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.
float
Grey Eye Glances Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The sound of the rain
Candles shift the walls, moving sharply
What's left to explain
When you told me you ought to be going
I could sense how the night was exploding
If I told you this for certain
You'd see me as scarred
Your eyes so strained, so innocent
In a sense it's the way we both are
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So don't show me the home you've recaptured don't remind me, I was there when it shattered each time I returned to the ocean
I walked on the cold sand and it taught me
To float, like a bird across the sky
Watching all the moments ease by
Feeling close enough to try
In the darkness in a shadow
In the places only I know
I run from the rain
My eyes so wide so desperate
To pull light from the pain
So don't show me I learned my own balance don't remind me, my whole world
Was challenged
Each time I return to the ocean
I close my eyes, I listen
I float, like a bird across the sky
Watching all the moments ease by
Feeling close enough to try
Close enough this time
In this strange place
There's no direction to guide us around
The ones that move slowly
Keep to the ground
And in some distant time
When your reflection
Appears a stranger from some other day
I'll know what you're thinking
I'll feel the same way
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I float, like a bird across the sky
Time and time again I know why
I feel close enough to try
I close my eyes and
Float, across the sky
Watching as the moments ease by
So close, close enough to try
"Float" by Grey Eye Glances is a beautiful and thought-provoking song with lyrics that express deep emotions of pain, loss, and hope. The song opens with the image of a person lost in thought, gazing at the rain, and feeling the weight of their pain. The imagery of "2 am drifting," "candles shift the walls," and "what's left to explain" creates a mood of melancholy and introspection. The singer mentions a possible goodbye or departure, which seems to add to the sense of sadness and uncertainty.
The second verse reflects on the past, specifically a past relationship. The singer expresses a sense of distance and detachment from the other person. The phrase "if I told you this for certain, you'd see me as scarred," suggests that speaking honestly about their feelings would make the singer vulnerable and hurt. The lines "In a sense, it's the way we both are, so don't show me the home you've recaptured, don't remind me, I was there when it shattered," emphasize the difficulty of moving on from a painful experience.
The chorus is where the song's title "Float" makes its entry, and it's where the singer attempts to find solace and a sense of peace amidst the pain. The lines "I walked on the cold sand and it taught me / to float like a bird across the sky / watching all the moments ease by / feeling close enough to try" suggest that the singer has learned to detach themselves from their pain, to observe it from a distance, and to find the courage to move forward. The imagery of a bird soaring across the sky is a powerful symbol of freedom, lightness, and hope.
The third verse seems to suggest that the singer is now in a new place or a new phase of their life. The line "in this strange place, there's no direction to guide us around," implies a sense of disorientation, but also perhaps a sense of possibility. The lines "the ones that move slowly keep to the ground, and in some distant time, when your reflection appears a stranger from some other day, I'll know what you're thinking, I'll feel the same way" suggest a sense of empathy with others who are also struggling with pain and loss.
Line by Line Meaning
Painted pictures, 2 am drifting
The singer is drifting in their thoughts at 2 am, picturing scenarios in their head.
The sound of the rain
The sound of the rain can be heard in the background, setting a particular mood.
Candles shift the walls, moving sharply
The flickering of the candles is causing shadows to dance across the walls in a sharp and sudden manner.
What's left to explain
There's nothing else that needs to be said or explained.
When you told me you ought to be going
When the other person mentioned that they had to leave.
I could sense how the night was exploding
The moment was charged with emotions and tension, and it felt like something big was happening.
If I told you that I noticed
If the singer admitted that they had noticed something about the other person.
If I told you this for certain
If the artist was absolutely positive about their observations.
You'd see me as scarred
The other person might see the artist as damaged or vulnerable.
Your eyes so strained, so innocent
The other person's eyes looked tense and worn, but also innocent and pure.
In a sense it's the way we both are
The singer and the other person share a similar emotional state.
So don't show me the home you've recaptured
The other person should not try to show the artist that they have moved on or recovered from something that hurt them in the past.
Don't remind me, I was there when it shattered
The singer doesn't need to be reminded of the painful experience that they witnessed firsthand.
Each time I returned to the ocean
Every time the singer goes back to a place that reminds them of the past.
I walked on the cold sand and it taught me
The singer learned something from the experience of being in that place again.
To float, like a bird across the sky
The artist learned to detach themselves from their emotions and experiences and approach them with a sense of lightness and freedom.
Watching all the moments ease by
Observing life without getting too caught up in the highs and lows.
Feeling close enough to try
Feeling like change and growth are possible and within reach.
In the darkness in a shadow
The singer is struggling with something internally, feeling unseen and in the background.
In the places only I know
The artist is going through something that no one else can fully understand or relate to.
I run from the rain
The artist wants to avoid the things that are weighing them down emotionally.
My eyes so wide so desperate
The artist is feeling very intense and anxious emotionally.
To pull light from the pain
The singer wants to turn their pain into something positive or productive rather than letting it consume them.
So don't show me I learned my own balance
The other person should not try to give the artist advice or tell them how to handle their emotions.
Don't remind me, my whole world was challenged
The singer doesn't want to be reminded of the times when everything they knew seemed to fall apart.
Close enough this time
This time, the singer feels like they are closer to finding peace and resolution.
There's no direction to guide us around
The singer and the other person are both lost and uncertain about the future.
The ones that move slowly keep to the ground
The people who are moving more cautiously and deliberately are staying grounded and steady.
And in some distant time when your reflection appears a stranger from some other day
In the future, when the other person looks back on this moment, they will seem like a different person altogether.
I'll know what you're thinking, I'll feel the same way
The singer will be able to understand the other person's emotions and thoughts in retrospect because they are going through something similar now.
Time and time again I know why
Despite the ups and downs, the singer always knows why they keep fighting and trying.
I close my eyes and
The artist is taking a moment to meditate or detach themselves from their thoughts and emotions.
So close, close enough to try
Feeling like they are within reach of making progress and healing from the past.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind