Shades of Gray

If you haven't taken some time to meet singer-songwriter David Gray then you are missing out. Born in England, he moved to Wales and then back to Liverpool for college. Although he had some other followers especially in Ireland, his breakthrough song was Babylon ("Only wish that you were here ~You know I'm seeing it so clear ~I've been afraid ~To tell you how I really feel ~Admit to some of those bad mistakes I've made") which is a beautifully haunting song, like waves crashing on a beach on a cold day.

Gray's early music was in a contemporary folk-rock, singer-songwriter mode; his primary instrument was acoustic guitar and piano. Starting with the release of White Ladder in 1999, Gray began to make significant use of computer-generated music to accompany his voice and acoustic instrumentation, a technique which differentiates him from many of his peers. Despite the move to more complex music, Gray has used small-scale, often home-based, recording methods and equipment and espoused a do it yourself approach to music production.

David says that (the title) “brings all kinds of images to mind, time lapse photography or someone standing still. But the sentiments of that are that I think we’re so impregnated with film and moving imagery that sometimes in your life when something happens like an accident, or someone dies, or someone’s born-whatever it happens to be-time seems to play a trick on you and the whole thing just seems utterly unreal. You’re so used to processing reality at a certain pace, as if it’s some kind of edited TV programme. "

Here are some of his lyrics. Feel the hot cup of cocoa on a cold day in the warmth of his songs.

This Years Love
This years love had better last
Heaven knows it's high time
And I've been waiting on my own too long
But when you hold me like you do
It feels so right I start to forget
How my heart gets torn
When that hurt gets thrown
Feeling like you can't go on
Turning circles when time again...
Before I open up my arms and fall
Losing all control
Every dream inside my soul
And when you kiss me
On that midnight street
Sweep me off my feet
Singing ain't this life so sweet
This years love had better last
This years love had better last

Sail Away
Sail away with me honey
I put my heart in your hands
Sail away with me honey now, now, now
Sail away with me
What will be will be I wanna hold you now
Crazy skies all wild above me now
Winter howling at my face
And everything I held so dear
Disappeared without a trace
Oh all the times I've tasted love
Never knew quite what I had
Little Darling if you hear me now
Never needed you so bad

Now and Always
You're in my mind baby
Now and always
You're in my mind baby
Now and always
The road I'm walking
Might fall away
You're in my mind baby
Now and always
A bonfire smoking
Into a low sky
The sparks they fly up
Into a low sky
Would that these demons
Would let me rest

The One I Love
Gonna close my eyes
Girl and watch you go
Running through this life darling
Like a field of snow
As the tracer glides
In its graceful arc
Send a little prayer out...and the stars above
You're the one I love
Perfect summers night
Not a wind that breathes
Just the bullets whispering gentle
Amongst the new green leaves
There's things I might have said
Only wish I could ...
Next wave coming in
Like an ocean roar
Won't you take my hand darling
On that old dance floor
We can twist and shout
Do the turtle dove
And you're the one I love
You're the one I love
The one I love

Freedom
Take your eyes off me
There's nothing here to see
Just trying to keep my head together
And as we make our vow
Let us remember how
There's nothing good that lasts forever.
Time out on the running boards
We're running through a world that's lost its meaning
Trying to find a way to love

As I'm Leaving
As I'm leaving
A change comes on my eyes
These streets persuading me
With mumbled strange goodbyes
Through the water
Through the rain
To the soul of everything
Throw my heart out on the stones
And I'm almost gone
There's no meaning
In clothes and coffee cups
Cheap hotel furniture
Where silence never stops
Through the water
Through the rain
To the soul of everything
Throw my memories to the wind
And I'm almost gone
And now I'm dreaming
I'm staring at the walls
Cars are frozen now
In late night waterfalls
Through the water
Through the rain
To the soul of everything
Throw my heart out on the stones
And I'm almost
Through the water
Through the rain
To the soul of everything
Wash my heart out on the stones
And I'm almost gone