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.
Smile
David Gray Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm sinking with the sun
Everything I do
Is wrong wrong wrong
Gazing at the billboards
Staring down the broken lines
Sleeping on the backseat
You were right up there beside me
Tugging at my sleeve
And putting up your lipstick
Just like you did a thousand times
And something in your eyes that makes me smile
Oh yeah
Something in your eyes that makes me smile
Oh yeah
I wake up in the darkness
Its more than I can stand
I'm reaching out to touch it
It breaks up in my hand
I've never known the headlights
To shine so cold
I'm waiting for the morning
To steal over the hills
I'm urging for the road
To speed these wheels
I'm watching for the sunrise
Turning all the teardrops gold
Cause something in your eyes that makes me smile
Oh yeah
Something in your eyes that makes me smile
Oh yeah
And something in your eyes that makes me smile
Oh yeah
Oh yeah oh yeah oh yeah
David Gray's "Smile" is a song about hope and how certain individuals are able to lift us out of our doubts and despair. In the first verse, Gray bemoans his inability to do anything right and feels like he is falling by the wayside. Despite this, he still finds himself drawn to the billboards and broken lines that surround him. He is struggling to keep his head above water but everything seems to be going wrong.
The chorus serves as a reminder of the one bright spot in Gray's life - the person beside him in the backseat of the car. This individual is applying lipstick, which according to Gray, she has done a thousand times before. However, something in her eyes makes Gray smile. The fact that he can find joy in the midst of his troubles is a testament to the power of love and faith.
In the second verse, Gray is still struggling but he has hope. He is wide awake in the darkness and reaches out to touch the light, only for it to break up in his hand. Despite the setbacks, he is anxiously waiting for the morning to arrive and for the road to take him new places. He is watching for the sunrise to turn his tears to gold, hoping that the future will be brighter. In the end, it is the person in the backseat that helps him see the joy in life.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm falling by the wayside
I'm losing my direction in life and feeling lost
I'm sinking with the sun
I'm feeling depressed and defeated as the day ends
Everything I do
Is wrong wrong wrong
I feel like I can't do anything right and constantly make mistakes
Gazing at the billboards
Staring down the broken lines
I'm lost in my own thoughts and not paying attention to my surroundings
Sleeping on the backseat
I could not believe
You were right up there beside me
Tugging at my sleeve
And putting up your lipstick
Just like you did a thousand times
And something in your eyes that makes me smile
Oh yeah
I'm reminiscing about a past love and their simple actions still have the ability to bring joy to my life
I wake up in the darkness
Its more than I can stand
I'm reaching out to touch it
It breaks up in my hand
I've never known the headlights
To shine so cold
I'm struggling to cope with my current situation, it feels like nothing is going my way and even the things that should bring light to my life are failing me
I'm waiting for the morning
To steal over the hills
I'm urging for the road
To speed these wheels
I'm watching for the sunrise
Turning all the teardrops gold
I'm hopeful that things will get better and looking forward to a fresh start
Cause something in your eyes that makes me smile
Oh yeah
Despite my struggles, the memory of a past love still brings me happiness
Oh yeah oh yeah oh yeah
Repeating the previous statement to emphasize the impact it has on my life
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: FRED FAIRBRASS, RICHARD PETER JOHN FAIRBRASS, MYKE GRAY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind