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.
Brick Walls
David Gray Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Don't care at all
I banged my head too long
On these brick walls
Every seed I sow
Shudders and falls
Perishes between
And I feel like the last hair
On a head gone bald
Not much point being there
No point at all
How many more years
Years 'til they fall
All the blind eyes and deaf ears
Hey, and these brick walls
[Chorus: ]
These brick walls
These brick walls
These brick walls
And I'm long past worrying
And I'm way past being appalled
I know history is hurrying, oh
And time can't be stalled
So don't try to run, no
Before you can crawl
Just wait
And the time will come
Yeah, for these brick walls
[Chorus: ]
Brick walls, brick walls, yeah
The lyrics of David Gray's song, "Brick Walls", convey a sense of hopelessness and despair. The opening lines, "I just don't care/don't care at all," set the tone for the rest of the song. The singer is exhausted and defeated, having banged their head for too long against the brick walls surrounding them. The imagery of brick walls is repeated throughout the song, serving as a metaphor for the obstacles and barriers that stand in the way of the singer's progress and happiness. Despite their efforts to plant seeds and grow something beautiful, everything perishes within the confines of these walls.
The line "And I feel like the last hair/on a head gone bald" is particularly striking, suggesting that the singer feels insignificant, powerless, and with no purpose. There is a sense of hopelessness, as if the singer has given up all hope of overcoming these obstacles or finding a way out of their situation. They are resigned to their fate and are simply waiting for time to pass, and the walls to crumble.
Line by Line Meaning
I just don't care
I am apathetic and indifferent towards everything around me.
Don't care at all
My apathy is not limited to specific things, I just don't care about anything.
I banged my head too long
On these brick walls
I have been trying too hard to overcome obstacles and have hit a mental block.
Every seed I sow
Shudders and falls
Perishes between
These brick walls
Everything I try to accomplish fails due to the barriers in my way.
And I feel like the last hair
On a head gone bald
Not much point being there
No point at all
I feel useless and purposeless, like the last remaining strand of hair on a bald head.
How many more years
Years 'til they fall
All the blind eyes and deaf ears
Hey, and these brick walls
I wonder how much longer it will take for the current societal blockages to crumble and for people to start noticing and listening.
These brick walls
These brick walls
These brick walls
The brick walls are the constant, ever-present issue that I am facing.
And I'm long past worrying
And I'm way past being appalled
I know history is hurrying, oh
And time can't be stalled
I am no longer shocked or concerned about the stagnant state of things, and I recognize that time is constantly moving forward and change is inevitable.
So don't try to run, no
Before you can crawl
Just wait
And the time will come
Yeah, for these brick walls
Instead of trying to force change, wait and let it come naturally. Eventually, the brick walls will fall on their own.
Brick walls, brick walls, yeah
The repetition of 'brick walls' reinforces the idea that the issue is ongoing and persistent.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: DAVID GRAY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind