He was an accomplished instrumentalist and composer, who played keyboards, guitars, drums, bass and cellos, as well as singing vocals. His talents also extended to producer. He toured with Eddie Money before winning the Yamaha songwriting competition with his progressive rock group Giraffe. Producer Patrick Leonard was impressed with Gilbert's performance at the competition and invited him to join him in forming a new band which became Toy Matinee. During this time, Gilbert worked on the projects of several established pop musicians, including Madonna, Michael Jackson and produced Keith Emerson's album Changing States.
The lone Toy Matinee album was released in 1990 but effectively shelved by the record company, so Gilbert assembled a new backing band to promote the album, eventually getting two successful singles released: "The Ballad of Jenny Ledge" and "Last Plane Out".
Later, Gilbert was part of a songwriting collective (called "The Tuesday Music Club") that met at producer Bill Bottrell's studio in Pasadena, California. After he began bringing his then girlfriend Sheryl Crow to the sessions, the result was Crow's debut album, Tuesday Night Music Club. Gilbert co-wrote many of the songs on that album, including 1995 Grammy Record of the Year "All I Wanna Do." Crow later acrimoniously split with most of the musicians in the collective and only Bottrell was involved in her follow-up album. Meanwhile the remainder of the collective worked with singer-songwriters Susanna Hoffs and Linda Perry on two more albums.
Gilbert continued to work in television and movie soundtrack work as well as studio work and producing and eventually released his first solo album Thud(1995) as well as partially reforming Giraffe to perform the Genesis masterpiece "The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway" at Progfest 94. Gilbert's manager sent a copy of the recording to Tony Banks and Mike Rutherford who were searching for a new Genesis front man to replace Phil Collins. His manager was coming to Gilbert's home to tell him that he had managed to get him an audition when he discovered him dead.
Gilbert's second solo album, The Shaming of the True was released posthumously. The album was largely incomplete, but Gilbert's estate asked Spock's Beard drummer Nick D'Virgilio to complete it based on the extant tapes and Gilbert's notes. A live album (composed mostly of songs from Thud), and a compilation of Giraffe material that Gilbert had been working on and an "industrial" album with Gilbert's latest group, Kaviar have also been released in the years since his death. His estate has promised two more posthumous studio albums and a live performance from Gilbert's promotional group for Toy Matinee.
Discography:
N.R.G. - No Reasons Given (1984)
Giraffe - The Power Of Suggestion (1987)
Giraffe - The View From Here (1989)
Toy Matinee - Toy Matinee (1990; remastered & rereleased 2001)
Sheryl Crow - Tuesday Night Music Club (1993)
Kevin Gilbert - Thud (1995)
Giraffe - Giraffe (1999)
Kevin Gilbert & Thud - Live at the Troubadour (1999)
Kevin Gilbert - The Shaming of the True (2000)
Kaviar - The Kaviar Sessions (2002)
Kevin Gilbert - Nuts (2009)
Kevin Gilbert - Bolts (2009)
Kevin Gilbert - Performs Toy Matinee Live (2010)
Kevin Gilbert - Toy Matinee Acoustic Rehearsal (2014)
The Tears Of Audrey
Kevin Gilbert Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A dress she always plans to wear
"It's over" - she says it softly over
"I'm all alone"
She does not listen to the eulogies
She gives no credence to her pain
"From now on I'm through with love
There are no hearts to mend
There are no prayers to send
There's no reason why
There's no need to cry for the sadness of it all
There are no dreams come true and there is no care
Let the world beware should the tears of Audrey fall
She carefully polishes her heart of stone
She deftly sculpts her feet of clay
"I'm no one and none can touch me
No one... it's easier this way."
Is it so unfair?
Let the world beware
Should the tears of Audrey fall
So now she's shutting all her windows tight
And now she's closing all her blinds
"How can I believe in light
When darkness is all around?"
The song "The Tears of Audrey" by Kevin Gilbert tells the story of a woman named Audrey who has been hurt by love and has decided to give up on it altogether. She puts on her black dress, a symbol of mourning and despair, and declares that she is "all alone." She refuses to listen to anyone who tries to console her and vows to never love again. She toughens up her heart and becomes emotionally detached from the world around her. She views love as nothing but pain and creates a wall around herself to protect her feelings. This wall is evident when Audrey polishes her heart of stone and sculpts her feet of clay, representing the hard and immovable aspects of her personality.
The chorus of the song warns the world to be careful of Audrey's tears, suggesting that they have the power to bring anyone to their knees. Despite her tough exterior, Audrey is still vulnerable and her sadness is palpable. She shuts herself off from the world, closing her blinds and shutting her windows tight, and questions how she can ever believe in light when darkness is all around her.
Overall, "The Tears of Audrey" is a poignant song about the trauma of heartbreak and the emotional walls we put up to protect ourselves from further hurt and pain.
Line by Line Meaning
Audrey's donning her black dress again
Audrey is putting on her black dress, the same one she always wears for this occasion.
A dress she always plans to wear
She has planned to wear this dress for the occasion.
"It's over" - she says it softly over
Audrey softly says that it is over.
"I'm all alone"
Audrey is feeling alone.
She does not listen to the eulogies
Audrey ignores the eulogies being made.
She gives no credence to her pain
Audrey does not pay attention to the pain she is feeling.
"From now on I'm through with love
Audrey has decided that she is done with love.
From now on I will not love again."
She does not want to experience love again.
There are no hearts to mend
There is no one for Audrey to fix her broken heart for.
There are no prayers to send
No prayers can help Audrey's situation.
There's no reason why
There is no particular reason for Audrey's sadness.
There's no need to cry for the sadness of it all
Crying won't change anything for Audrey.
There are no dreams come true and there is no care
Audrey's dreams have not come true.
Let the world beware should the tears of Audrey fall
The world should be warned that Audrey is feeling sad.
She carefully polishes her heart of stone
Audrey is actively trying to make herself emotionless.
She deftly sculpts her feet of clay
Audrey is careful with her every move, keeping in mind the vulnerability she feels.
"I'm no one and none can touch me
Audrey believes that she is insignificant and no one can harm/bother her.
No one... it's easier this way."
It is easier for Audrey to be alone than to face the pain of being hurt yet again.
Is it so unfair?
Audrey questions the fairness of her situation.
Let the world beware
The world should be warned of Audrey's feeling of loneliness.
Should the tears of Audrey fall
If Audrey cries, everyone should be careful.
So now she's shutting all her windows tight
Audrey is closing all of her windows.
And now she's closing all her blinds
Audrey is closing all of her window blinds.
"How can I believe in light
Audrey cannot believe in anything positive or good anymore.
When darkness is all around?"
The negativity and pain of life have taken over Audrey's life.
Contributed by Ella F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.