Stella The Artist
David Gray Lyrics


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Stella she gave me a state of grace
I'm armour plated 4 inches thick
Now all I got was a little taste
I'm gibbering like a lunatic
Stella the artist
Just for now at least you're mine
All mine
No need to be modest
As the daylight creeps
Take her hand and reach through time
I felt the sting of my own rebuke
Come spinning back like a boomerang
I swam the sea of psychotic puke
Nursing my love like a guilty pang
Stella the artist
Just for now at least you're mine
All mine
No need to be modest
As the daylight creeps
Take her hand and reach
You're only saying what they all say
You're only saying what they all say
It should be more like the old days
It should be more like the old days
Oh man
Stella the artist
As the daylight creeps
Take her hand and reach through time
Stella the artist
Just for now at least you're mine
All mine
No need to be modest
As the daylight creeps
And the floorboard creaks




And your poor heart leaps
Take her hand and reach through time

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of David Gray’s song Stella The Artist are complex and open to interpretation, but they seem to revolve around the idea of finding solace and meaning through artistic expression and the fleeting nature of creative inspiration. In the first stanza, the singer seems to have found a moment of clarity and shelter through the eponymous Stella, who is presumably an artist herself. The imagery of being “armour plated 4 inches thick” suggests that the singer has been hurt or disappointed before, but Stella has given him a “state of grace” that makes him feel protected and invulnerable.


However, this feeling is short-lived, and the subsequent lyrics indicate a sense of restlessness and insecurity. The singer has only “got was a little taste” of Stella’s artistry, and he is now “gibbering like a lunatic” and “nursing [his] love like a guilty pang”. The repetition of the phrase “Stella the artist” suggests that the singer is trying to hold on to this fleeting moment of inspiration and creativity, but he knows that it is slipping away from him. The final lines of the song seem to be an exhortation to hold on to this moment and reach through time to grasp the essence of the artistic experience.


Overall, the song seems to explore the power of art to provide a temporary respite from the pains and disappointments of life, but also the fleeting nature of that respite and the longing to hold on to it. Through the character of Stella, Gray suggests that art can be a source of inspiration and solace, but he also acknowledges that it can be elusive and difficult to grasp.


Line by Line Meaning

Stella she gave me a state of grace
Stella has given me a sense of calm and peacefulness


I'm armour plated 4 inches thick
I am strong and resilient, nothing can break me


Now all I got was a little taste
I have only just begun to experience what Stella offers


I'm gibbering like a lunatic
I am so overwhelmed with emotion that I cannot express myself rationally


Stella the artist
Stella, the creator of beauty and magic


Just for now at least you're mine
Although Stella is not truly mine, I will cherish this moment we have together


No need to be modest
Don't downplay your talent, own your greatness


As the daylight creeps
As time passes and I am still with Stella


Take her hand and reach through time
Hold onto her and make this moment last forever


I felt the sting of my own rebuke
I have been critical of myself and it hurts


Come spinning back like a boomerang
My past mistakes haunt me and keep coming back around


I swam the sea of psychotic puke
I have been through hell and back with my mental health struggles


Nursing my love like a guilty pang
I feel guilty about how much I care for Stella


You're only saying what they all say
You are not original or unique in your criticism


It should be more like the old days
Things were better in the past and we should go back to that


Oh man
An expression of emotional overwhelm


And the floorboard creaks
The passage of time is marked by the small sounds of the world around us


And your poor heart leaps
My heart is aching and overflowing with love for Stella




Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: DAVID GRAY, ROBERT MARTIN MALONE, KEITH ANDERSON PRIOR

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

One Future You

Love this

Sean Tighe Drums

Awesome!

r pieces

"a state of grace" ...had a stella friend once.

SUZY PAYNE

💃

Stella Parriott

Dude what I do art U H M

Albert Meza

No silders not no Have Cesar kick his ass laughing don't need grey come down i need him release the missing kids she not playing

Jasmine

well

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