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.
Draw The Line
David Gray Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
So we're pulling at the threads
And now the world's unraveling
Inside our very heads
Glasses smeared with lipstick
Hungry eyes out in the street
Same old bodies moving
To the same old beat
All this talk can hypnotize you and
We can ill afford
To give ourselves to sentiment
When our time is oh so short
Names beneath the lichen
On these cemetery stones
And carnivals of silverfish
Waiting to dance upon our bones
Have to draw the line, have to draw the line
Have to draw the line, have to draw the line
I've been doubting yours baby
I've been doubting mine
I've been out of circulation
Where the sun don't shine
I've been doubting fame and wealth
Charity, even love itself
Draw the line
I ain't saying he's bad baby
I ain't saying he's good
Merely that he ain't so different
Neath his executioners hood
In the name of liberty
In the name of brotherhood
Have to draw the line
Have to draw the line
Need to take some pride baby
Need to take some heart
Need to take evasive action
When the rumpus start
Here we are buck naked baby
But where should we begin
When it's not the flesh we're after
But the howlin' ghost within
Have to draw the line
Need to draw the line
Had to draw the line
Need to draw the line
Have to draw the line
Pack your bags we're going home
Pack your bags we're going yeah
Had to draw the line
Pack your bags we're going home
Pack your bags we're going yeah
Help me draw the line
Pack your bags we'fre going home
In David Gray's song Draw The Line, the lyrical theme revolves around the idea of boundaries and the need to set limits. The very first lines acknowledge the human tendency to cling to something in order to maintain balance and stability, even if that something may not be helpful in the long run. The following lines allude to a sense of chaos and confusion in the world, perhaps created by people's inability to draw the line and establish boundaries. The metaphor of glasses smeared with lipstick and hungry eyes in the street illustrates the blurring of boundaries and the loss of focus.
The chorus is a repetition of the phrase "have to draw the line," emphasizing the importance of setting boundaries in order to avoid being hypnotized by talk or sentiment. Gray also speaks of mortality and the inevitability of death in lines such as "names beneath the lichen on these cemetery stones" and "carnivals of silverfish waiting to dance upon our bones." This imagery serves as a reminder that time is short and there is no room for hesitation in setting boundaries in one's life.
The song also touches on doubt and the need for self-reflection. Gray admits to doubting himself, as well as society's values such as fame and wealth, and even love. He also suggests that people are not so different from one another, despite the surface-level differences. The idea of taking pride and evasive action when necessary, as well as acknowledging the inner "howlin' ghost" instead of just the external body, suggest a need for self-awareness and introspection to draw the line.
Line by Line Meaning
Well we had to grab on something
We needed a sense of stability and clung onto something to keep us grounded
So we're pulling at the threads
We're tugging at the seams of our lives, possibly causing things to come apart at the seams
And now the world's unraveling
As a result, the world around us is seemingly falling apart
Inside our very heads
This is causing internal chaos and confusion
Glasses smeared with lipstick
The remnants of what once was are clouding our vision
Hungry eyes out in the street
We're desperately searching for something, but don't know what we're looking for
Same old bodies moving
We're going through the motions of life, but not really living
To the same old beat
Stuck in a monotonous routine, lacking inspiration or change
Had to draw the line
We had to establish a boundary to protect ourselves
All this talk can hypnotize you and
Too much empty, meaningless talk can lull you into a false sense of security
We can ill afford
We can't risk wasting any of our time
To give ourselves to sentiment
We can't indulge in frivolous emotions or dwell in the past
When our time is oh so short
Life is short and we need to focus on what's truly important
Names beneath the lichen
Our legacies will eventually fade away
On these cemetery stones
The markers of those who have come before us
And carnivals of silverfish
Bugs that scavenge on decaying flesh, symbolizing the inevitability of death
Waiting to dance upon our bones
Death is a certainty that we can't escape
Have to draw the line, have to draw the line
We need to establish boundaries and protect ourselves from the chaos of life
I've been doubting yours baby
I've been questioning your true intentions
I've been doubting mine
I've been questioning my own motives and actions
I've been out of circulation
I haven't been fully present or engaged with life
Where the sun don't shine
In a dark place or state of mind
I've been doubting fame and wealth
I've been questioning the value of material success
Charity, even love itself
I'm questioning the worth of even the most noble human emotions
Draw the line
I need to establish boundaries to protect myself from the confusion and chaos around me
I ain't saying he's bad baby
I'm not necessarily judging him as a person
I ain't saying he's good
But I'm also not saying he's a great person either
Merely that he ain't so different
He's not necessarily unique or special
Neath his executioners hood
Even people you might view as the bad guys, like executioners, are still human
In the name of liberty
People may do bad things in the name of freedom
In the name of brotherhood
People may do bad things in the name of unity
Need to take some pride baby
We need to have confidence in ourselves
Need to take some heart
We need to be brave and courageous
Need to take evasive action
We need to take action to protect ourselves
When the rumpus start
When things get crazy or uncertain
Here we are buck naked baby
We are vulnerable and exposed
But where should we begin
The path forward is not clear
When it's not the flesh we're after
We're not just seeking physical pleasures or possessions
But the howlin' ghost within
We're searching for deeper meaning and purpose in life
Pack your bags we're going home
We're ready to leave chaos and uncertainty behind and seek a return to stability and grounding
Help me draw the line
Asking for support in protecting myself and establishing boundaries
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, DELLA BLUE MUSIC LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: DAVID GRAY, NEILL MACCOLL, ROBBIE MALONE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Bren 123
This song deserves so much more recognition!
Chris Kort
Couldn't agree more. Great song!
dr€z_666
"There are carnivals of silver fish waiting to dance upon our bones" chills
jimmy peartree
Brilliant songwriter.....Dylan, Springsteen. Gordon Lightfoot, Elvis Coatello. Etc..David Gray's walking into your exclusive club..Just like he's always been there..
Fred Edish
Arlo McKinley 👍🏻
Amanda Adams
Love this CD 💿
Floki Loki
so good. great stuff
Organic Grower
Love it...
Chris Kort
Great song to come back too!
Sean Tighe Drums
Number 1 Fan!
so good! :)