Grey Days was originally a stream of conscious thought I had poured out into my song book.. almost as a journal entry, rather than a typical song or poem. I often used my songbook as a diary as well, depicting places I was going and things I was experiencing, not so much for song inspiration but just because I wanted to capture and remember everything about things that were happening in my new life as a signed artist in the UK.
When I went to Krusts studio to work with him for the first time, we listened to a lot of beats, but he was very keen for me to do "Something different to what everyone else is doing". and I liked that idea!
When he played me this track (which is largely just an Axelrod sample) I fell in love with it. I opened my song book and started reading the lyrics I had written recently about the grey days of Bristol.
Around that time I found myself falling in and out of states of depression.. although it would be some years before I understood and identified it as being that.. but I often found the long rainy days of England, the endlessly boring and banal streets where all the houses looked the same - to be draining and emotionally heavy.
I had also started seeing a boy around this time - Who though would go onto be a serious boyfriend, initially wanted to keep the relationship under wraps. He was also a musician and trying to make his way, and he felt if people knew we were seeing each other they would think he was trying to ride my current success.
I of course thought that silly, but because I was falling in love, I allowed him to dictate those initial first few months.
I found it so frustrating, as I never knew if I was coming or going with him, and suffering from the feeling of isolation and loneliness, homesickness and uncertainty.. I desperately longed for him to give me the security that I obviously needed, and that love and relationships can bring.
All of these things stared out at me from the page of my song book and when Krust said "Found something?" I answered "I think so" even though I had no real structure for the words.. or really knew how I might go about singing them.
I got into the booth and Krust pressed play on the track and the song basically sang itself. In the same way I had written the words, I began to sing them, a stream of consciousness, slipping and sliding over the notes underneath my lyrics, not caring if my voice cracked or broke, almost using the song as a therapy session, thinking to myself I could always go back and fix up any mistakes later.
I remember looking through the glass window of the vocal booth and seeing Krust with his eyes closed, nodding this head, taking it all in, almost in a trance like state, and as I continued to sing, my emotions pouring out and I pushed my voice - I was now focusing on reaching him through the glass, telling my story, sending him deeper into that trance.
At the end of the recording Krust said "That's it" and I thought he meant for the moment. He wanted to move onto another tune and another idea.
Later on, Krust presented Roni with Grey Days as our tune for my album, and when I heard it I thought.. he can't be serious.. surely I need to do these vocals again? Its just so... raw.
But that was the take both Krust and Roni wanted to use, and even though certain parts of it made me cringe because it wasn't as tight or as perfect as I would have liked - I also recognised it as being the "Something different" that Krust had spoken of at the beginning.
Grey Days was added to the album.
lyrics
GREY DAYS
1.
On a grey day as the city chills, cool wind blows in from patchwork hills, my stomach stretched and milky white, upon my single bed I write,
on a grey day red slated roofs, square curtained eyes peer in my room, open window, breeze seems to say, pulling tendrils of my hair - "come out and play"
On a grey day I watched you lying, wake up beautiful boy, don't sleep through my crying, long lashes resting on sculptured cheeks, we take it slo but days turn into weeks..
CHORUS
On a grey day I could stay like this forever, warm naked languishing the two of us together, Im a slip of girl wanting to smother your skin, you're loving me but not really loving me within,
Still distant misted eyes, like the rain I see - hanging over fields at the end of my street, you know I block it out determined not to care, only needing the knowledge of your presence here..
2.
On a grey day rain strains through collected clouds, the sky cries as a tickle of tears rain down, outlining our emotions, defining our slumber,
babygirl in your embrace, turns her face Im going under,
"what am I gonna do with you?" he whispers my name and the winds hysterical song, makes me wonder the same.
He says Im a romantic, he tells me Im sweet, and yet he still won't stay with me..
CHORUS
On a grey day I could stay like this forever, warm naked languishing the two of us together, Im a slip of girl wanting to smother your skin, you're loving me but not really loving me within,
Still distant misted eyes, like the rain I see - hanging over fields at the end of my street, you know I block it out determined not to care, only needing the knowledge of your presence here.. oohhhh..
3. On a grey day I wandered, clothes damp and cold, watching umbrellas scurry by my steps deliberate and slow..not really knowing, where I was going..cobbled streets, intricate beats, the river flowing..
Who cares?... and who knows?... a question mark tattooed, right there on my brain and baby the artist was you..
CHORUS
On a grey day I could stay like this forever, warm naked languishing the two of us together, Im a slip of girl wanting to smother your skin, you're loving me but not really loving me within,
Still distant misted eyes, like the rain I see - hanging over fields at the end of my street, you know I block it out determined not to care, only needing the knowledge of your presence here..
On a grey day I could stay like this forever, warm naked languishing the two of us together, Im a slip of girl wanting to smother your skin, you're loving me but not really loving me within,
Still distant misted eyes, like the rain I see - hanging over fields at the end of my street,
You know I block it out, determined not to care, only needing needing needing you - here, oh here, oh here...
needing you needing you needing you here,
oh, on this grey grey grey grey, grey day...
COOL NIGHTS (hidden track)
Cool nights, warm days,
smokey bars that fill your eyes with haze
You don't, understand, whats going on and why you're with that man
He don't, treat you good, and he doesn't give you what he should
Going on like it's a game and pretending he can't recall your name..
So what's going on, what's going on, what you doing there yeah
So whats going on, whats going on, what you doing with that man?
what's going on, what's going on, what you doing there yeah
Spending all your time, spending all you time there with that man
spending all you time there with that man,
He's no good for you girl what you doing with that man?
credits
from Lyric On My Lip,
released November 27, 2020
Tali & Krust
TALI is a multi award winning Drum n Bass MC, vocalist, songwriter, & composer for film & television.
Tali has toured
the world many times over as an MC for some of industries biggest heavyweights, has collaborated on various singles, had a UK top 40 single, released 8 solo albums, and performed with her own live Drum n Bass band. In 2020, Tali launched her own label, Reign Recordings....more
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