Alissa released her debut album In Your Wake on her own label Pi Records in 2008 and has already sold over 10,000 copies. Her first single “Far From Here” is playing on Hot A/C, AAA and college radio stations across the U.S. and was licensed as the show I.D. for the hit show “Army Wives.” Songs from In Your Wake have been licensed to numerous film and television projects including MTV’s hit series “The Hills,” “Laguna Beach,” and “Newport Harbor” as well as Fox’s “Wonderfalls,” NBC’s “Will and Grace,” CBS’s “How I Met Your Mother”, ABC Family’s “Greek,” CMT’s “The Drive,” and soaps “Guiding Light” and “General Hospital,” among others. Her song “Next Time” was also added to the Interscope Records soundtrack release “Laguna Beach- Summer Can Last Forever.”
As a songwriter Alissa penned the chart-topping hit “Every Day” for Rascal Flatts, which went to #2 on the country charts. She has collaborated with noteworthy music industry veterans including Matt Scannell of Vertical Horizon, Jeffrey Steele (Rascal Flatts, Faith Hill), Chas Sandford (John Waite, Stevie Nicks, Rod Stewart), Big Al Anderson (Tim McGraw, Vince Gil), songwriter/producer Jamie Houston (Kid Rock, Macy Gray, Santana, Bo Bice), Beau Dozier (Jojo, Joss Stone), Luke Laird (Carrie Underwood), composer John Swihart ("Napoleon Dynamite"), David Baerwald and Kevin Hunter (Sheryl Crow), and Tony Scalzo and Miles Zuniga of Fastball. Alissa also co-wrote and co-performed the theme song for the ABC hit series “Hope and Faith.” She recently signed a publishing deal with Universal Music Publishing.
Alissa is a renown piano and vocal talent, having worked on the set of "Hollywoodland" (Focus Features 2006) as vocal coach to Ben Affleck. She also is an actress, appearing in commercials, indie films, and creating and starring in Los Angeles Independent Film Festival short film "Superchicks." She currently lives in Los Angeles, and can be seen performing live at House of Blues, Knitting Factory, The Viper Room, and Hotel Cafe.
www.alissamoreno.com
How Far I'll Go
Alissa Moreno Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
'Long as I can remember, never really knowing why
I wish I could be the perfect daughter
But I come back to the water, no matter how hard I try
Every turn I take, every trail I track
Every path I make, every road leads back
To the place I know, where I cannot go
Where I long to be
And no one knows how far it goes
If the wind in my sail on the sea stays behind me
One day I'll know, if I go there's just no telling how far I'll...
Go-oh-oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh-oh-oh-oh
Oh-oh-oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh-oh-oh-oh
I know, everybody on this island seems so happy, on this island
Everything is by design
I know, everybody on this island has a role on this island
So maybe I can roll with mine
I can lead with pride, I can make us strong
I'll be satisfied if I play along
But the voice inside sings a different song
What is wrong with me?
See the light as it shines on the sea? It's blinding
But no one knows how deep it goes
And it seems like it's calling out to me, so come find me
And let me know, what's beyond that line, will I cross that line?
See the line where the sky meets the sea? It calls me
And no one knows how far it goes
If the wind in my sail on the sea stays behind me
One day I'll know, how far I'll go
Alissa Moreno’s song “How Far I'll Go” is a powerful soundtrack featured in Disney's Moana. This song is about the struggle of a young girl Moana, trying to find her true identity in life. The first line “I've been staring at the edge of the water, long as I can remember, never really knowing why,” illustrates Moana feeling tethered to the sea without understanding why. The second line, “I wish I could be the perfect daughter, but I come back to the water, no matter how hard I try,” showcases Moana's desire to fulfill the expectations placed upon her, but her heart is drawn always back to adventure and the sea.
Moana is aware of her responsibilities and tries to fulfill her destiny, but the desire inside her leads her to wander beyond the island. “Every turn I take, every trail I track, every path I make, every road leads back, to the place I know, where I cannot go, where I long to be.” In these lines, Moana expresses her yearning for adventure, but at the same time, she understands that it's not her place to leave her duties unfulfilled.
The song's chorus “See the line where the sky meets the sea? It calls me, and no one knows how far it goes, if the wind in my sail on the sea stays behind me, one day I'll know, how far I'll go” encourages the audience to embark on a new journey to experience the unknown. These lyrics remind us that it is okay to step out of our comfort zones and take a leap of faith to fulfill our dreams. Moana's willingness to follow her heart and succeed on her own terms makes this song an empowering message for everyone.
Line by Line Meaning
I've been staring at the edge of the water
For as long as I can recall, I've been looking out at the ocean, wondering what's out there.
'Long as I can remember, never really knowing why
Even though I've been doing this for so long, I still don't know why I feel drawn to the water.
I wish I could be the perfect daughter
I want to please my family and be everything they want me to be.
But I come back to the water, no matter how hard I try
Despite my efforts to resist the call of the ocean, I always end up back here.
Every turn I take, every trail I track Every path I make, every road leads back To the place I know, where I cannot go Where I long to be
No matter where I go or what I try, I always end up back at the ocean, my true home even though I can't go there.
See the line where the sky meets the sea? It calls me
There's a place where the ocean and sky meet, and it's like it's calling out to me, urging me towards it.
And no one knows how far it goes
I have no idea how far I'll need to go to find what I'm looking for.
If the wind in my sail on the sea stays behind me
If I can maintain my momentum and keep the wind in my sails, then I won't be held back.
One day I'll know, if I go there's just no telling how far I'll...
I'm not sure what lies ahead, but I know that if I start this journey, there's no telling where it will take me.
Go-oh-oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh-oh-oh-oh Oh-oh-oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh-oh-oh-oh
I'm ready to go on this journey, even if I don't know where it will take me.
I know, everybody on this island seems so happy, on this island Everything is by design
Everyone here seems content with their lives, and everything is carefully planned and controlled.
I know, everybody on this island has a role on this island So maybe I can roll with mine
I understand that everyone here has a place and a purpose, and maybe I can find my own role in this community.
I can lead with pride, I can make us strong I'll be satisfied if I play along
I can take on a leadership role and help this community thrive, but it's not what I truly desire.
But the voice inside sings a different song What is wrong with me?
I have this inner desire that conflicts with what I should want according to society's expectations, and it makes me question myself.
See the light as it shines on the sea? It's blinding
There's a light that shines on the water, seemingly guiding me towards it.
And it seems like it's calling out to me, so come find me And let me know, what's beyond that line, will I cross that line?
The ocean is beckoning me to explore further, and I'm not sure if I have what it takes to cross that boundary.
If the wind in my sail on the sea stays behind me One day I'll know, how far I'll go
If I can maintain my momentum and continue sailing onwards, I'll eventually discover how far I can really go.
See the line where the sky meets the sea? It calls me And no one knows how far it goes If the wind in my sail on the sea stays behind me One day I'll know, how far I'll go
The ocean's call is irresistible to me, and its siren song will eventually lead me to my destiny if I let it.
Writer(s): Alissa Hayden Moreno, Miles Zuniga
Contributed by Ellie E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.