In February 2005, newspaper writer Tammy LaGorce described Moore as a "lo-fi legend" in the New York Times.
Moore, born in Nashville, Tennessee, made his commercial recording debut at age seven, singing a duet with Jim Reeves entitled "But You Love Me, Daddy" on the RCA Victor album Songs to Warm the Heart.
Moore was gifted with intuitive proficiency for guitar, bass, keyboards, percussion, and songwriting. In 1966, he began pursuing what would become his lifelong passion, home recording, using a reel-to-reel tape deck set up in his basement. In 1967, he formed his first band, The Marlborough (a rock combo). He also began working for his father as a studio musician, and as an assistant at Mimosa Music, his father's music publishing company.
After dropping out of Vanderbilt University in 1971 to pursue a career as a professional artist, performer and entertainer Moore issued his home-recorded 1976 debut album Phonography on his uncle Harry "H.P." Palmer's HP Music label. The initial run was limited to 100 copies. Trouser Press gave the album rave reviews, calling it "an outrageous collection of musical brain spewage" and "a true slash of genius". Moore moved from Nashville to New Jersey shortly afterwards, his uncle releasing two further collections, The Stance EP, and Delicate Tension in 1978 (Moore's home tape releases continuing at the same time).
In 1996, in a gesture far overdue, "Phonography" was listed among "the fifty most significant indie records" in Rolling Stone's Alt-Rock-A-Rama.
1980 saw an important tape release, Clack!, this time recorded professionally. In 1981, Moore set up the RSM Cassette Club as an outlet for his home-recorded work, making available all tapes recorded by Moore stretching back to 1968, each listed with a 'listenability quotient' rating from 1 to 10.
The next LP release was 1984's What's The Point?!! and in the same year Paris' New Rose Records issued a double album compilation, Everything You Always Wanted To Know About R Stevie Moore But Were Afraid To Ask. The label described Moore as "one of the best songwriters of all time".Everything proved particularly popular in France, with a single "Chantilly Lace" from the album becoming a minor sleeper hit there, and prompting Moore to undertake a promotional visit to the country, where he was welcomed with not insignificant adulation and press-buzz. Further albums followed in the 80s, including Verve, Glad Music (this time recorded in a professional studio), (1952-19??), and Teenage Spectacular (described by Moore then as "the most enjoyable project of my career".)
During the 1980s Moore appeared sporadically on the Uncle Floyd TV show, a tongue-in-cheek, public-access style clown, puppet and variety show that broadcast out of New Jersey.
Moore was an early on-air personality at WFMU, an independent free-form radio station out of New Jersey.
Around 1988, Moore started working in home video, and he is now active on YouTube and MySpace.
The advent of CD-R as a medium for self-issued music brought Moore and his fans new enthusiasm for his home recording, and in 1999 the cassette club became the "R. Stevie Moore CDR Club" (CDRSMCLUB).
In 2002 Moore recorded an album with Half Japanese frontman Jad Fair, titled FairMoore, described as "a lovely, heartfelt effort that shows both in top form" by Dave Mandl, who stated that it "brings together two fiercely original figures in the American music underground", the album consisting of Fair reciting his poetry over Moore's instrumental backing.
Throughout the 2000s Moore, has continued to issue more official CD's released on various independent labels around the world. He also worked on several mail collaborations with Terry Burrows (aka Yukio Yung), Ariel Pink, Lane Steinberg and others.
Moore contributed a track to the 2007 Worried Noodles compilation on Tomlab, alongside David Byrne, Deerhoof and Liars, compiled by British artist David Shrigley. Shrigley also interviewed Moore for BOMB Magazine magazine that year.
I'm Only Sleeping
R. Stevie Moore Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Lift my head, I'm still yawning
When I'm in the middle of a dream
Stay in bed, float up stream (Float up stream)
Please, don't wake me, no, don't shake me
Leave me where I am, I'm only sleeping
Everybody seems to think I'm lazy
I don't mind, I think they're crazy
Running everywhere at such a speed
Till they find there's no need (There's no need)
Please, don't spoil my day, I'm miles away
And after all I'm only sleeping
Keeping an eye on the world going by my window
Taking my time
Lying there and staring at the ceiling
Waiting for a sleepy feeling...
Please, don't spoil my day, I'm miles away
And after all I'm only sleeping
Ooh yeah
Keeping an eye on the world going by my window
Taking my time
When I wake up early in the morning
Lift my head, I'm still yawning
When I'm in the middle of a dream
Stay in bed, float up stream (Float up stream)
Please, don't wake me, no, don't shake me
Leave me where I am, I'm only sleeping
"I'm Only Sleeping" is a song by R. Stevie Moore that talks about his desire to stay in bed and continue sleeping. He uses dream imagery to show his state of mind, talking about floating up a stream while in a dream. Despite the claims that he is lazy, he doesn't believe that he is and that everyone else is just moving too fast. He keeps an eye on the world going by his window and takes his time, waiting for a sleepy feeling. Despite not wanting to be disturbed or shaken awake from his slumber, he repeats the line "please, don't spoil my day, I'm miles away" twice, emphasizing that he wants to be left alone in his peaceful state.
This song is generally interpreted to be about the importance of taking time for oneself and not being caught up in the hustle and bustle of everyday life. It speaks to the need for rest and relaxation and the value of slowing down and enjoying the simple things in life. The dream imagery used throughout the song also highlights the power of the subconscious mind and the need to honor our inner selves.
Line by Line Meaning
When I wake up early in the morning
At the time when I rise early in the morning
Lift my head, I'm still yawning
While I raise my head, I still have a strong urge to yawn
When I'm in the middle of a dream
When I am in the midst of a dream
Stay in bed, float up stream (Float up stream)
Remain in my bed while my thoughts freely float away
Please, don't wake me, no, don't shake me
Please refrain from waking me, I do not wish to be disturbed
Leave me where I am, I'm only sleeping
Let me stay in my current state, for I am merely sleeping
Everybody seems to think I'm lazy
It appears that everyone perceives me as being idle
I don't mind, I think they're crazy
I don't mind their perceptions, I reckon they are absurd
Running everywhere at such a speed
Everyone seems to be constantly in a hurry
Till they find there's no need (There's no need)
Only to later realize that there was no necessity to be in such a rush
Please, don't spoil my day, I'm miles away
Refuse to ruin my day, for I am distant in thought
And after all I'm only sleeping
In any case, the truth is that I am simply sleeping
Keeping an eye on the world going by my window
Observing the world passing by through my window
Taking my time
In no rush, I am taking my own time
Lying there and staring at the ceiling
Lying still, I am fixating on the ceiling
Waiting for a sleepy feeling...
Waiting for a relaxed and drowsy mood to overtake me
Ooh yeah
A term of enjoyment, accenting pleasure with what has been said or done
When I wake up early in the morning
At the time when I rise early in the morning
Lift my head, I'm still yawning
While I raise my head, I still have a strong urge to yawn
When I'm in the middle of a dream
When I am in the midst of a dream
Stay in bed, float up stream (Float up stream)
Remain in my bed while my thoughts freely float away
Please, don't wake me, no, don't shake me
Please refrain from waking me, I do not wish to be disturbed
Leave me where I am, I'm only sleeping
Let me stay in my current state, for I am merely sleeping
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: John Lennon, Paul Mccartney
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind