Born and bred in Brooklyn, New York but with roots in Vancouver, Canada, the history of electronic duo Bob Moses is as curious as the cool house music outfit's name. Members Jimmy Vallance and Tom Howie knew one another from the Vancouver high school they both attended, and were drawn to each other thanks to a shared love of pop-punk bands like Rancid and Green Day. Adulthood found them both in Brooklyn, with Vallance recording Berlin-styled techno while Howie worked in the realm of the singer/songwriter. Both felt musically stuck and hungered for something new, a problem solved by the simple union of their styles, which created something cool and decidedly "post-club." Named after the urban planner who designed the modern New York City, they became Bob Moses and joined the Scissor & Thread label in 2012 with the EP Hand to Hold. The Far from the Tree EP followed on the label in 2013, and a year later the group released the First to Cry EP on Domino.
In 2015, the label gathered up all the duo's early EPs for the compilation All in All and also released their debut album, Days Gone By. The single "Tearing Me Up" earned them a pair of Grammy nominations, winning for Best Remixed Recording (Non-Classical) with RAC. The buzz surrounding "Tearing Me Up" carried them into the next year, with appearances on television shows and a special edition re-release of Days Gone By. In 2018, they issued their sophomore full-length, Battle Lines, featuring the single "Heaven Only Knows." A 2019 Unplugged EP preceded 2020's Desire, which included a collaboration with ZHU as its title track. Falling Into Focus, an hour-long set recorded at the top of an abandoned radio tower in Topanga, California, was released as a live album and performance film in November of 2020. "Griffith" and the Elderbrook collaboration "Inner Light" were both issued in 2021. The Silence in Between, Bob Moses' third studio full-length, appeared in 2022.
Biography by David Jeffries for ALLMUSIC
There is another artist with the same name:
2) -Rakalam Bob Moses (b. Jan. 28, 1948) is an American jazz drummer born in New York City.
Moses played with Roland Kirk in 1964-65 while he was still a teenager. In 1966 he and Larry Coryell formed The Free Spirits, a jazz fusion ensemble, and from 1967 to 1969 he played in Gary Burton's quartet. He also recorded with Burton in the 1970s, in addition to work with Dave Liebman/Open Sky, Pat Metheny, Mike Gibbs, Hal Galper, Gil Goldstein, Steve Swallow, Steve Kuhn/Sheila Jordan (from 1979 to 1982), George Gruntz, and Emily Remler (from 1983 to 1984). In the early 1970s he was a member of Compost with Harold Vick, Jumma Santos, Jack Gregg and Jack DeJohnette. His first session as a leader was in 1975. His releases for Gramavision in the 1980s received critical acclaim.
Moses currently performs alongside John Lockwood, Don Pate, and John Medeski with guitarist Tisziji Muñoz and teaches at New England Conservatory.
Grace
Bob Moses Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
'Cause for a moment I can see,
You led me in and down this road with an invitation,
A promise you could never keep.
Why would you say I am the one you want?
Oh what game you playing?
How could you say I'm not the one you need?
See the toll it's taking?
How could you say I'm not the one you need?
So even if you try to say there's a way to save us,
I'll have to wonder what is true.
'Cause you deny the look that lies over both your faces,
You show me one but I see two.
Why would you say I am the one you want?
Oh what game you playing?
How could you say I'm not the one you need?
Why would you say I am the one you want,
See the toll it's taking?
How could you say I'm not the one you need?
The lyrics of Bob Moses's song Grace present a scenario of a relationship in which one partner is uncertain about their feelings for the other. The song's protagonist is caught off guard by the attraction they feel to their partner, and in conversation and interaction with them, they feel a sense of promise and invitation that the partner cannot ultimately keep. This creates a sense of confusion and doubt within the singer, as they grapple with the fact that their partner has expressed a desire for them but also seems to deny the reality of their feelings.
The lyrics delve into the intricacies of love and attraction, exploring the tension between what we want and what we need in relationships. The singer is left wondering why their partner would say they want them if they do not truly need them. This contradiction causes despair and confusion, as they struggle to understand the motivations behind their partner's words and actions. The chorus of the song reinforces this sense of conflict, with the repeated question of 'Why would you say I am the one you want?' emphasizing the singer's confusion and frustration.
Overall, the lyrics of Grace speak to the complexity of relationships and the often-confusing emotions that can arise as we navigate them. Bob Moses's haunting vocals and evocative lyrics create a deeply emotional and introspective experience for the listener, inviting them to consider the nature of attraction and desire in all its complexity.
Line by Line Meaning
You catch my eye and I am frozen in conversation,
When I look at you, I get so captivated in our conversation that I am left speechless.
'Cause for a moment I can see,
In that moment, I get a glimpse of how things could be between us.
You led me in and down this road with an invitation,
You've brought me down this path, inviting me along for the ride.
A promise you could never keep.
But I know that the promises you've made to me are unrealistic and unattainable.
So even if you try to say there's a way to save us,
Even if you attempt to reconcile our relationship, I have my doubts.
I'll have to wonder what is true.
I will still be questioning the authenticity of your intentions.
'Cause you deny the look that lies over both your faces,
Your actions contradict each other and I can sense the tension between you.
You show me one but I see two.
You're trying to hide your true emotions from me, but I can see through the facade.
Why would you say I am the one you want?
Why would you lead me on by claiming that I am the one you desire?
Oh what game you playing?
What is your true motive behind these mixed signals and mind games?
How could you say I'm not the one you need?
How could you suddenly decide that I am not the person you require in your life?
See the toll it's taking?
Can't you see how much this is affecting me and my emotional wellbeing?
How could you say I'm not the one you need?
I am baffled as to how you could simply brush off our connection and say that you don't need me.
Contributed by James R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@weaponizedmemes3461
The lyrics are just so good.
"So even if you try to say there's a way to save us,
I'll have to wonder what is true.
'Cause you deny the look that lies over both your faces,
You show me one but I see two."
C'mon, people!
@theelusiveladyrose
GRACE 💋 LYRICS
You catch my eye and I am frozen in conversation,
'Cause for a moment I can see,
You lead me in and down this road with an invitation,
A promise you could never keep.
Why would you say I am the one you want?
What game you playing?
How could you say I'm not the one you need?
Why would you say I am the one you want,
See the toll it's taking?
How could you say I'm not the one you need?
So even if you try to say there's a way to save us,
I'll have to wonder what is true.
'Cause you deny the look that lies over both your faces,
You show me one but I see two.
Why would you say I am the one you want?
What game you playing?
How could you say I'm not the one you need?
Why would you say I am the one you want,
See the toll it's taking?
How could you say I'm not the one you need?
@fanivallidi1247
Where the fuck have I been?? I just discovered Bob Moses. What have I been missing all these years?? So glad I did!!
@jimwiesen2278
I'm actually jealous. I wish I could experience their music for the first time again. Enjoy the ride!
@oscarcampa2828
Enjoy! I was blessed the day I first found out about them
@franciscoespinosa2809
As I walk through this road called life, I tripped and fell into this mental hole where I can only see the rest of the world passing me by while I helplessly sit there. Unable to climb out, unable to lift myself up.
While sitting here reconstructing my mentality and patching up my self stem came across this artist and his music.
Somehow it has been like a ladder that I so desperately needed and while climbing up and out of this hole I learned that help can be found in the most random places.
I can see light. I can see my path again where I left off. I’m not completely out but I know I can make it.
@PrincessCiara2671
Bob Moses is a duo actually :).
@sbqntlyawake3813
Beautiful! 🌻💖
@jessvisser5775
Yassss! So glad you found this ladder x
@dmbadon9362
Hiya! Know that it gets better! Sending my love to you, man. Keep up!
@romains4845
Don’t give up brother, life is worth the ride trust me!! Hope you’re doing well
@MattyShreds
Never gets old. Still hits the same as the day I first heard it.