1) David Cross (born April 4, 1964 in Atlanta, Georgia) is an American actor, writer, and comedian.
David Cross grew up in Roswell, Georgia and briefly attended Emerson College in Massachusetts but dropped out almost immediately after enrolling to begin his stand-up career. He was part of several comedy troupes in the Boston area, including Cross Comedy, which occasionally performed before and during concerts featuring local bands, most notably the Cavedogs.
Cross began his professional television career on The Ben Stiller Show. The short-lived Fox Network program hired him as a writer toward the end of the series' run, but he occasionally made brief appearances in some of the skits. This included a memorable speaking role in one of the show's most ambitious sketches, "The Legend of T.J. O'Pootertoots," which was written almost entirely by Cross.
It was during this period that he first met Bob Odenkirk, with whom he would later co-create the HBO sketch comedy series Mr. Show with Bob and David in 1995. He later co-starred as Tobias Fünke in Arrested Development, another Fox production. In addition to these larger roles, he has made cameo appearances on shows like Just Shoot Me, The Drew Carey Show, NewsRadio, Strangers with Candy, and Aqua Teen Hunger Force. Since October 2005, Cross has been appearing as Stephen Colbert's archnemesis, a fictional liberal radio talk show host named "Russ Lieber" on Comedy Central's The Colbert Report. He is currently working on an animated series for Comedy Central called Freak Show, which costars H. Jon Benjamin. Cross has appeared several times in the MTV2 show Wonder Showzen.
David Cross later teamed up with Bob Odenkirk to produce a feature film, based on one of their Mr. Show characters, called Run Ronnie Run. The film was satirical of the reality TV craze, and had numerous cameos from many stars. However, Cross and Odenkirk came into creative conflict with the director, and after nearly two years New Line Cinema sent it straight to DVD.
Cross maintains a notable stand-up career consisting of material that often blends left-wing political commentary and crude "low brow" humor. He has released two highly-successful CDs to date, Shut Up You Fucking Baby! and It's Not Funny. He was also given his own one-hour comedy special on HBO in 1999 entitled The Pride Is Back. In 2004, Shut Up You Fucking Baby! was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album. In 2003 Cross released his first tour film entitled Let America Laugh. He is number 85 on Comedy Central's list of the 100 greatest standups of all time.
In 2004 Cross provided voices for a Marine in the Xbox game Halo 2, and a store clerk named Zero in the game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. Both characters were often whiny and humorous in nature. He was the voice of the violent, alcoholic "Happy-Time Harry" doll in Aqua Teen Hunger Force (credited as Sir Willups Brightslymoore), and appeared as Joy's ex-husband on Adult Swim's Tom Goes to the Mayor (on which Bob Odenkirk is executive producer). 2004 saw him direct the music video 10am Automatic for the two man blues-rock band The Black Keys. The video spoofs public access television.
In April 2005, Cross criticized stand-up comedian Larry the Cable Guy in a Rolling Stone interview, saying "It's a lot of anti-gay, racist humor — which people like in America — all couched in 'I'm telling it like it is.' He's in the right place at the right time for that gee-shucks, proud-to-be-a-redneck, I'm-just-a -straight-shooter-multimillionaire-in-cutoff-flannel-selling-ring-tones act. That's where we are as a nation now. We're in a state of vague American values and anti-intellectual pride." This caused Larry to devote a chapter to Cross and the "P.C. left" in his book GIT-R-DONE, saying that Cross had "screwed with my fans, it was time for me to say something." Cross responded with an Open Letter to Larry the Cable Guy posted on his website, and he continues to mock Larry in his stand-up, as well as during his guest appearances on Wonder Showzen. In December 2005, he ended his performance on Comedy Central's "Last Laugh '05" by yelling "GIT-R-DONE!" mockingly to the audience as he left the stage.
Cross played a cheesy radio DJ, possessing many of stereotypes he described in a Shut Up You Fucking Baby bit, in The Strokes' music video for "Juicebox". He also appeared in The New Pornographers's video for "Use It."
In 2005, Cross was sued by Nashville club owner Thomas Weber, accusing Cross of taping him without permission for Let America Laugh in violation of Weber's privacy rights.
David Cross at Wikipedia
2) David Cross (born April 23, 1948, in Plymouth, Devon) is a composer, keyboard and violin player from England best known for playing with progressive rock band King Crimson during the 1970s (particularly on Larks' Tongues in Aspic, Starless and Bible Black and Red). He also plays keyboards and mellotron.
Since the mid 1980s he has led his own band, the earlier incarnations of which featured American drummer Dan Maurer, English keyboard player Sheila Maloney and the Liverpool bassist/vocalist John Dillon. Since the 1990s he has led his own band, often writing with bassist Mick Paul. Former and current King Crimson members John Wetton, Robert Fripp, Richard Palmer-James and Peter Sinfield have all guested on his solo projects. Solo albums of David Cross are:
Memos From Purgatory (1989)
The Big Picture (1992, re-released 1999)
Testing To Destruction (1994)
Exiles (1998)
Closer Than Skin (2005)
Cross is currently a senior lecturer in Music Education at London Metropolitan University.
David Cross at Wikipedia
Biography
Discography
Exiles
David Cross Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Strange... that the palms of my hands
Should be damp with expectancy
Spring... and the air's turning mild
City lights... and a glimpse of a child
Of the alleyway infantry
Friends... do they know what I mean
Rain... and the gathering green
But Lord I had to go
My trail was laid too slow behind me
To face the call of fame
Or make a drunkard's name for me
Though now this better life
Has brought a different understanding
And through these endless days
Shall come a broader sympathy
And though I count the hours
To be alone's no injury...
My home... was a place by the sand
Cliffs... and a military band
Blew an air of normality.
David Cross's song "Exiles" is a captivating tale of longing and reflection, told from the perspective of someone who has left their homeland and is now living in a foreign land. As the song opens, we are immediately immersed in the singer's sense of expectancy, as the palms of their hands are damp with anticipation of what is to come. As the song progresses, we get a sense of the singer's relationship with their new home, as they describe the arrival of spring and the mildness of the air, the bright city lights and the glimpse of a child in the alleyway. The singer reflects on their relationship with their former friends and the rain and gathering green of afternoons spent out of town.
As the song progresses, it becomes clear that the singer has left their home in search of fame or some kind of greater purpose. They are keenly aware of the passing of time, and of the fact that they are far away from everything they used to know. But despite this, they are philosophical about their journey, recognizing that it has brought them a "different understanding" and a "broader sympathy" for others. Ultimately, the singer concludes that being alone is not a bad thing, and that their past life of "normality" is in some ways less fulfilling than the life they are currently leading.
Line by Line Meaning
Now... in this faraway land
I find myself in a distant place.
Strange... that the palms of my hands
It's odd that my hands are sweaty with excitement.
Should be damp with expectancy
I feel a sense of anticipation.
Spring... and the air's turning mild
The season is changing to a warmer, gentler time.
City lights... and a glimpse of a child
I see the lights of a city and a child in the distance.
Of the alleyway infantry
The people I see are like soldiers in a back alley.
Friends... do they know what I mean
I wonder if my friends at home understand how I feel.
Rain... and the gathering green
It's raining and the green plants are coming together.
Of an afternoon out-of-town
This is a typical afternoon outside of the city.
But Lord I had to go
I had no choice but to leave.
My trail was laid too slow behind me
I needed to move faster than the path I was on allowed.
To face the call of fame
I was meant to be successful and famous, and so I left to pursue that.
Or make a drunkard's name for me
I could have stayed and been known as a heavy drinker instead.
Though now this better life
The life I have now is an improvement.
Has brought a different understanding
I have come to see things in a new way.
And through these endless days
Time seems to drag on and on.
Shall come a broader sympathy
I will become more empathetic and understanding of others.
And though I count the hours
Even though I am always aware of the time passing.
To be alone's no injury...
Being by myself doesn't hurt me.
My home... was a place by the sand
My original home was by the beach.
Cliffs... and a military band
Nearby, there were cliffs and a military band could be heard.
Blew an air of normality.
These were sounds typical of my hometown.
Contributed by Josiah Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
WarhawkBeyond2040
Lovely reinterpretation of one of King Crimson's best songs from two formers members of the band's classic 72-74 lineup. David Cross's amazing violin playing and John Wetton's soulful voice really bring so energy to this iconic piece. I love the original but this modern version is much more rockier and very aggressive in certain places, you can't go wrong with either one as they're both fantastic.
RIP John Wetton
rob051160
Just an absolutely magnificent remake of the KC classic, 25 years after the original. David Cross and John Wetton, two of my 1970s prog heroes, are unbelievably terrific here. I love BOTH versions - the original and this one.
ulfingvar1
1000% better than most of the shite made these days!!!!
Os Mtz
Fuckin awesome blows me entirely up i cant decide if this or the original it is better
rob051160
R.I.P. John Wetton.
Jonesy
Best King Crimson album since Red (to me anyway)
Paula Hunt
I like this version but prefer the original Wetton vocals from John’s KC days as he seems to be straining here but the music is fantastic.
Ferran Cañada
NADIE HA OÍDO ÉSTO???? Qué barbaridad!
NardiniNick
But 100% better, all the same.
MisterMortombachman
Wetton's voice is a bit better here.