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Against the Gravity

by Brian Granse

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about

Brian Granse released “Against the Gravity” in 2020 with an exclusive single release appearing on Bandcamp. Written in the early days of the pandemic with mixed tones of hope and sorrow, “Against the Gravity” navigates the selfish desire to look away and ignore the hardship of others in pursuit of emotional self-preservation, however settling on a position of hope and resolving to give to others and rise despite the challenges.

Granse encourages the listener to believe in a better path forward, and “make a little room for the birth of a dream.” That message of hope echos throughout the song, that “We can find our way, rise against the gravity,” while cautioning voters against giving Donald Trump a second term when the nation was fragile and his leadership so unsteady, singing “Never build a house of cards, again, with a hand that shakes through the day.”

As an early snapshot into the pandemic experience, written prior to the protests in major cities in the US against police brutality, and the increase in racial and political tensions that followed, “Against the Gravity” is honest in its uncertainty at a time when uncertainty was, and is, the lay of the land.

“Against the Gravity” acknowledges privilege, that for some it was an option to hide from the most dire circumstances created by the pandemic. The song suggests that while inequality is the road most known by humankind, people can silence the myth that it can never be better, and make a little room for a dream by fighting feelings of futility, with a simple mantra: “Just believe there’s hope it ain’t so distant, it’s just a different road.”

“Against the Gravity” never left Granse’s hands until it was time to release it, a fitting reflection of art creation during the pandemic. Granse handled all of the instrumentation, including vocals, guitars, bass, piano, saxophone, and drum programming, and mixed and mastered the track in his home studio. Granse postponed the release of his EP, “The Longwall,” for two years due to the pandemic and restrictions on live performances, choosing instead to write and release new material about the landscape of the moment. “Against the Gravity” was the first of two singles released by Granse during the pandemic, preceding a 2021 tribute to George Floyd entitled “Broken Glass.” In 2024, America faces similar challenges.

lyrics

Against the Gravity © 2020 Brian Granse

We can watch the world, sink into the tragedy,
You know it’s coming one day,
Try to shine before we fade,
But we’ve been walking this way,
Where we’ve been walking since the first days.

We can follow guilt to the edges of humanity,
Believe in what you will,
Down deep it’s just insanity.
Try to be a kinder soul,
But do I deserve to live my days in such peace?

It’s the ultimate deception.
Find my stride and then it gets too steep.
In my false resurrection,
I’m not really changing a goddamned thing.

Now I know, it’s too far to make it home.
Now I know, I’ve gotta learn to let it go.
Now I know, these years are like a dream out in the distance,
Dreams you can’t control growin’ old.
Now I know.

We can watch the stars, rise against the gravity.
Give until we give, maybe more than we were given.
Bring silence to a myth, make a little room for the birth of a dream.

We can find our way, try to get it right this time,
Like a knife through all the noise,
Put up a real fight this time.
Never build a house of cards, again with a hand that shakes through the day.

It’s an obvious attraction.
Dig the hole before I dive down deep.
Nevermind my intention.
In the end it isn’t worth anything.

Now I know, I’ve gotta learn to let it go.
Now I know, it’s too far to make it home.
Now I know, just believe there’s hope it ain’t so distant,
It’s just a different road.
Now I know.

We can find our way, try to get it right this time,
Like a knife through all the noise,
Put up a real fight this time.
Never again will I be so quickly brought to my knees.

We can find the stars, rise against the gravity,
Give until we give, yeah more than we were given.
Put a little silence to a myth, make room for the dream.

We can find our way, rise against the gravity.
We can find our way.

credits

released October 22, 2020
Vocals, guitars, piano, bass, saxophone, and drum programming by Brian Granse. Mixed and mastered by Brian Granse.

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Brian Granse Portland, Oregon

Brian Granse is a singer and songwriter in Portland, Oregon. He released his first EP,” 0.5,” in 2001, and then Earthrise (2004) and American Nobody (2006). After touring and piecing together construction jobs, Granse performed full-time from 2007- 2010. Granse now teaches beat production, audio engineering, and Social Studies at an alternative high school, producing Hip-Hop with Portland youth. ... more

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