgotten, for the way it seems
In the end, all that matter is how things appear.
Lookin out on a summer's day is better when it's on the way than in retrospect, when your intellect makes sure that you've forgotten
Enjoy the present moment because nostalgia can cloud your judgment and lead to forgetting the truth.
Those side affects we can't prevent, like where april through august went, and how we ripened, and were left here bruised and cold and rotten
There are some things we can't stop, like the passage of time and how we change and age.
Baby, slide on into bed; you've made it. Walk in sleep, and the risk is eradicated. Now you know you won't lose control of what you meant to try and be. And it's only vanity. It's only vanity.
Take a break and rest. Sleepwalking through life eliminates risk. The most important thing is to maintain the illusion of control over your life.
Contributed by Elena E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Tele Bob
such a beautiful voice!<3