He first started recording in the early 1970s with Jefferson Airplane violinist Papa John Creach. Creach hired him when Moore was just twenty-one years old; Moore appeared on four of Creach's albums.
He was further immersed in the blues with his long stint in the Whodunit Band, headed by Bobby "Blue" Bland producer Monk Higgins. Moore jammed with Albert Collins and Big Joe Turner.
In 1996 he released Just Like You, which featured guest appearances from Jackson Browne and Bonnie Raitt.
In 2004, he appeared on Amy Grant: Greatest Hits 1986-2004 in a duet entitled "Come Be with Me", which became a modest success on pop radio.
In 2005 he appeared on Buddy Guy's version of "Ain't No Sunshine", along with Tracy Chapman. That same year, he appeared on Eric Clapton's album Back Home. In 2006, he co-wrote the song, "I Hope", with the Dixie Chicks for their album, Taking the Long Way.
Moore also provided vocals to Marcus Miller's 2007 album, Free on the track entitled "Milky Way" and again on Miller's 2008 album entitled, Marcus.
According to Songfacts, in 2010 I See Love was used as the opening theme tune for American sitcom Mike & Molly.
Keb' Mo's website is at http://www.kebmo.com/
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Keb' Mo' is one of the foremost contemporary blues artists. With an endearing sense of faith in humanity evident on most of his tracks and a very interestingly textured voice, this man has successfully merged traditional Delta blues and modern acoustic singer-songwritership. While it's a stretch to call him a traditionalist, Keb' Mo' plays a mean guitar, and the meticulously played guitar on each one of his songs is awe-inspiring.
After spending his early career backing blues artists up, he released his debut album in 1994. He also appeared in Scorsese's film about the blues. As the only man to my knowlege that has incorporated the word "internet" into a blues song, it is clear that Keb' Mo' is unique and has, in an unprecedented manner, carved out his own genre that never fails to make the listener smile.
City Boy
Keb' Mo' Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And l hear the sound
The sound of my shoes
shuffling on out of town
Too many people
Too many cars
Take me to Memphis,
Mercury, or Mars
Where the buffalo roam
l`m just a city boy
Looking for a home
l can`t breathe
And l can`t see
The city`s no place for me
And l can`t seem to find my way
l`m just existing from
day to day, yes l am
`Cause l want to be
Where my soul can run free
Well, l`m just a city boy
Looking for a home
Now, l don`t
Want to be no prisoner
And l sure don`t want
to be no slave
l want look out at night
And see stars in the sky
The Little Dipper
And the Milky Way
l can`t sleep
lt`s too loud
And everywhere
Everywhere l go, you know,
there seems to be a crowd
And l`m tired of
all these concrete streets
l want to feel the dirt
Up under my feet
`Cause l want to go
Somewhere where the buffalo roam
l`m just a city boy
Looking for a home
l want to go
Somewhere, somewhere where
the buffalo roam
Oh, l`m just a city boy
Looking for a home
Well, now, just a city boy
And l`m looking for a home
Whoa, just a city boy
The song "City Boy" by Keb' Mo' is an introspective piece about the singer's longing for a different kind of life than the one he's currently living. The opening lines describe his dissatisfaction with the city life; he hears the sounds of his own shoes shuffling as he leaves town, overwhelmed by the crowds of people and cars. He yearns to escape to a place where he can breathe and see more clearly, and where he feels free. He wants to be where the buffalo roam, a reference to the wide open spaces of the American West, a place where he can feel rooted in the natural world.
The second verse expands on this theme of feeling cramped and suffocated in the city. He can't sleep because it's too loud and everywhere he goes, he's surrounded by crowds of people. He's tired of the concrete streets and wants to feel the dirt under his feet. He wants to be free, and to see the stars in the sky, particularly the Little Dipper and the Milky Way. The song ends with a repetition of the desire to go where the buffalo roam, and the assertion that he's just a city boy looking for a home.
Overall, the song speaks to the human need for connection to nature and a sense of place. It's a longing for something deeper than the superficiality of city life, and a search for a place to call home.
Line by Line Meaning
l hear a voice
I'm listening to someone or something calling out to me
And l hear the sound
I can hear background noise
The sound of my shoes
I can hear the noise my shoes make as I walk
shuffling on out of town
I'm leaving the city in a hurry
Too many people
The city is overcrowded
Too many cars
The city is congested with vehicles
Take me to Memphis, Mercury, or Mars
I want to go somewhere far away from the city, even if it's another planet
`Cause l want to go
I have a strong desire to leave the city
Where the buffalo roam
I want to be in a natural, open environment
l`m just a city boy
I'm someone who grew up and lived in the city for a long time
Looking for a home
I'm searching for a place to belong
l can`t breathe
The air quality in the city is poor and makes it difficult to breathe
And l can`t see
The air pollution is so dense that it obstructs my vision
The city`s no place for me
I don't fit in or feel comfortable in the city
And l can`t seem to find my way
I'm lost and unsure of how to leave the city
l`m just existing from day to day, yes l am
I'm just surviving in the city with no purpose or direction
`Cause l want to be
I have a strong desire to
Where my soul can run free
I want to be in a place where I can feel free and happy
Now, l don`t
I don't want to
Want to be no prisoner
I don't want to feel trapped or restricted
And l sure don`t want to be no slave
I don't want to feel like I'm being controlled or forced to do something
l want look out at night
I want to gaze at the stars in the night sky
And see stars in the sky
I want the night sky to be clear and free of light pollution
The Little Dipper
I want to see constellations like the Little Dipper
And the Milky Way
I want to be in a place where I can see the Milky Way galaxy
l can`t sleep
The city is too noisy and prevents me from sleeping
lt`s too loud
The city is too loud and noisy
And everywhere
In every place
Everywhere l go, you know,
No matter where I go
there seems to be a crowd
There are too many people everywhere I go
And l`m tired of
I'm exhausted from
all these concrete streets
The city is too developed and lacks natural surroundings
l want to feel the dirt
I want to walk on natural ground like soil or grass
Up under my feet
Beneath my shoes
Somewhere where the buffalo roam
I want to be in a natural, open environment
Oh, l`m just a city boy
I'm someone who grew up and lived in the city for a long time
Whoa, just a city boy
I'm someone who grew up and lived in the city for a long time
Contributed by Alaina G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Angel Flores
on The Whole Enchilada (Bonus Acoustic)
You gon die if u put yo hands on me nigga