English, baby!

David Gray

Date: Dec 02 2002

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Intro

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fireplace

2. Read and Prepare - Read the introduction and prepare to hear the audio.

The English singer-songwriter David Gray has finally returned with a follow-up to his 1999 breakthrough hit White Ladder. His new album is called A New Day at Midnight and it’s actually well worth the wait. With a sound very similar to White Ladder, A New Day doesn’t try anything new, but it features slow, minimal, delicate, beautiful songs that will make you feel good.
Read on to learn more about David Gray!

Dialog

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2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.

The most unique thing about David Gray is his voice. If any other guy tried to sing the simple, spare songs he sings, they would never be famous or commercially successful. But David’s voice makes him different. He has the ability to sing with painful, emotional ache in a way that nobody else can.
It becomes obvious when listening to this album that David’s got the blues. He’s desperately sad. He lost his father to cancer last year, and this album is full of introspective songs. David is searching for a way to deal with loss.
“The Other Side” is a perfect example. Check out some of the lyrics:
Honey[/def] now if I’m honest
I still don’t know what love is
Another mirage folds
into the haze of time recalled
And now the floodgates cannot hold
All my sorrow all my rage
A tear that falls on every page
Meet me on the other side
Meet me on the other side
About the song, David says, “The lyrics are suggesting that the person singing the song is singing it to someone else who he has been in a relationship with that’s broken down. It’s like, ‘Meet me on the other side of this’ kind of thing. The other side of this turmoil and heartbreak. The power of the lyrics suggests, [however,] ‘Meet me on the other side of death.’ It’s a bit of a call into the void. That’s where the song gains its power. And that’s what seems to have come out stronger than all the lyrics.”

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Discussion

I’ve listened to A New Day at Midnight many times – and I’ve been trying to figure out why I like it so much. I think I know now. It’s a David Gray album, and it’s hard to dislike David Gray. His music is calm, safe and familiar. Listening to it is kinda like sitting by the fireplace on a cold rainy day. It just feels right.
I think David Gray is one of the best singer-songwriters in the world. You should definitely check him out if you haven’t already.
Rock on!
Migs