In regards to the meaning of this song:
Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
""Stay away from the unknown Stay away from me for a while I know. Give all your heart Give all your heart for me It's the greys again I know I know. And it's a sinister game they play; I know I know. Give all your heart Give all your heart for me. And the world it gets so loud And when they start to tear you apart You were right you were always right. Ready or not here I come! And the greys flood our memories in the long haul Can the greys wash away? Chaos! And the world it gets so loud And when they start to tear you apart You were right you were always right there Ready or not here I come! And the greys flood our memories in the long haul And the greys flood our memories in the long haul And the greys flood our memories in the long haul And the greys flood our memories in the long haul""
Lyrics submitted by orange juice
The Greys Lyrics as written by Devin Garrett Townsend
Lyrics © Reservoir Media Management, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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It's simple: "stay away from the unknown". Don't become too analytical/adventurous/curious (curiosity killed the cat) because you're not always going to like what you find. In this case, Ziltoid didn't like that the Omnidimensional Creator had revealed to him "the true nature of his reality": that everyone including Ziltoid is just a puppet in some way. No matter what, you are being used by someone in some way, and because you didn't "stay away from the unknown", you've got to deal with this burden of knowing.
One of my favorite Devy songs! I used to think the Greys referred to the aliens that are most commonly sighted - the ones with the big heads, big black eyes and gray skin, but now I'm thinking it's grays/Greys as opposed to colors, but still a pun on the aliens. I always thought he was saying "heal your heart; heal your heart for me," which makes sense. After Ziltoid learns how cosmically insignificant he is, he's depressed. He needs to confine himself and stay away from the unknown for a while so he can heal. He needs to learn that even though there's no cosmic meaning to his existence, it doesn't mean his life is meaningless. He needs to heal so his life doesn't waste away. So he can live again and have new, colorful experiences before the grays/Greys wash away all his old memories, and he's left with nothing.
@Ampulex_Compressa WOW! You nailed it! Amazing that I discovered this record right now at this very moment in my life where I feel exactly like Ziltoid. I cannot forget who I once was (or thought I was) and I need to surpass this "gray" feeling to keep moving on, ASAP!
So, based on manlylove and Ampulex Compressa's interpretations, "the greys" is kinda like "the blues", but in the context of Colour Your World.
Grey Skies was also the name of Devin's first band, and the grey references pop up in other songs e.g Voices In The Fan - "grey days that I'll remember the most", Deadhead - "the grey line...the Greyhound home", The Way Home, etc.
For all it's silliness, I like that there's still some deep moments in the Ziltoid record :)
Amazing that I discovered this record right now at this very moment in my life where I feel exactly like Ziltoid. I cannot forget who I once was (or thought I was) and I need to surpass this "gray" feeling to keep moving on, ASAP! This record, as silly as it is, has deep moments of reflection! It's pure ART!
I think there are layers of meaning here, as with most (good) lyrics. Outside of the concept of the album, I think he's talking about how memories fade over time, for better and for worse. "Can the greys wash away... chaos?"
@proghead77 I'm proud of everyone in this comment section xDDDD
I'm not sure what this song's about. It's right after Ziltoid is told by the creator that he's just a puppet. It's got a pretty awesome melody to it, kind of depressing almost. It's like Ziltoid's just fading out after the big revelation and giving up on his plans.
I think "The Greys" is supposed to represent how Ziltoid feels after he realizes he's a puppet. In Color Your World, he feels high and mighty being omniscient, but not so much in this song.
"The greys flood our memories" is speaking about dwelling in the past I believe.