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.
Folk Song
David Gray Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
For some word to come
I asked the moon o'er the clover
But the moon she is dumb
You have made me a promise
At midnight we'd go
And that we should be married
Such words you have spoken
You have told me a lie
That it could not be broken
When you knew it must die
There's no light in heaven
My eye can see
That my heart be imprisoned
While the devil go free
Go free
Like honey the ocean
In the morning breeze
I'll take my tears to the water
That the rivers may freeze
There's no light in heaven
Can shine for me
That my heart be imprisoned
While the devil go free
Go free
What folly is beauty
What trick of the skin
Desire it's fancy
And ruin its whim
Your child within me
And what can I do
My blood fill with needles
That he look like you
There's no light in heaven
My eye can see
That my heart be imprisoned
While the devil go free
My heart be imprisoned
While the devil go free
No light in heaven
No light for me
The song "Folk Song" by David Gray is a melancholic ballad about a woman who has been waiting all night for a promise from a man who has let her down. The opening lines set the scene of disappointment, as the singer has been waiting for some word to come, but she is left empty-handed. She asks the moon for an answer, but it remains silent. This motif of waiting and silence creates a sense of tension and despair as the woman becomes increasingly frustrated with the broken promise.
The song then moves on to the promised midnight meeting and the plans to sail westward to get married. However, the woman realizes that the promise was a lie, and it could not be fulfilled. The lyrical repetition of "there's no light in heaven" adds to the sense of hopelessness and imprisonment that the woman feels. She is trapped in a situation where her heart is imprisoned, and the man who made the promise is free to do as he pleases.
The song ends with a reflection on the nature of beauty, desire, and the pains of pregnancy. The woman is filled with a child that resembles the man who has let her down, and she acknowledges that there is no light in heaven that can free her from this situation.
Overall, "Folk Song" is a poignant portrayal of disappointment, broken promises, and the feelings of entrapment that can arise when we place our trust in others.
Line by Line Meaning
I have waited the night over
I have patiently waited all night for some news or message.
For some word to come
I have been eagerly waiting for some message to arrive.
I asked the moon o'er the clover
I looked up at the moon, hoping it could provide some answers.
But the moon she is dumb
But the moon - a symbol of hope and illumination - did not offer any answers or guidance.
You have made me a promise
You have given me your word, pledged to do something.
At midnight we'd go
You had promised to meet me at midnight.
And that we should be married
And that we would become husband and wife.
Sailing westward ho
Setting sail and going westward, towards a new beginning.
Such words you have spoken
You said so many things.
You have told me a lie
But you deceived me.
That it could not be broken
You gave me your word that your promise was unbreakable.
When you knew it must die
But in your heart you knew it would eventually come to an end.
There's no light in heaven
For me, there is no hope or salvation.
My eye can see
I cannot see any light or hope.
That my heart be imprisoned
My heart feels trapped and imprisoned.
While the devil go free
While evil or wrongdoing in the world goes unpunished.
Like honey the ocean
The ocean looks beautiful and inviting, like honey or syrup.
In the morning breeze
Especially in the morning, when the air is crisp and fresh.
I'll take my tears to the water
I will cry and let my sadness flow into the water.
That the rivers may freeze
I hope that even the rivers, which are constantly flowing, might be able to freeze my tears.
What folly is beauty
What a foolish thing beauty can be.
What trick of the skin
It can be so fleeting and superficial, just a trick of the skin.
Desire it's fancy
Desire is just a whimsical thing.
And ruin its whim
And it can lead to ruin if it's not controlled.
Your child within me
I am pregnant with your child.
And what can I do
And now I am stuck in this situation.
My blood fill with needles
I feel like my own blood is stabbing me with needles, causing me pain.
That he look like you
That our child will look like you, a reminder of what you have done.
No light in heaven
Again, there is no hope or salvation for me.
No light for me
I feel lost in darkness, unable to see a way out.
My heart be imprisoned
I feel like my heart is trapped and weighed down by my sorrow and pain.
While the devil go free
Meanwhile, it seems like those who have done wrong or caused harm are not being held accountable for their actions.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: DAVID GRAY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind