The song Crosses, from Crosses EP and the later Veneer, appeared on the finale of the second season of the popular American television comedy-drama The O.C.. His cover of Heartbeats (also from Veneer) was used in a popular Sony BRAVIA TV commercial featuring coloured bouncing balls in San Francisco and an episode of Zach Braff's Scrubs
His song Far Away was also prominently featured in the Rockstar video game Red Dead Redemption.
His trademark sound is solo acoustic guitar with soft melody. His work, although mostly original, does include acoustic covers of great hits such as Love Will Tear Us Apart, Born in the U.S.A., and Teardrop.
González also appears in the Zero 7 album The Garden, in which he sings on three tracks and on a re-worked version of Crosses.
Stay In The Shade
José González Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Hide from yourself and see how you fade
You'll see how you fade
Love moves on
Life goes on
You'll stand all alone
You'll see how you fade
You'll see how you fade
See how you fade
Move on or you'll see how you fade
Move on or you'll see how you fade
The lyrics to José González's "Stay in the Shade" are a meditation on the inevitability of change and the importance of embracing it. The opening lines urge the listener to "stay in the shade until you reach the grave," which can be interpreted both literally and metaphorically. On the one hand, it suggests avoiding the sun's harsh rays and protecting oneself from harm. At the same time, it might mean avoiding the spotlight and staying out of harm's way in a figurative sense. The next line reinforces this idea by urging the listener to "hide from yourself," acknowledging the tendency to avoid self-reflection and introspection. González is essentially encouraging the listener to step out of their comfort zone and embrace the unknown, even if it means experiencing some discomfort or pain along the way.
The chorus, "Love moves on, life goes on, you'll stand all alone," identifies the inevitability of change and the human tendency to resist it. Change can be difficult, especially when it involves walking away from something or someone we love. However, it's also true that life moves forward with or without us, and ultimately we'll be left alone if we don't adapt and move forward ourselves. The final lines of the song repeat the urging to "move on" and avoid fading away. By refusing to adapt and change with the world around us, we risk losing ourselves entirely.
Line by Line Meaning
Stay in the shade until you reach the grave
Avoid facing the harsh realities of life and stay within your comfort zone until death.
Hide from yourself and see how you fade
By denying yourself the opportunity for self-reflection, you'll slowly lose your sense of self and identity.
You'll see how you fade
The consequences of avoiding self-reflection and personal growth will eventually catch up to you.
Love moves on
The passing of time causes romantic love to change and evolve, often leading to its eventual end.
Life goes on
Regardless of the ups and downs, time continues to march forward and bring new experiences.
You'll stand all alone
If you don't take responsibility for your own growth, you'll find yourself without companionship or community as you fade into obscurity.
Move on or you'll see how you fade
If you don't actively seek out personal growth and move on from your comfort zone, you'll eventually lose your sense of self and purpose.
See how you fade
This phrase is repeated throughout the song to emphasize the consequences of failing to grow and change as a person.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Jose Gabriel Gonzales
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@JoseGonzalezOfficial
New album “Local Valley”, out Sept. 17. ► Stream / Pre-order album: http://josegonzalez.lnk.to/localvalley
@pavelradev1990
José González is a brilliant singer/songwriter.
@janschmidt1665
I love this album and this song gives me inner balance. Thanks jose
@deadappletree
Nunca deja de maravillarme 💜
@lyzzardking
I loooooove his music!
@SSolemn
Adoro tu música
@h1ghpower
I heared this near a Starbucks cafe. I stopped to Shazam it ...Love it <3
@Amyjo.global
This music is beautiful sound for my soul
@joleahkunkel2717
Immeasurably wonderful....
@JAnaya91
José González music sounds like Silvio Rodriguez music , sometimes even more than Silvio himself , and i mean this as a complement , because outside of all ideology, Silvio is one of the best songwriters in the world , in my opinion .