Harder
David Gray Lyrics


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Can't recall the moment when the doubt
Ripped your face
Or put my finger on quite when the fog
Took your place
Now we've been beating on it
'Till we're black and blue
Just what good exactly is it gonna do
Always so much harder
So much harder when you have to try
Could we at least agree upon the size
And the shape
The relative dimensions that the lie
Ought to take
For your delectation a scenario
Taken so much further than it needs to go
Always so much harder
Always so much
If we could get away just for a week or two
Baby let it burn the way it used to do
Always so much harder
So much harder when you have to try
Have to try
And if the ground should open up
And swallow me
It would not stop
That minute hand from ticking off
The minutes 'till the penny drop
Not a breath of wind
And not a cloud in the sky
All the better then to watch the world passing by
Passing by




Passing by
Passing by

Overall Meaning

In the song "Harder" by David Gray, the lyrics explore the difficulties and complexities of relationships. The first couple of lines mention the appearance of doubt in someone's face, which is juxtaposed with the ensuing fog that takes his place. This is symbolic, likely representing the confusion that can arise within relationships. Despite trying to analyze and work through these issues, the couple is still beating themselves up to no avail. The lyrics emphasize the immense effort it takes to maintain a healthy relationship, indicating that trying too hard can sometimes make things worse.


The chorus of the song repeats the line "Always so much harder when you have to try," further emphasizing the difficulty of maintaining healthy relationships. Gray then offers a glimmer of hope, suggesting that taking a break from the relationship might help the couple reconnect. The lyrics express the desire to return to the intensity and passion of the past, as represented by the line "Baby let it burn the way it used to do."


The final verse of the song offers a bleak outlook on relationships, with the lyrics suggesting that no matter what happens, time keeps moving forward. The imagery of the ground opening up and swallowing the singer emphasizes just how powerless he feels, with the ticking clock further highlighting the difficulty of overcoming relationship difficulties.


Overall, the lyrics of "Harder" offer a nuanced exploration of the complexities of relationships, emphasizing the difficulty of maintaining a healthy relationship while recognizing that taking a break might help renew the connection.


Interesting facts about the song:


Interesting Facts
Note: This section uses generative AI, which can be inaccurate.


Line by Line Meaning

Can't recall the moment when the doubt
I cannot remember the specific moment when your doubt became apparent to me.


Ripped your face
But it was so strong that your doubt was clearly visible on your face.


Or put my finger on quite when the fog
I cannot pinpoint exactly when this foggy feeling came over us.


Took your place
But it seems to have replaced our previous state of clarity and understanding.


Now we've been beating on it
Instead of addressing our doubts and foggy feelings, we've been trying to push through them.


'Till we're black and blue
We've been pushing so hard that we're feeling bruised and battered from the effort.


Just what good exactly is it gonna do
I'm starting to wonder if all this effort is actually going to accomplish anything at all.


Always so much harder
It always seems so much more difficult to work through our problems than to ignore them.


So much harder when you have to try
It's especially difficult when we have to put in effort to overcome our issues.


Could we at least agree upon the size
Perhaps we could start by agreeing on exactly how big this problem really is?


And the shape
And maybe even what shape it takes or how it manifests in our lives?


The relative dimensions that the lie
We need to define exactly how much of this is a lie and how much is truth.


Ought to take
And how much we're willing to let it affect our lives.


For your delectation a scenario
Just to help illustrate this, I'll give you an example.


Taken so much further than it needs to go
Sometimes we both take things too far beyond what's necessary.


If we could get away just for a week or two
Maybe if we take some time away from our troubles...


Baby let it burn the way it used to do
...we can rediscover the passion and love we used to feel for each other.


And if the ground should open up
Even if something truly catastrophic were to happen...


And swallow me
...it wouldn't stop the passage of time and the ticking off of the minutes until the truth finally becomes clear.


Not a breath of wind
Sometimes it's best to sit still and wait for the truth to reveal itself.


And not a cloud in the sky
And to take comfort in life's simple beauty while we wait.


All the better then to watch the world passing by
Because the world goes on, even when we're struggling with our own issues.




Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, DELLA BLUE MUSIC LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: NEILL MACCOLL, DAVID GRAY MARK, ROBERT MALONE, KEITH ANDERSON PRIOR

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

Jules B

My favourite song off a great album

Abdulaziz

My new best song much love 💓

Maria Adam

This album is so underrated. One of my favourites indeed. Hope you will go back to the clear voice sounds. On the new ones sounds like 2-3 voices in the whole songs and it's not good. Love your voice alone without effects and anything

Linda Bouldin

Liked and shared! 

Sean Tighe Drums

Best Music.

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