Richard Grey, born Richard Christian Rene Jacquin, has had a sparkling care… Read Full Bio ↴Richard Grey, born Richard Christian Rene Jacquin, has had a sparkling career to date. His own brand of energy fuelled House has gained him a solid worldwide following, a plethora of releases on global labels such as Subliminal Records, Illegal Beats, Pacha Recordings, Joia, Gossip, Pyramidal Records and enabled him to play at some of the worlds leading clubs and events such as Pacha, Ibiza, Ministry Of Sound London , Queen Paris and SET Miami, Marquee Vegas, Playhouse Hollywood , Provocateur NYC, Arkadia Miami.

Throught-out the years, Richard has also remixed and produced alongside a staggering array of A-list talent including Shakira, Bob Marley, Junior Jack, Armand Van Helden, Harry ´Choo Choo´ Romero, Ron Carroll, Paul Johnson, Robbie Rivera, Sebastian Ingrosso and Erick Morillo who also became his mentor and made him a long term in-house producer at Subliminal Records.

Thriller
Richard Grey Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Eagle-Eye Cherry
Living In The Present Future
Shades Of Grey
If you start here late no one will know what you did
No the streets are straight it's the soul that's crooked
I've been treated fine I've been treated elegantly
But I'm not one for bathing in the waters of plenty

East is East West is West
And Bowery is screaming while Delancey rests
Well I'm south of the skating but I'm north of the cash
I could sure use the money but I'm ashamed to ask

The traffic has buried all of last nights rain
The words are all different but the accent is the same

The sun is white and the moon is gray
And the river is black blue and green
The young are young and the old are old
And there are no shades of gray in between

There's at least ten different strains of smoke in the air
And my prints are on them all to prove I was there
And I love the curses but I'm not one for the trenches
And I do love the walking but thank god for the benches

it's hard to tell where green begins and the city gray stops
I guess the trees all bought their armor at second hand shops
My second had is working but the minute hand is broke again
I know time will pass but I don't know when

The sun is white and the moon is gray
And the river is black blue and green
The young are young and the old are old
And there are no shades of gray in between
And there are no shades of gray in between

I know the great ones have been here but where I cant tell
There's dreams here a plenty but they're being withheld
And I'm more impressed with the closed doors than the ones that are open
The whole place tells time by a tower clock tha'ts broken

The pigeons are ravens and the gulls are vultures
And trash is art and cash is culture

The sun is white and the moon is gray
And the river is black blue and green
The young are young and the old are old
And there are no shades of gray in between

There are no shades of gray in between
There are no shades of gray in between

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "Shades of Grey" by Eagle-Eye Cherry paint a vivid picture of life in a bustling city. The singer describes his location as being in a place where East and West meet, amidst the chaos of Bowery screaming and Delancey resting. He's aware that he's not quite in the thick of the action, but he's close enough to see it, feel it, and even touch it. Throughout his journey, he notices that everything seems to be either black or white, with no shades of grey in between.

The singer is self-aware as he navigates through this busy city. He's observant of his surroundings, noticing the different strains of smoke in the air, and even catches the moment when the traffic buries last night's rain. Even though he's aware of the commotion, he's not one for engaging in it. He prefers the quiet moments, like walks and sitting on the bench, and he knows the city so well that he can tell it's changing by just looking at the trees.

Overall, the lyrics of "Shades of Grey" portray a sense of being lost in a big city, where everything seems chaotic, and things are either all good or all bad, with no in-between. The singer is an observer in this world, and while he's fascinated by what he sees, he is also wary of it.

Line by Line Meaning

If you start here late no one will know what you did
Starting late gives you a chance to avoid the consequences of your past actions.

No the streets are straight it's the soul that's crooked
Appearances can be deceiving, as the real issues lie within one's character.

I've been treated fine I've been treated elegantly
The singer has been treated with respect and courtesy by others.

But I'm not one for bathing in the waters of plenty
The artist doesn't want to get too comfortable with their good fortune, and prefer to live humbly.

East is East West is West And Bowery is screaming while Delancey rests
Different areas have different energy levels; some areas are more active while others are more relaxed.

Well I'm south of the skating but I'm north of the cash I could sure use the money but I'm ashamed to ask
The singer doesn't have much money, but they don't want to ask for help and feel embarrassed.

The traffic has buried all of last nights rain The words are all different but the accent is the same
The city is noisy and chaotic, but people still sound the same regardless of their background.

The sun is white and the moon is gray And the river is black blue and green The young are young and the old are old And there are no shades of gray in between
The world is diverse with many different colors and people of different ages. There is no in-between, and everything is clearly defined.

There's at least ten different strains of smoke in the air And my prints are on them all to prove I was there
The air is polluted with many different sources of smoke, and the artist has been in many places leaving their mark behind.

And I love the curses but I'm not one for the trenches And I do love the walking but thank god for the benches
The artist enjoys the wild side of life, but prefers a more relaxed approach in certain situations.

it's hard to tell where green begins and the city gray stops I guess the trees all bought their armor at second hand shops My second had is working but the minute hand is broke again I know time will pass but I don't know when
The city is so gray that it's hard to find any greenery, and time is passing but the singer is unsure how quickly.

I know the great ones have been here but where I cant tell There's dreams here a plenty but they're being withheld And I'm more impressed with the closed doors than the ones that are open The whole place tells time by a tower clock tha'ts broken
The city holds a lot of history and dreams, but many opportunities are being held back. The artist is more curious about what is behind the closed doors, and the city's timekeeping is unreliable.

The pigeons are ravens and the gulls are vultures And trash is art and cash is culture
The singer sees the city's wildlife as something more sinister, and they question the values of society where trash can be seen as art and money is seen as culture.

The sun is white and the moon is gray And the river is black blue and green The young are young and the old are old And there are no shades of gray in between There are no shades of gray in between There are no shades of gray in between
The world is very clearly defined and there is no ambiguity. Everything is either one thing or another, without any gray areas.

Writer(s): Rodney Llyn Temperton, Rodney Lynn Temperton Copyright: Rodsongs

Contributed by Jason G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS