1) Grey area is an instrumenta… Read Full Bio ↴There are 2 artists called Grey Area:
1) Grey area is an instrumental electronic music act from Sydney Australia, the long term project of composer Alex Salter.
2) A melodic hardcore band from New York with former members of Warzone and Black Train Jack
1) At the time of conception, the sound was the fusion of film music and atmospheres, a 'grey area' between two very different strands of cinema audio. Soon the focus had shifted toward the musical end of the scale. Over the next 5 years a chaotic production process resulted in the first album simply titled 'Grey Area'. A bizarre concoction of looped percussion, heavily effected voice and instrument samples as well as countless overdubs and studio-manipulation.
The Album was well received with positive reviews internationally. Grey Area also began playing to audiences in 1997 and these live tracks plus several studio pieces resulted in their next release Absolute Grey Area (1999). Absolute took a more technological approach to the first album, with a slower more solemn feel and expansive overall production. Tracks from both albums were licensed in Australia, Europe and Asia for compilations.
Meanwhile, Grey Area was starting to play bigger and better parties, feeling most comfortable at outdoor festivals.
In 2000 a line-up change resulted in another shift in the music, this time to a more ambient, spatial, and complex sound, a sound reflected in the 2003 release Penumbra. The culmination of 7 years of musical exploration, Penumbra promises to be Grey Areas deepest, most co-hesive offering to date. From greyarea.chaos.org.au
In 2005, And Then the Clouds was released under Waveform records. Written by Alex Salter & featuring vocals by Mandy Schöne, tracks 3, 5 & 8 are courtesy of Psy-harmonics.
2) Grey Area is a melodic hardcore band from New York.
New York Hardcore wasn‘t ready yet. It wasn‘t prepared for the death of one of its original contributors, Raybeez of Warzone. The demise of Warzone left the remaining members shocked and bewildered, and music stopped for each of them some for time thereafter. The first of the members to get back into the saddle was Vinny Value who although played drums for Warzone for five years, kept the monicker of his first hard core effort No Redeeming Social Value. Teaming up with Ernie, who also has some impressive hardcore experience behind him, (Black Train Jack, Token Entry and In Your Face) they formed Grey Area -the perfect blend of both the aggressive style carried over from Warzone, as well as the melodic content carried over from Black Train Jack. Hooks, hooks, and more hooks, is the way to describe the musical style of Grey Area. A mature approach towards issues that everyone can identify with, with a highly addictive catchy style. A little cynical, a little tongue in cheek, but overall serious intentions carried over with the most powerful guitar tone and driving drum wizardry existing in hardcore today. Both founding members enthusiastically agree on who the shapers of hardcore were and these involuntarily became the fingerprint influences of Grey Area‘s material. Bands like the Bad Brains, Minor Threat, Descendents, Cro-Mags, and of course Black Train Jack and Warzone, all have branches mixed with the roots of Grey Area‘s musical style. After establishing the style of the band, the job of populating the main characters then took priority. Steve O‘brien, former bassist in New York‘s "Crown of Thornz", finally settled in to take over the bottom end attack. A true disciple of the Cro-Mags and Bad Brains style, he adds just the right amount of unbound agression, as well as bass playing finesse. An extra dose of power was added in the person of Jay Lehrhoff , also a former Warzone member, on second guitar. Already having played for years with Vinnie, Jay slid into the role effortlessly and immediately began to add his special touches. Through songs like "For Real" written about the late great Raybeez, to others such as "The Mirror" which through a familiar metaphor deals with the difficulty of finding ones true self in a world with so much confusion, which becomes the overall theme for the entire record, Grey Area captures integrity and sincerity through their music. It‘s a positive message in a negative world. The punk rock and hardcore music scene is in a rut of unoriginality- Grey Area combats this with their infectious and believable music.
(Taken from their myspace page)
Tennessee
Grey Area Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Something so responsible for who I am today.
But I knew I wouldn't walk away
Or leave it anyway, not on any day.
It meant so much to me
It gave me something to believe and say.
It's alright, it's no surprise,
Shaved head and boots,
They used to laugh at you in school.
But inside you're laughing at them,
They'll never understand, they're only fools.
Doing what you want to do,
Won't make you many friends.
Being who you want to be,
Won't make you many friends.
In the song Tennessee by Grey Area, the lyrics convey the message of the importance of holding on to something that plays a significant role in shaping one's identity. The opening lines, "It's funny how I almost threw it all away. Something so responsible for who I am today," explain the realization of almost losing something that had defined the singer's identity. The significance of the thing is not shared in the song, and it's up to the audience to interpret what this thing means. The following lyrics, "But I knew I wouldn't walk away or leave it anyway, not on any day," portray the singer's resolute decision to hold onto that thing. It made them who they are today, and it provides them with a sense of accomplishment and purpose.
The second verse speaks about the struggles of being who you are and doing what you want to do. The lyrics, "Shaved head and boots, they used to laugh at you in school. But inside you're laughing at them, they'll never understand, they're only fools," portray the judgment and ridicule faced by individuals who choose to stand out or be different. The line "But inside you're laughing at them, they'll never understand, they're only fools" highlights the fact that people who judge others for who they are only reveal their lack of insight and understanding. The final lines emphasize the need to stay true to oneself despite the judgment passed by others.
Overall, the song conveys a message of staying true to oneself and not giving up on something that defines one's identity no matter how challenging it may seem.
Line by Line Meaning
It's funny how I almost threw it all away.
I almost gave up on something that has contributed to making me who I am today.
Something so responsible for who I am today.
This something has a significant impact on my personality and my current identity.
But I knew I wouldn't walk away
I held on to it and never even thought of letting go.
Or leave it anyway, not on any day.
No matter what happens, I won't abandon it.
It meant so much to me
I value it a lot and it has played a big role in my life.
It gave me something to believe and say.
It allowed me to have a set of principles and opinions to hold on to.
It's alright, it's no surprise,
It's not shocking that I cling on to it and find it important.
Some things in life will never change.
Certain things will always remain constant and vital to us.
Shaved head and boots,
Having a specific appearance, like shaved head and boots.
They used to laugh at you in school.
People in school would make fun of you for your appearance.
But inside you're laughing at them,
However, on the inside, I'm not affected by their negativity and can find the humor in the situation.
They'll never understand, they're only fools.
Those people will never comprehend the importance of what I hold on to and are foolish for not seeing it.
Doing what you want to do,
Making your own choices and following your dreams.
Won't make you many friends.
However, pursuing what you want may not always lead to making a lot of friends.
Being who you want to be,
Being true to yourself and your true identity.
Won't make you many friends.
But that may mean you won't necessarily form close friendships with everyone.
Contributed by Eva R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.