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.
The Old Chair
David Gray Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The old chair
It gets that they don't want it anymore
The split seams
And bad dreams
I'm fluttering like a dollar to the floor, oh
You get to wonder what you do it for
That shadow gonna greet me
The moment I go stepping through the door
My heart pounds
I hear sounds
Like laughter coming softly through the walls
The high times
Turn sidelines
This game it makes a fool out of us all
You're off but you ain't hardly
Touched the ball
And if you're not there to meet me
Only absence gonna greet me
The moment I go stepping through the door
And if you're not there to meet me
Just who is gonna greet me
The moment I go stepping through the door
The song "The Old Chair" by David Gray is a melancholic and introspective ballad that explores themes of abandonment and isolation caused by the passage of time. The lyrics follow the story of an old, worn-out chair that has been discarded by its owners and is now left alone to face its destiny. The chair personifies the feeling of being neglected and forgotten, as it reflects on the memories and moments it has witnessed, and how they have become distant and faded with time.
The chorus of the song repeats the line "The old chair, The old chair, It gets that they don't want it anymore" conveying a sense of resignation and acceptance towards its fate. The chair acknowledges its imperfections, symbolized by the "split seams and bad dreams" and compares itself to a "dollar fluttering to the floor", highlighting its worthlessness in the eyes of others. The verses describe the chair's surroundings, the sounds and memories that haunt it, as it waits alone for someone to return and give it a purpose once again.
The bridge of the song adds a layer of loneliness to the chair's already sad story. The lyrics describe a sense of anticipation as the chair awaits the return of its owners, but it is met with an empty greeting, only absence and shadows await it. The song's overall message is one of reflection and melancholy, as the chair embodies the human experience of feeling forgotten and left behind.
Line by Line Meaning
The old chair
Referring to an aged piece of furniture that may hold sentimental value
The old chair
Repeated line for emphasis
It gets that they don't want it anymore
The chair has become worn and out of style, reflecting on the people who used to cherish it
The split seams
The chair has visible damage, such as splitting seams, that shows its age
And bad dreams
The artist is disturbed by their thoughts of losing something that held such value
I'm fluttering like a dollar to the floor, oh
The singer is overcome with emotion like the fluttering of a falling dollar bill
You get to wonder what you do it for
Questioning the value of holding onto something when it is no longer wanted by others
And if you're not there to meet me
The artist is hoping for someone to be present when they arrive, likely for emotional support
That shadow gonna greet me
If no one is there to meet the artist, they will be left with a feeling of emptiness
The moment I go stepping through the door
Referencing the moment of arriving home
My heart pounds
The singer's heart is racing with anticipation
I hear sounds
The artist is noticing sounds, possibly hearing echoes of memories from the past
Like laughter coming softly through the walls
The singer is hearing faint sounds of joy and happiness, possibly from previous occupants of the home or room
The high times
The good times that were had with others in that space
Turn sidelines
Feeling as if those good times have passed, and that they are not currently a part of the singer's life
This game it makes a fool out of us all
The difficulty of life and holding onto things that have passed is often felt by all people
You're off but you ain't hardly
Referencing the feeling of being disconnected from what is currently going on
Touched the ball
Feeling as if the singer is not in control or involved in their own life
Just who is gonna greet me
A continuation of the earlier line, asking who will be present to greet the singer
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: DAVID GRAY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Dave
This is by far my favorite album!