Record". This long-awaited recording heralds the return of this internationally acclaimed singer/
songwriter and masterful pianist. In the words of one music journalist: "Grayson Hugh has been there and back again. His story - our story - has to be heard".
This Connecticut-born artist released his 1988 RCA Debut “Blind To Reason”, that spawned several radio hits in the States, U.K. and in Europe. The record went gold in the United States and Australia, and his music videos were in heavy rotation on VH1. Riding the success of this album, Hugh wowed audiences around the world with his passionate, high energy live performances.
Hugh's follow-up record “Road To Freedom” (MCA 1992) was produced by the late Bernard
Edwards of Chic fame. This album, arranged by Hugh and featuring a more rootsy rock and soul
band, garnered much critical success. Billboard Magazine called it one of 1992’s top-ten albums.
Upon hearing an advance pressing of "Road To Freedom", director Ridley Scott personally
requested two of Hugh's songs from the record to be featured in his film "Thelma and Louise".
Yet another song from the record became the end-title song for hit 1991 film "Fried Green
Tomatoes".
The music industry was impressed and his legion of fans was devoted but, in a classic tale of
record company mismanagement, by 1994 Hugh, through no fault of his own, found himself
without a label and on his own.
Discouraged with the mercenary music business, Hugh moved to rural North Carolina for a few years, eventually winding his way back to the Northeast and landing a job teaching songwriting at Berklee College of Music in Boston. He continued to write prolifically and perform occasionally,
amassing a library of over two hundred new songs.
Hugh's life took a dramatic turn in 2000, when the old demon of alcohol reared its head. He began a rapid descent that led him, after a near fatal seizure, to a hospital and then a sober house on Cape Cod. After several years rebuilding his life, assistance came in the form of a counselor at a rehabilitation agency, who knew his work and offered to find some seed money for Hugh to begin work on a new record.
Dipping into his huge library of never-released songs, and writing some new ones, Hugh began work on a deeply personal record, unencumbered by major record label restraints. The release featured the diverse musical styles he had always loved: soul, country, rock, gospel,
jazz and bluegrass. The result was "An American Record".
In the process of making the record, Hugh reconnected with his former backup singer and
friend Polly Messer. One harmony led to another and they ended up producing the new record
together and getting married in August of 2008.
Leonard Pitts, Jr. (2004 Pulitzer Prize winner for Commentary) wrote in his glowing review of
the release: "In a world where music is often a brittle artificiality, the music he makes is hard
and strong, convicted and convincing. And true. Most of all, true... Because his music is soul
in the sense that it looks you in the eye and speaks to you from the gut, that it is real, honest
and - we keep coming back to that word - true... This is 'An American Record' Some of us are
glad the wait is over at last."
Grayson Hugh's newest album "Back To The Soul", a return to his Soul roots, is slated for a release in August 2015.
What It's All About
Grayson Hugh Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Where the reeds grow wild and tall
Where the lonely roads have lost their reach
And the songs of thunder fall
There's a mist down by the rocks and sea
Comes climbing up the pines
And the stars and ships are shining distantly
And it's so dark here on the borderline
And we keep ourselves free
And we keep ourselves free
And the moon is shining for you and me
That's what it's all about
That's what it's all about
Now we've come to the edge of the ocean
And the night goes on and on
And our lives like stones are breaking free
All our goodbyes
All our goodbyes they have gone
(Down to the ocean)
And all our time apart has turned to leaves
(Down to the ocean)
In a thousand unsung rains
(Going down to the ocean)
And we go floating
We go floating on through the cypress trees
(To the ocean)
With the moonlight in our veins
And we keep ourselves free
And we keep ourselves free
And the moonlight is shining for you and me
That's what it's all about
That's what it's all about
I want you to play it
And this is the moment of our singing
This is the story that we hold
And this is the heartbeat that we come bringing
These are the things
All the things of young and old
(Down to the river)
This is the sound of the future falling
(Down to the river)
And the full moon it does not hide
(Going down to the river)
And this is the rhythm of the wild river calling
(To the river)
As we go tumbling in the tide
And we keep ourselves free
Yeah we keep ourselves so free
And the moonlight is shining for you and me
That's what it's all about
That's what it's all about
'Cause we've always known each other
Yeah, we've always known each other
And here we are again
Just you and me in the darkness
And way far off all the boats are shining
And all the whales are dreaming for us baby
And the dolphins are wandering right here to the island where we are
Just you and me, you and me, you and me together
That's what it's all about
What it's all about
The lyrics of Grayson Hugh’s song “What It’s All About” depict a scene of serenity and peace, as the singer describes being down by the beach where the reeds “grow wild and tall.” The singer paints a picture of being in the midst of nature, with mist coming up from the rocks and sea, and stars and ships shining distantly in the dark. The song seems to be addressing someone the singer is with, with a focus on the freedom they both experience as they float along together down the river in peace, with the moonlight shining for them. The lines “we keep ourselves free” suggest a desire to escape the limitations of everyday life, and the feeling that being in nature and experiencing a sense of freedom is what truly matters.
The song speaks to a universal longing for simplicity and connection to nature, and the idea that the bigger picture is what truly matters. It is easy to get bogged down in the day-to-day hustle and forget about the bigger things that bring meaning to our lives. The song encourages us to take a step back and appreciate the world around us, and to remember what truly matters – love, freedom, and connection to nature.
Line by Line Meaning
I just want to see you down by the beach
I want to be with you at the beach
Where the reeds grow wild and tall
Describing a specific location at the beach
Where the lonely roads have lost their reach
The location is secluded
And the songs of thunder fall
The sound of ocean waves crashing
There's a mist down by the rocks and sea
Describing the beach environment
Comes climbing up the pines
The mist is moving to the surrounding trees
And the stars and ships are shining distantly
Describing the view from the beach
And it's so dark here on the borderline
The setting is dark and mysterious
And we keep ourselves free
Maintaining a sense of freedom
And the moon is shining for you and me
The moon is adding to the ambiance
That's what it's all about
This is why we're here
Now we've come to the edge of the ocean
Describing the terrain from the beach to the ocean shore
And the night goes on and on
The night is never-ending
And our lives like stones are breaking free
Our lives are transitioning and changing
All our goodbyes
Leaving behind the past
All our goodbyes they have gone
We've moved past our goodbyes
(Down to the ocean)
Repeating the song's undertone
And all our time apart has turned to leaves
Time passing changes us
In a thousand unsung rains
A poetic way of expressing the rain's influence over time
And we go floating
Transitioning into a different state of mind
We go floating on through the cypress trees
Floating through a new environment
(To the ocean)
Repeating the song's undertone
With the moonlight in our veins
Describing the ambiance of the environment
And this is the moment of our singing
Describing the present moment
This is the story that we hold
Our personal narrative
And this is the heartbeat that we come bringing
Our personal beliefs
These are the things
Things we value
All the things of young and old
Things that are important to everyone
(Down to the river)
Repeating the song's undertone
This is the sound of the future falling
Describing an ominous foreboding sense of the future
And the full moon it does not hide
Describing a sense of illumination
(Going down to the river)
Repeating the song's undertone
And this is the rhythm of the wild river calling
The environment is calling to us
(To the river)
Repeating the song's undertone
As we go tumbling in the tide
Describing our journey
Yeah we keep ourselves so free
Maintaining a sense of freedom
'Cause we've always known each other
Our connection
Just you and me in the darkness
Describing the present moment
And way far off all the boats are shining
Describing the environment outside of our current present
And all the whales are dreaming for us baby
A poetic expression of the whales existance in relation to us
And the dolphins are wandering right here to the island where we are
An imaginative extension of our environment
Just you and me, you and me, you and me together
Reiterating our connection
That's what it's all about
The core of the song's message
Contributed by Kaylee T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.