During this period he also collaborated with Allen Ginsberg, accompanying him on cello while Ginsberg read or sang. Russell also spent time in a Buddhist commune in California; he left when they decided to collectivize his cello.
By the mid-1970's Russell relocated to New York City, where he studied at The Manhattan School of Music. He formed a band from 1975-1979, The Flying Hearts, recorded by John Hammond and featuring David Byrne, Rhys Chatham, Jon Gibson, Peter Gordon, Jerry Harrison, Garret List, Frank Pagano, Andy Paley, Leni Pickett, and Peter Zummo.
In the late 1970s Russell became enamored with the disco scene in New York. At the time it represented a liberation force, particularly for the gay scene, just a few years after the Stonewall riots. (For more see "Turn the Beat Around: The Secret History of Disco" by Peter Shapiro).
'Kiss Me Again' was Russell's first dance track. Released under the name Dinosaur L by Sirerecords, it was to be the first of many innovative dancefloor tracks released under different names and with different collaborators, such as 'Is It All Over My Face' by Loose Joints, released in 1980. In 1982, Arthur Russell and William Socolov founded Sleeping Bag records and their first release was his 24-24 Music. This featured 'Go Bang' which was re-mixed as a 12" single by Francois Kevorkian.
Arthur Russell continued to release dance singles such as 'Tell You Today' (4th and Broadway, 1983) an upbeat dance groove featuring the vocals of Joyce Bowden . 'Wax the Van' (Jump Street, 1985) with vocals by Lola Blank, wife of notorious BobTreehouse aka Bob Schoolbell (Sleeping Bag, 1986) and 'Let's Go Swimming' (Upside / Rough Trade, 1986).
At the same time, he produced more meditative works on the albums 'Tower of Meaning' (Chatham Square, 1983) and 'World of Echo' (Rough Trade, 1986), which presented many of his pop and dance compositions in solo cellist form.
Arthur Russell died of AIDS on April 4, 1992, at the age of 40. The obituary in the Village Voice wrote: "his songs were so personal that it seems as though he simply vanished into his music."
In 2004 a renewed interest in Arthur Russell saw the release of "The World of Arthur Russell" on Soul Jazz records, which compiled his best-known dance hits alongside more introspective love songs such as "Little Lost" and "Keeping Up".
In the same year Audika records reissued "World Of Echo" and produced "Calling Out Of Context", 12 unreleased songs from 1985-90. The songs were taken from an album "Corn", recorded in 1985 but never released. They showcase a set of visionary pop songs years ahead of their time, minimalist and expansive, evidence that Russell's best work was perhaps never realized before his death.
In 2006 Audika released "First Thought Best Thought", compiling Russell's out of print orchestral and instrumental works with previously unreleased material.
Big Moon
Arthur Russell Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Don't let me down
Like they said that it would be
Big moon
Up on the pole
Come and bring her back to me
In the cold and blowing snow
I never seen her before
But now her face is all I know
Big big big moon
Don't let me down
She might let you talk to me
Big big big moon
Don't let me down
She might give you one more chance
Big moon
Don't let me down
Like they said that it would be
Big moon
Up on the pole
Come and bring her back to me
Heat in her face
She can't have a face like you
Moonlight it falls all over space
Heard you put the message through
Big big big moon
Don't let me down
She might let you talk to me
Big big big moon
Don't let me down
She might give you one more chance
Big moon
Don't let me down
Like they said that it would be
Big moon
Up on the pole
Come and bring her back to me
Two years ago
In the cold and blowing snow
I never seen her before
But now her face is all I know
Big big big moon
Don't let me down
She might let you talk to me
Big big big moon
Don't let me down
She might give you one more chance
She might give you one more chance
The song "Big Moon" by Arthur Russell is a melancholic, poignant ballad about longing and loss. The lyrics describe a man pleading with the moon to bring back his loved one to him. The big, bright full moon serves as a symbol of hope and possibility, a celestial body that can potentially connect him to his lost love. The lyrics evoke a sense of yearning and desperation, as the man pleads with the moon not to let him down as he waits for his loved one's return.
The lyrics suggest that the man has been waiting for two years, and his love's absence is felt acutely. The cold and blowing snow mentioned in the lyrics create a sense of isolation and loneliness, making the man's longing for his loved one all the more intense. The repetition of the phrase "she might give you one more chance" suggests that the man has tried to reconnect with his loved one before but failed. Now, he sees the moon as his only hope to bring her back to him.
The song's sparse instrumentation, consisting primarily of acoustic guitar and Russell's haunting, emotive voice, adds to the song's emotional intensity. The lyrics and the simple, almost meditative melody combine to create a sense of hypnotic melancholy that lingers long after the song has ended.
Line by Line Meaning
Big moon
Addressing the moon as the singer pleads for it to fulfill his desires
Don't let me down
Asking the moon to not fail him in delivering his request
Like they said that it would be
Referencing past disappointment and betrayal by other sources
Up on the pole
Describing the location of the moon
Come and bring her back to me
Requesting for the moon to facilitate the return of the artist's desired person
Two years ago
Recalling back to a past event
In the cold and blowing snow
Painting a physical and emotional scene of the past event
I never seen her before
Admitting to a lack of previous knowledge or awareness of the desired person
But now her face is all I know
Expressing a strong attachment and focus on the person in question
Big big big moon
Reiterating the importance and weight of the request to the moon
She might let you talk to me
Suggesting that the moon has a potential channel or way of communication to the desired person
She might give you one more chance
Acknowledging the possibility of a second chance or opportunity in the situation
Heat in her face
Describing a physical reaction or state of the desired person
She can't have a face like you
Comparing the desired person to an idealized image represented by the moon
Moonlight it falls all over space
Capturing a mood and physical image through words
Heard you put the message through
Acknowledging the potential impact and involvement of the moon in the desired outcome
Contributed by Jake H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.