The band's origins date from when Santana guitarist Neal Schon formed the band Azteca along with Larry Graham (bass guitar) and Gregg Errico (drums), both from Sly and the Family Stone, and Peter Sears (keyboards), from Hot Tuna and Jefferson Starship. Santana bass guitar player Tom Rutley would move into to the bass spot with Azteca. That band, like Santana with heavy Latin influences, would eventually morph into Graham Central Station, while Schon would found Journey.
Graham Central Station's biggest hit was Your Love, which charted at number 9 in 1975. The group integrated Graham's slap bass style along with influences ranging from marching band to gospel. They played with the dichotomy between the funk rock star image and the "sanctified" gospel group image. Some of their recordings feature their then Warner Bros labelmates Tower of Power horn section. Graham went solo in the later 1970's having a chart hit with "One in a Million, You".
While no longer as popular as in the 70's, Larry Graham (born in Beaumont Texas in 1946) continues to tour & play music into the 21st century, most notably with Prince with whom he shares an interest in the Jehovah's Witness religion. In 1999, Graham recorded an album for Prince's label under the Graham Central Station moniker that featured old Sly Stone era bandmates Cynthia Robinson and sax player Jerry Martini and performed on Prince's "Rave Un2 2000" live DVD and appeared as a featured act throughout Prince's Jam of The Year tour.
Today
Graham Central Station Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Day I've ever known
Can't live for tomorrow,
Tomorrow's much too long
I'll burn my eyes out
Before I get out
I wanted more
Bored by the chore
Of saving face
Today is the greatest
Day I've ever known
Can't wait for tomorrow
I might not have that long
I'll tear my heart out
Before I get out
Pink ribbon scars
That never forget
I tried so hard
To cleanse these regrets
My angel wings
Were bruised and restrained
My belly stings
Today is
Today is
Today is
The greatest day
I want to turn you on
I want to turn you on
I want to turn you on
I want to turn you
Today is the greatest
Today is the greatest day
Today is the greatest day
That I have ever really known
The song "Today" by Graham Central Station expresses an intense, euphoric feeling of being alive and present in the moment. The lyrics suggest that the singer is experiencing a heightened sense of awareness, as if they are truly alive for the first time. They reject the idea of living for tomorrow, suggesting that life is too short to wait for the future. The lines "I'll burn my eyes out before I get out" and "I'll tear my heart out before I get out" suggest a willingness to sacrifice oneself for the sake of fully experiencing the present moment.
The lyrics also suggest a sense of dissatisfaction with life up to this point, as the singer says they "wanted more than life could ever grant me" and were "bored by the chore of saving face." The lines "Pink ribbon scars that never forget" and "my angel wings were bruised and restrained, my belly stings" suggest painful memories and experiences that the singer is trying to overcome. Overall, the song celebrates the power of the present moment and the possibility of transcending past struggles to find joy and meaning in life.
Line by Line Meaning
Today is the greatest
Today is the most wonderful day of my life
Day I've ever known
I have never had a day as great as today
Can't live for tomorrow,
I cannot focus on the future, for it is too far away
Tomorrow's much too long
The future seems distant and unattainable
I'll burn my eyes out
I would rather harm myself than leave this moment
Before I get out
Before I leave this moment
I wanted more
I desired more than what life could give me
Than life could ever grant me
More than what was possible for me to have
Bored by the chore
Tired of the effort
Of saving face
Of trying to maintain a good appearance
Can't wait for tomorrow
Excited about the possibility of tomorrow
I might not have that long
It is uncertain whether I will live to see tomorrow
I'll tear my heart out
I would rather harm myself than miss this moment
Pink ribbon scars
Visible reminders of past pain
That never forget
I will always remember those pains
I tried so hard
I did my best
To cleanse these regrets
To forget past mistakes
My angel wings
My pure, innocent spirit
Were bruised and restrained
Were hurt and oppressed
My belly stings
I feel pain deep inside
I want to turn you on
I want to excite and inspire you
I want to turn you on
I want to make you feel alive
I want to turn you on
I want to ignite your passion
Today is the greatest day
Today is truly incredible
That I have ever really known
I have never experienced anything like it before
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Songtrust Ave, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Randy Sparks
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Blake Kersey
Wrong lyrics!
@cherylbaylor9603
I Love Love LOVE THIS SONG.........SUCH MEMORIES 🥰🤪😁🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰
@joylettecasey6215
LORD HAVE MERCY! THANK YOU LARRY GRAHAM! MAY JEHOVAH GOD BLESS YOU ALWAYS IN THE NAME OF JESES! AMEN!
@cherylbaylor9603
I Love, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE THIS SONG.
@mesalihadj
Only the time will telllllllll! You know if you had the record, the song literally never ended.. the last note would play for hours
@QueenUglyDuckling
The funk....the lyrics...the instrumentation...the organs...LG on the bass...THIS song is THAT IIIIISH!!!!!!
🎼🎵🎶🔊🎙🎛🎸🎹🥁
@seezamoment4977
Hey, do you believe that Graham was talking about Sly Stone? Music is the only love.
@lantanaland6266
This is a really excellent production by the bassist of another brother with tons of talent and before his time, Sly. Thanks for posting. Still have it on vinyl.
@user-vs9uh2rs9j
This song reminds of church and NW DC a female I loved named Christine Mccune. It brings emotions to my mind...
@13CL456
Charles Hamilton sampled this to great effect on his song "Music (Intro)". One of my favorite songs by him. And now he's led me here, and I am glad for that.