Dying Leaves
Old Gray Lyrics


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Hands held above our heads, held out as far as they can stretch. I'm trying to hold on to clouds that are always outside my reach. I guess you didn't notice- I fade with the setting sun. I'm no more alive than the empty home where I grew up.
I find my life is constantly swirling, cliche as it sounds, like leaves in the wind- twirling in unpredictable patterns until the wind slows down and stops again. But leaves crumble under foot and are commonly left to die in the sun- I find myself begging for drops of rain to grace me but I realize that there are none.
Hands held above our heads, held out as far as they can stretch. I'm trying to hold on to clouds that are always outside my reach. I guess you didn't notice- I fade with the setting sun. I'm no more alive than the empty home where I grew up.
And when we planted that tree in your front yard, I remember thinking, "I wish I was still young." I guess you didn't notice- I fade with the setting sun.




Overall Meaning

The opening lines of "Dying Leaves" by Old Gray speak of futility and the desire to grasp at things that are out of reach. The image of hands held out as far as they can stretch, trying to hold onto clouds that are always out of reach, speaks to the human experience of grasping for something intangible or unattainable. The singer's fading with the setting sun suggests a sense of hopelessness, as if they are slowly disappearing and their life is slipping away from them.


The song then goes on to use the metaphor of leaves falling from a tree and being left to die in the sun. The singer finds that their life is constantly swirling like leaves in the wind, and they are left feeling helpless and at the mercy of unpredictable patterns. The longing for rain to come and save them speaks to a deeper desire for something to help them escape their current situation.


The final lines of the song reference a tree planted in a front yard, and the singer's wish to still be young. This creates a nostalgic and wistful tone, suggesting a longing to return to a simpler time in life. Overall, "Dying Leaves" is a song about the struggle to hold onto hope when life feels out of control and the desire to escape to a time before responsibility and hardship took over.


Line by Line Meaning

Hands held above our heads, held out as far as they can stretch.
I feel like I am reaching for something that I can never quite grasp, like trying to touch clouds in the sky.


I'm trying to hold on to clouds that are always outside my reach.
I am struggling to hold onto something that is unattainable, like chasing after a dream that can never be realized.


I guess you didn't notice- I fade with the setting sun.
No one seems to notice when I am struggling or fading away, like I am just blending into the background of the world.


I'm no more alive than the empty home where I grew up.
I feel like I am just existing, with no real purpose or meaning to my life, like an empty house with no one living inside.


I find my life is constantly swirling, cliche as it sounds, like leaves in the wind- twirling in unpredictable patterns until the wind slows down and stops again.
My life feels like it is constantly in motion, with no clear direction or path, like leaves blowing aimlessly in the wind until they eventually settle.


But leaves crumble under foot and are commonly left to die in the sun- I find myself begging for drops of rain to grace me but I realize that there are none.
Just like leaves eventually wither and die, I feel like I am slowly fading away and there is nothing I can do to stop it. I long for some sort of rejuvenation, but it seems like there is no hope for me.


And when we planted that tree in your front yard, I remember thinking, "I wish I was still young."
I look back on my past with longing and nostalgia, wishing that I could turn back time and relive the carefree days of my youth.


I guess you didn't notice- I fade with the setting sun.
Once again, it feels like no one is paying attention to my struggles or my gradual decline, like I am just another unnoticed part of the world.




Contributed by Kaylee G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Comments from YouTube:

Tessa Emily

This band means everything to me.

facgce

This band is just genius

NekoNeferPitou

Wow I'm really liking this. Good job last FM for finding me some sick music once again lmao

bearhanded

I appreciate that you keep your shit raw. Good stuff.

Tigger Trigger

just checking cause at the time this was the only song i had heard by this band and it sounded just like merchant ships, which is an amazing band...shame they broke up.

Brandon Liera

Better than ANYTHING on Warped Tour

R Bastek

"old grey" is a song by merchant ships, a band from Indiana/Michigan that existed a few years ago. old grey is also a punk/metal band from massachusetts and old gray is a band from new hampshire. "dying leaves" is a song by old gray.

Truman Brodnax

Hands held above our heads, held out as far as they can stretch. I'm trying to hold on to clouds that are always outside my reach. I guess you didn't notice- I fade with the setting sun. I'm no more alive than the empty home where I grew up
I find my life is constantly swirling, cliche as it sounds, like leaves in the wind- twirling in unpredictable patterns until the wind slows down and stops again. But leaves crumble under foot and are commonly left to die in the sun- I find myself begging for drops of rain to grace me but I realize that there are none
Hands held above our heads, held out as far as they can stretch. I'm trying to hold on to clouds that are always outside my reach. I guess you didn't notice- I fade with the setting sun. I'm no more alive than the empty home where I grew up
And when we planted that tree in your front yard, I remember thinking, "I wish I was still young." I guess you didn't notice- I fade with the setting sun

twigs

I fucking love this band.

R Bastek

yeah, their new material sounds a lot different in comparison to this because they're trying to separate themselves from comparisons such as that one

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