Old Gray was a four-piece band based out of the southern New Hampshire area… Read Full Bio ↴Old Gray was a four-piece band based out of the southern New Hampshire area. Since forming in April 2011, the band has seen numerous changes, both in terms of their members and their musical style. Their lyrics are introspective and personal, often dealing with the ideas of love, loss, and isolation, while their music draws elements from a wide array of genres, most notably post-rock and post-hardcore. As of April 2014, they have released an LP, two EPs, six splits, a b-side, a single, and a demo. They have toured with bands such as William Bonney, Lovechild, and I Kill Giants and release music through Broken World Media. In 2016 they released their final LP entitled Slow Burn. The band toured for a while thereafter and have since disbanded.

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Discography:
May 2011 - 'Demo' Digital Download (Self-Released)
September 2011 - 'Do I Dare Disturb The Universe' EP (Party Wound Productions)
November 2011 - 'Old Gray & The Hundred Acre Woods : An Acoustic Split Among Friends' Digital Download (Self-Released)
December 2011 - 'Old Gray/Girl Scouts Split' (Carucage Records)
November 2012 - 'Everything I Let Go & The Things I Refuse To' 7" EP (It's a Trap! Records, Sea of Tranquility Records, Songs from the Road Records - US, Dog Knights - EUR) and ca**ette tape (Broken World Media - US, Shivery Productions - EUR)
January 2013 - "'I Think I Might Love You' Is An Awfully Long Sentence 7" Lathe Cut B-Side (Broken World Media)
February 2013 - "4-Way V-Day Split" Digital Download (Topshelf Records)
March 2013 - "An Autobiography" LP (Broken World Media - US, Dog Knights - EUR)
May 2013 - "The Artist" 5" Lathe Cut Single (Broken World Media)
September 2013 - "September 4-Way Split (Part 1)" Digital Download (Big Footprints Records)
October 2013 - "Catharsis" (2011 Demo) Digital Download (Self-Released)
October 2013 - "Fest 12 Split" 7" Split (Soft Speak Records)
April 2014 - "Old Gray/Tiny Moving Parts" 7" Split (Broken World Media, Kind of Like Records - US, Dog Knights - EUR)
January 2015 - "Do I Dare Disturb The Universe" Remastered 7" EP (Reissue) (Broken World Media - US, Dog Knights - EUR)
September 2015 - "dex" (not on label)
December 2016 - "slow burn" (Flower Girl Records - US, Dog Knights - EUR)

Winter '11
Old Gray Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Every day is the same charade, weary ghosts frequenting their favorite haunts. We're all tired but no one ever moves.

No effort is made until we forget and fade away.

I always found it strange how you found comfort when I spoke in foreign tongue. (In Polish) What do you want from me that you cannot say? What do you want from me that I cannot do?

And my words collapsed like the lungs you've overused, for I've wasted my best fleeting hopes, but they weren't you. I keep my eyes firmly closed, hoping I won't see your face. But you are everywhere a shadow, and I am so alone. I am so alone.
But what are ghosts except memories we can't let go?

Today I am what I never was: I am truly alone. Tomorrow I'll be what I wish I were today: I won't be afraid anymore.

Overall Meaning

Old Gray's "Winter '11" is a melancholic portrayal of loneliness and stagnancy. The opening lyrics paint a picture of a monotonous routine that is draining and exhausting. The line, "we're all tired but no one ever moves", suggests a feeling of being stuck, as though life has become a series of inescapable motions. The second verse highlights communication breakdown, as the singer wonders what the listener wants from them that cannot be expressed. This exemplifies an emotional distance that has come between the two, leaving the singer to wonder if they will ever be able to bridge the gap.

The haunting lines "and my words collapsed like the lungs you've overused, for I've wasted my best fleeting hopes, but they weren't you" depicts the singer's feeling of exhaustion in their attempts to communicate with the listener. They are struggling to keep a connection alive that was once thriving, but feels as though it has been undermined. The song's last lines provide a glimpse of hope, as the singer asserts their ability to become fearless and liberated from the feeling of loneliness that has been weighing them down.

Line by Line Meaning

Every day is the same charade, weary ghosts frequenting their favorite haunts. We're all tired but no one ever moves.
People go through life like a tired routine, living in their past memories and not moving forward.

No effort is made until we forget and fade away.
People tend to not put in effort until it's too late and they disappear.

I always found it strange how you found comfort when I spoke in foreign tongue. (In Polish) What do you want from me that you cannot say? What do you want from me that I cannot do?
It's odd how you find solace when I speak a language unfamiliar to you. What do you need from me that you can't express? What is it that you want me to do that is out of my control?

And my words collapsed like the lungs you've overused, for I've wasted my best fleeting hopes, but they weren't you. I keep my eyes firmly closed, hoping I won't see your face. But you are everywhere a shadow, and I am so alone. I am so alone.
My words failed to achieve anything, like lungs that can no longer breathe. I had expectations, but they weren't fulfilled. I keep shutting my eyes, hoping to avoid you, but you are always present, making me feel lonely.

But what are ghosts except memories we can't let go?
Ghosts are just our unwillingness to forget certain memories.

Today I am what I never was: I am truly alone. Tomorrow I'll be what I wish I were today: I won't be afraid anymore.
Currently, I am alone, unlike before. In the future, I will overcome fear and become the person I aspired to be today.

Contributed by Lucy N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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