- published: 20 Jan 2013
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Coordinates: 51°28′21″N 0°19′29″E / 51.4724°N 0.3247°E / 51.4724; 0.3247
Grays (or Grays Thurrock) is the largest town in the borough and unitary authority of Thurrock in Essex and one of the Thurrock's traditional (Church of England) parishes. It is situated approximately 20 miles (32 km) to the east of London on the north bank of the River Thames, and near the M25 motorway.
Parts of Grays and Chafford Hundred are set within three Victorian chalk pits; the largest two being the Lion Gorge, and the Warren Gorge. Another area of the Chafford Hundred residential development is built on a Victorian landfill site.
Thurrock is a Saxon name meaning "the bottom of a ship". The element "Grays" comes from Henry de Grai, a descendant of the Norman knight Anchetil de Greye, who was granted the manor of Grays Thurrock 1195 by Richard I.
Nearest places:
Local sites of interest include the Thameside Theatre, the Thurrock History Museum, Grays Beach and the now-disused State Cinema (which was used as a location in the film Who Framed Roger Rabbit and for sections of Jamiroquai's video of "Deeper Underground" for the film Godzilla).
Sonata Arctica is a Finnish power metal band from the town of Kemi, originally assembled in 1995. Their later works (most notably The Days of Grays, Unia and a few tracks on Reckoning Night and Winterheart's Guild) contain several elements typical of progressive metal.
The band was founded by Marko Paasikoski, Jani Liimatainen and Tommy Portimo in Kemi at the end of 1995 (Tony Kakko and Pentti Peura joined in early 1996). Originally named Tricky Beans, they played hard rock rather than the power metal with which they grew to fame. During their early career, they recorded three demos which were never sent to any recording label — Friend 'till the End, Agre Pamppers and PeaceMaker.
In 1997 the band changed their name to Tricky Means, and from that point until 1999 their style was thoroughly worked upon and ultimately was drastically changed, acquiring strong emphasis on the keyboard melodies and relying on an easily distinguishable rhythm line maintained both by the bass and the guitar. Vocalist Tony Kakko developed a clean singing style which relies both on falsetto and tenor voices and second guitarist Marko Paasikoski left the band. Kakko has stated that the change of sound was influenced by fellow Finnish power metal band Stratovarius.
Okay
It started a long time ago
When I was a little boy
Sometimes
A little one don't do what he's told
And mother puts back his toy
Yes there is something you can do my love
Won't you help me through these troubled times
And serve to remind
That everything is gonna be alright
Despite my fighting bitter tears
These are the very best years
These days
Father's not the man that we knew
And you know we get so low
That's when
You find me alone with my will
And my wine, and these scars that show
Yes there is something you can do my love
Won't you help me through these troubled times
And serve to remind
That everything is gonna be alright
Despite my fighting bitter tears
These are the very best years
I was just five years old
Had this dream that took me far away
And brought me here today
Where my hopes and fears
Are gathered around
Can't you feel them hanging 'round
Yes there is something you can do my love
Won't you help me through these troubled times
And serve to remind
That everything is gonna be alright
Despite my fighting bitter tears
And serve to remind
Yes everything is gonna be alright
Despite my fighting bitter tears
'cause these are the very best years, yeah