Born in Hawaii, Jennings moved with his family to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, at an early age. Jennings learned to play guitar at the age of 13, when he began writing songs. Jennings later dropped out of school and moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota to pursue his musical career.
Jennings produced his self-titled debut album in 1997 on an analog four-track in the basement of a rented home, manning all instruments himself. In October 1998, after bringing drummer Chris Stock and bassist Robert Skoro on board, he began a weekly gig at Minneapolis' 400 Bar as the Mason Jennings Band. Garnering local praise and a wide fan base, Mason began touring nationally.
His 2000 album Birds Flying Away revealed Jennings' political activism and penchant for singing first-person narratives of imaginary rustic characters. Following the release of this album, Noah Levy took over drumming duties from Stock.
2002 saw the release of two albums: the studio piece Century Spring and a "fans only" collection of acoustic rarities, Simple Life. An EP supporting Century Spring was also released, featuring the album's opening track, "Living In The Moment," two live tracks, and the previously-unreleased "Emperor Ashoka." Jennings released all three discs -- and re-released his earlier albums -- on his homebrewed record label, Architect Records.
In 2003, Skoro and Levy left the band (the former to pursue a solo career), and were replaced by bassist Chris Morrissey (formerly of Bill Mike Band) and drummer Brian Mcleod.
On 10 February 2004, Jennings released Use Your Voice, which notably included the songs "Keepin' It Real," a foot-stomper ostensibly written at the request of Shrek 2 producers (but not used in the film), and "The Ballad of Paul and Sheila," an acoustic dirge for late Minnesota senator Paul Wellstone. On the 30th, September of that year, the band released a DVD entitled Use Your Van, which chronicled the recording of Use Your Voice and part of the promotional tour. The DVD was filmed by Andy Grund.
On June 17, 2005, news broke that Jennings had finally signed with a major label: Glacial Pace, a subsidiary of Sony's Epic Records headed by Modest Mouse frontman Isaac Brock. Minnesota's Star Tribune broke the story, and credited Brock with convincing Jennings to sign after the Mason Jennings Band had opened for several Modest Mouse shows in 2004. Jennings had long avoided the major labels, citing desires to maintain creative control and dodge big-label politics.
Jennings recorded his sixth album, "Boneclouds," at Pachyderm Studio in Cannon Falls, MN. The album was released on May 16, 2006 by Glacial Pace.
After considerable success on "Boneclouds", Jennings released his seventh full length album "In the Ever" in 2008. The album was released under Jack Johnson's "Brushfire Records".
In September 2009, Blood of Man was released on CD and vinyl format. In late 2010, Live at First Ave., his first ever live album, was released.
Moon Sailing on the Water
Mason Jennings Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In the dark next to me
And I did not reach out to touch you
You were 10,000 miles from me
Moon sailing on the water
Moon sailing on the water
Moon sailing on the water
How could you say that, do you really mean that?
What a hurtful thing to say
I know we're breaking, I know you're leaving
That don't mean you can treat me this way
Moon sailing on the water
Moon sailing on the water
Moon sailing on the water
Please just hold me, hold me closer
Let's pretend that we're new
I would crush you if I were able
I would squeeze all the love from you
Moon sailing on the water
Moon sailing on the water
Moon sailing on the water
Moon sailing on the water
Moon sailing on the water
Moon sailing on the water
Moon sailing on the water
Moon sailing on the water
The lyrics to Mason Jennings's song Moon Sailing on the Water appear to be about a relationship that is falling apart. The first verse describes the singer waking up to their partner crying, but not reaching out to comfort them because they are so far apart. The chorus repeats the line "Moon sailing on the water," highlighting the sense of distance and separation between the two.
The second verse shows the couple arguing, with one partner saying something hurtful and the other feeling mistreated. However, despite the tension and the impending end of the relationship, the singer still longs for physical connection and closeness, asking their partner to hold them closer and pretending that they are new to each other. The last line of the song, "I would squeeze all the love from you," shows the desperation that the singer feels as their relationship crumbles and they try to hold onto their partner.
Overall, Moon Sailing on the Water is a poignant song about the pain of losing someone you love and the difficult emotions that come with the end of a relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
When I woke up, you were crying
Upon awakening, it was observed that you were in tears
In the dark next to me
It was in the absence of light, beside me
And I did not reach out to touch you
No attempt was made to make physical contact with you
You were 10,000 miles from me
You were extremely distant from my vicinity
How could you say that, do you really mean that?
Was that really what you meant, how could you say such hurtful things?
What a hurtful thing to say
The things said were harsh and caused emotional pain
I know we're breaking, I know you're leaving
It's obvious we're splitting up, and you're departing
That don't mean you can treat me this way
The situation doesn't justify you treating me poorly
Please just hold me, hold me closer
I implore you to embrace me, and hold me tighter
Let's pretend that we're new
Let's pretend our relationship is fresh and new
I would crush you if I were able
If it were possible, I would completely overwhelm you
I would squeeze all the love from you
I would extract every last drop of love from you
Moon sailing on the water
The moon is sailing on the water
Moon sailing on the water
The moon is sailing on the water
Moon sailing on the water
The moon is sailing on the water
Moon sailing on the water
The moon is sailing on the water
Moon sailing on the water
The moon is sailing on the water
Moon sailing on the water
The moon is sailing on the water
Moon sailing on the water
The moon is sailing on the water
Moon sailing on the water
The moon is sailing on the water
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: MASON STEWART JENNINGS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind