The… Read Full Bio ↴Grey Eye Glances is an American band from the Philadelphia area.
They are: Dwayne Keith Klessel, Eric O'Dell, Brett Kull, Paul Ramsey, and Lindsey McKay. Jennifer Nobel sang lead vocals from the band's inception until early 2011.
Their name is a quote from Edgar Allan Poe's poem "To One in Paradise".
Thoughtful, Distinguished Pop Rock
The band had three minor AAA radio hits:
Aug 1998: Better Part of Me
Oct 2002: Close Your Eyes
Feb 2003: Big Red Boat
A Little Voodoo (Sojourn Hills Records)
Grey Eye Glances
By Paul Moffett
Pop rock music is usually at the receiving end of the disdain of "real" musicians, as though well-produced, tuneful music was not real. De gustibus is the ruling theme here, however, which allows some of us to enjoy well-done pop rock. Think of the best of Fleetwood Mac, think (dare I say it) of a lot of the Beatles' output, which was enormously aided by the classically trained hand of producer George Martin. Then tune in to the Pennsylvania band Grey Eye Glances and their seventh album they've released, A Little Voodoo.
Grey Eye Glances, which has built a career using non-traditional methods, including the web, formed a partnership with fans to fund and create A Little Voodoo, thereby avoiding the financial drain of a record label. They used four producers to create the songs on A Little Voodoo, not because it was problematic but because they had this idea, see, to take a whole lot of songs (50+) from the various members of the band and boil them down to the best nineteen, then go in a record them in batches of four or so songs, using different producers for each session. The engineers and producers included Jerry Marotta (Peter Gabriel, Indigo Girls, Paul McCartney); Kevin Killen (U2, Elvis Costello, Tori Amos); Peter Moshay (Mariah Carey, Jennifer Lopez, Sean Lennon/Yoko Ono); T-Bone Wolk (Paul Simon, Billy Joel, Eric Clapton, Hall & Oates); Paul Bryan (Aimee Mann) and Todd Vos (Paula Cole, Natalie Merchant, Phish). Ten songs finally wound up on the CD.
The results, which might have been disastrous, are instead, splendid in a thoughtful way. There might be one song with a hook that would appeal to an A&R guy but most of the songs have a deeper appeal than that. After listening for some time, a tune called "Good Folks" stood out for its melodic chorus and well-honed lyric:
"When the wind blows from the North
and the sky looks so divine.
And the waves roll back and forth,
remember it happens all the time."
Most of these songs are very musical and melodic, with thoughtful arrangements - for some, the very definition of pop rock. The primary singer, Jennifer Nobel, who also contributed a number of songs, possesses an elegant instrument, which she uses to proper effect all around. The harmonies are evocative of the Coors' early CDs, blending so well that it's well nigh impossible to separate them.
For the A&R crowd, here's the radio tune: "Big Red Boat," which is upbeat and cheerful. Come to think of it, that might be a negative, given the current state of commercial radio, which seems to be mostly interested in selling sour attitudes.
For the rest of us, including Boomers who might have not listened to anything new since 1985, this CD can go on your changer and the only people who won't like it will be your teenaged male children. A better recommendation than that I can't manage.
Grey Eye Glances' CDs can be found at http://www.greyeyeglances.com/, where you can listen to MP3 samples of a number of tunes. Do go check into it, by all means.
These Walls
Grey Eye Glances Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You look for secrets so surprised
You tell me I've been acting quiet
But I'm o.k.
I've really always been this way
It's very dark inside
Darkness keeps me with the light
In these walls I built for you
Hidden locks I can't undo
In these walls I built for you
It's not to do with you
It's not the things you say or do
It's not an answer or a clue
It's not that hard
The truth has left your vision scarred
There's so much space in here
Silence, covered up by tears
In these walls I built for you
Hidden locks I can't undo
In these walls I built for you
There's a point you might get through
In these walls I built for you
In the midst of it all
Of what little is left
Falling, falling, fall away
Levels form upon words
Growing stronger with time
Say it, say it, say anything
And all the while I built it here
I told you long ago
I told you how one never knows
I told you that's just how it goes
Were you inspired
From where I stand you look quite tired
But are you hiding, too
Careful, I just saw you move.
In these walls I built for you
Hidden locks I can't undo
In these walls I built for you
There's a point you might get through
In these walls I built for you
"These Walls" by Grey Eye Glances is a song about the pain of being misunderstood, and the loneliness that comes with trying to communicate in a world that doesn't always listen. The lyrics reveal a sense of confinement, as if the singer is trapped within the walls of their own mind. The song begins with an acknowledgement of the other person's attempt to connect: "You try to catch my eye / You look for secrets so surprised / You tell me I've been acting quiet." But despite the interest, the singer insists that there's no hidden meaning to their behavior. "It's not to do with you / It's not the things you say or do / It's not an answer or a clue / It's not that hard." The bridge of the song repeats the phrase "In these walls I built for you" as a reminder of the self-imposed isolation.
The second verse of the song continues to explore the theme of isolation. The singer acknowledges the presence of the other person, but laments that they can't seem to bridge the gap between their worlds. "There's so much space in here / Silence, covered up by tears." The bridge of the song returns again, this time with a sense of urgency. "There's a point you might get through / In these walls I built for you." The final verse is a plea for understanding: "From where I stand you look quite tired / But are you hiding, too / Careful, I just saw you move."
Overall, "These Walls" is a song that recognizes the pain of feeling unseen and unheard, and the struggle to connect with others even when the words don't come easily. It is a poignant reminder that sometimes we need to look beyond the surface in order to truly understand and connect with others.
Line by Line Meaning
You try to catch my eye
The person is trying to get the singer's attention.
You look for secrets so surprised
The person is surprised that the singer is not revealing any secrets to them.
You tell me I've been acting quiet
The person thinks that the singer has been quiet lately.
But I'm o.k.
The artist is fine despite the person's observation.
I've really always been this way
The artist has always been quiet and reserved.
It's very dark inside
The singer feels emotionally dark and heavy.
Darkness keeps me with the light
The singer finds comfort in the darkness and sees it as a contrast to the light.
In these walls I built for you
The artist built walls around themselves for the person.
Hidden locks I can't undo
The artist has put barriers in place that they cannot break down.
It's not to do with you
The artist's actions are not related to the person.
It's not the things you say or do
The person's words and actions are not affecting the singer's behavior.
It's not an answer or a clue
There is no clear answer or solution to the artist's emotional state.
It's not that hard
Despite the complexity of their emotions, the singer believes it is not hard to understand.
The truth has left your vision scarred
The person cannot see the truth clearly due to their own emotional pain.
There's so much space in here
The singer feels emotionally spacious, despite feeling dark.
Silence, covered up by tears
The artist is hiding their emotions behind a veil of tears.
There's a point you might get through
There is a chance for the person to understand the artist's emotional state.
In the midst of it all
Amidst all the chaos and emotional turmoil, something remains.
Of what little is left
There is little hope or positivity remaining.
Falling, falling, fall away
The little hope and positivity is slowly crumbling away.
Levels form upon words
The artist's words have created levels or barriers between themselves and the person.
Growing stronger with time
The barriers are becoming stronger and harder to break down over time.
Say it, say it, say anything
The singer is encouraging the person to communicate with them.
And all the while I built it here
The artist has been building these emotional barriers all along.
I told you long ago
The singer has previously tried to communicate their emotions to the person.
I told you how one never knows
The singer conveyed that it is hard to know what is truly going on emotionally.
I told you that's just how it goes
The singer has explained that this is just how they are emotionally.
Were you inspired
The artist is questioning whether or not the person was motivated or affected by their previous conversation.
From where I stand you look quite tired
The artist sees the person as exhausted or emotionally drained.
But are you hiding, too
The singer suspects that the person is also hiding their own emotions.
Careful, I just saw you move.
The singer is subtly calling out the person for trying to hide their own emotions.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind