1) a Br… Read Full Bio ↴There are multiple artists by the name of David Gray, including:
1) a British singer-songwriter
2) an Italian disco musician
3) an American singer-songwriter
4) drummer for the British blackened death metal band Akercocke
5) a musician from South Africa
6) a British classical hornist
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1) David Gray is a British singer-songwriter born on June 13, 1968 in Sale, United Kingdom. He released his first studio album in 1993 and received worldwide attention after the release of White Ladder six years later in 1999.
Gray moved to Wales at age 9 and later returned to the north-west of England to attend the University of Liverpool. His musical career got early support from a dedicated Irish fan base. After a few marginally-successful releases through the 1990s, Gray's breakthrough came with the worldwide release in 1999 of his fourth album, White Ladder; this was a critical and commercial success and included his best-known songs, "This Years Love" and "Babylon". In the United States, the album received a boost from jam-band leader Dave Matthews, who made it the first release by the record company he co-founded, ATO Records.
On August 11, 2001 White Ladder at last reached the top of the UK charts, having been selling steadily since its reissue the previous May, thereby setting a new record for the longest uninterrupted climb to No. 1. The follow-up, A New Day At Midnight, also hit No. 1, and Gray's seventh album, Life in Slow Motion was released on September 12, 2005.
Gray's early music was in a contemporary folk-rock, singer-songwriter mode; his primary instrument was acoustic guitar, with occasional piano. 1996's Sell Sell Sell featured some rock arrangements and electric instrumentation. Starting with the release of White Ladder in 1999, Gray began to make significant use of computer-generated music to accompany his voice and acoustic instrumentation, a technique which differentiates him from many of his peers. Despite the move to more complex music, Gray has used small-scale, often home-based, recording methods and equipment and espoused a "do it yourself" approach to music production. However, Life in Slow Motion is a collaboration with noted producer Marius De Vries.
David Gray's brothers-in-law are Paul and Phillip Hartnoll, formerly of the Techno/Rave band Orbital. Because of this relationship, Gray performed guest vocals on the Orbital single Illuminate, while Paul Hartnoll produced a breakbeat remix of Gray's song "Please Forgive Me".
His successful single "January Rain" was included in the original soundtrack of the movie Serendipity, starring John Cusack and Kate Beckinsale.
Pictures and additional information can be found on his website, www.DavidGray.com.
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2) David Gray was an Italian disco musician who had a hit with "Dead in the Water"
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3) David Gray is an American singer-songwriter
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4) David Gray is drummer for the British blackened death metal band Akercocke
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5) David Gray is a musician from South Africa
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6) British classical hornist, originally from London, England, UK, residing in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Studied at the Curtis Institute Of Music. Former Principal Horn with The London Symphony Orchestra (1964-1972). Member of The Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra.
A Million Years
David Gray Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Through walls of concrete
Far from my spirit
A lifetime of hate
It shown on our faces
A million years
Screeching and yelling
Blue light of heaven
Rising up from the ground
It shown on our faces
A million years
The fear coming over
The death taking hold of me
Preparing my face
For the gates of eternity, yeah
Fastening my ankles
Strapping my wrists
Sending me someplace
Where pain don't exist
It shown on our faces
A million years
A million years
The fear coming over
The death taking hold of me
Preparing my face
For the gates of eternity, yeah
Like frost on the branches now
Like foam on the surf
There's nothing I can't find now
There's nothing I'm worth
Shown on our faces
A million years
A million years
A million years
A million years
In David Gray's song A Million Years, the lyrics convey a sense of desperation and fear. The singer seems to be running away from something, possibly a lifetime of hate that has been building up inside him. He is sprinting through walls of concrete, which suggest a sense of entrapment or a feeling of being confined. He feels far from his spirit, indicating that he might be struggling with who he really is or has lost touch with his true self.
The second stanza talks about screeching and yelling, yet the singer doesn't hear any sound. This could mean that he has tuned out or shut off from the outside world, and is only able to hear the inner turmoil of his thoughts. The blue light of heaven rising up from the ground could be interpreted in two ways - either as a sign of hope or as a metaphor for impending doom. The fear of death seems to be taking hold of him, leaving him with a sense of dread and anxiety. He is preparing his face for the gates of eternity, indicating that he knows he is about to cross over to the other side.
In the final stanza, the singer is being prepared for something, with his ankles fastened and wrists strapped. This could signify that he is being taken to a place where he will no longer feel pain or face any more hardships. The imagery of the frost on the branches and foam on the surf suggest a sense of etherealness or otherworldliness. There is nothing left to find or worth searching for, and time seems to have stood still. The song ends on a repetitive note, with the words "a million years" repeated four times, to drive home the point that time has become irrelevant.
Line by Line Meaning
Flat out I'm running
I am running as fast as I can.
Through walls of concrete
I am running through walls made of concrete.
Far from my spirit
I am feeling disconnected from my spirit or true self.
A lifetime of hate
I have felt hatred for a long time.
It shown on our faces
The emotions we feel are visible on our faces.
A million years
The emotions we feel have been present for what feels like an incredibly long time.
Screeching and yelling
There are loud and chaotic sounds around me.
Don't hear no sound
I cannot hear anything clearly due to the chaotic sounds around me.
Blue light of heaven
There is a bright, blue light shining from the sky.
Rising up from the ground
The blue light seems to be coming from the ground and going upwards into the sky.
The fear coming over
I am experiencing a strong feeling of fear.
The death taking hold of me
I am feeling a sense of impending death or mortality.
Preparing my face
I am making facial expressions influenced by my fear and sense of impending death.
For the gates of eternity, yeah
I am getting ready to face whatever comes after death.
Fastening my ankles
My ankles are being secured or restrained.
Strapping my wrists
My wrists are being secured or restrained.
Sending me someplace
I am being taken or transported somewhere.
Where pain don't exist
The place I am being taken to is one where I will not feel any pain.
Like frost on the branches now
Things seem fragile and cold around me.
Like foam on the surf
Things seem chaotic and temporary around me.
There's nothing I can't find now
I feel like I have the power to accomplish anything.
There's nothing I'm worth
I do not feel like I have any inherent value or worth.
A million years
These feelings of fragility, chaos, and powerlessness have been present for a very long time.
A million years
These feelings have been present for an incredibly long time.
A million years
These emotions have been persistent and lasting for a seemingly infinite amount of time.
A million years
These emotions have become ingrained in me and feel like they have been present for millions of years.
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: DAVID GRAY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Jenniffer Clay
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