Moby plays keyboards, guitar and bass guitar. He took his performing name from the novel Moby-Dick by Herman Melville, who is his great-great-granduncle. His work, while focused in general on various forms of electronic music, have explored many other styles.
Early years
Moby used to be in a punk rock band called the Vatican Commandos, which was formed in 1980. The group evolved away from punk in 1989 for electronic music. He realized his music tastes and growth were going in a different direction than his previous band's vibe, and he broke off on his own.
His first album "The Story So Far (aka Moby)" featured the single "Go", which gained popularity in many discos, and earned a spot on the UK charts. The song is so popular that Moby still plays "Go" regularly in his sets. "Go" is a progressive track using the string line from "Laura Palmer's Theme" from the TV drama Twin Peaks.
1994-1998
His first album for the UK based MUTE Records was Everything Is Wrong (which had US distribution via Elektra) , which earned early critical praise and minor commercial success. He followed that up with a hard rock/electronic album called Animal Rights in 1996. In 1997, he released I Like to Score, a collection of music included in movies. Among those tracks was an updated version of the James Bond theme used for the James Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies. However, both Animal Rights and I Like to Score had only limited success and Moby and Elektra parted company however he remained signed to MUTE.
1999-2004
After a decade's worth of music, Moby's breakthrough album was 1999's Play. Mainstream reviewers raved about his talents on the album (released on V2 Records) though some early fans were let down. The album has 18 tracks and was the first album in history to have all of its tracks commercially licensed: "Porcelain," for instance, appeared on TV commercials for Bailey's Irish Cream, Hong Kong's PCCW and Nordstrom, and Volkswagen's MKIV Jetta; "Find My Baby" was on a commercial for American Express featuring golfer Tiger Woods. The album's tracks eventually were accepted in various radio formats, but because of Play's extensive licensing, the album could have been financially successful even without radio play. In addition to fame garnered through its licensing, Play is also notable for its extensive sampling of old blues recordings collected by Alan Lomax. In a 2005 posting on his web site, Moby theorized that his eagerness to license his music is a result of "growing up in poverty."
In 2001, Moby founded the Area:One Festival. It was a popular touring rock festival that featured an eclectic range of musical genres. A second tour was organized for the following year.
In 2001 Moby also earned the ire of Eminem after calling his music misogynistic and homophobic; Eminem later satirized Moby (among others) in "Without Me," calling him a "fag" and questioning his relevance with the claim "Nobody listens to techno." Moby replied that he hadn't played techno since 1992. The two were in a confrontation at the 2002 MTV Video Music Awards, though Moby expresses respect for Eminem as an artist.
In 2002, Moby briefly had a television show on MTV, Señor Moby's House of Music, which focused mostly on more obscure electronic music. Also in 2002, Moby released 18, an album that had 18 tracks. The most popular song on the album was "We Are All Made of Stars". Moby says he wrote "We Are All Made of Stars" because of the September 11th Terrorist Attacks, which happened on his birthday.
2005
In 2005 Moby released "Lift Me Up", a single from his album Hotel, which featured, in addition to numerous remixes, UK company Digimpro's software. The program allows users to remix the song - using any or all of the samples included—and save it as an MP3 file. Thus unlimited, personalized versions of the title track were possible. Digimpro had previously seen exposure with group Erasure's single "Breathe," allowing users the same ability. Instead of his usual usage of samples, all of the vocals and instruments on "Hotel" were performed live in the studio by Moby and vocalist Laura Dawn, who is the Cultural Director of MoveOn.org.
For certain dates on Moby's 2005 European tour, Liveherenow provided concert goers with CDs of the show 10 minutes after the show finished. Other Mute Records artists like Erasure and Client have previously used this company for similar reasons.
2006
Moby has recently scored the soundtrack for Richard Kelly's upcoming movie 'The Southland Tales'. Whilst he is generally against composing music for films, he was a huge fan of Kelly's previous film 'Donnie Darko' and could not resist the offer the director gave him.
ITV in the United Kingdom use Moby's song "Lift Me Up" for their coverage of Formula One racing by using the song as the intro. and also snippets to segues for interviews and advertisements.
Also, Moby had one of his older songs used in a Original HBO series, The Sopranos. This song, "When its Cold I'd like to Die" was used in the last scene in which Tony was in his dream state.
Besides music
Moby is a vegan, non-denominational Christian and self-proclaimed "simpleton" (for his often sincere and idealistic political assessments).
Moby lives in New York City. Until recently he co-owned a small restaurant and coffee shop called TeaNY, where he occasionally waited tables. He also organized the Little Idiot Collective, a group of artists that also includes cartoonist and musician James Kochalka. He's a huge fan of the TV series "The Simpsons".
Moby's official website is at moby.com.
Activism
Moby is a well known advocate for a variety of progressive causes, working with MoveOn.org, and PETA, among others. He created MoveOn Voter Fund's "Bush in 30 Seconds" contest along with singer Laura Dawn and MoveOn Executive Director Eli Pariser.
He also actively engages in nonpartisan activism. He has performed benefit concerts for the Institute for Music and Neurologic Function, promoting music therapy. Moby also serves on the Board of Directors of Amend.org, a nonprofit that implements injury prevention programs in Africa.
He is an advocate of network neutrality and he testified before the US House committee debating the issue in 2006.
Gone To Sleep
Moby Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We run fast and we wait
All the time we wait, all the days we played
Somewhere there's a Sunday in the fall,
Where you love is safe and warm,
Where everything was right
But I'm never goin' home
Midnight is long
The life I knew is gone
There is nothing that I've ever seen
Darker than it's ever been
Somewhere there's a Sunday in the fall,
Where you love is safe and warm,
Where everything was right
But I'm never goin' home
The Sun is gone
The lights have gone to sleep
I never knew the dark would be so deep
Somewhere you are warm
But I'm never goin' home
Somewhere there's a Sunday in the fall,
Where you love is safe and warm,
Where everything was right
But I'm never goin' home
The lyrics of Moby's track "Gone To Sleep" are packed with melancholy and nostalgia for a better time, perhaps a place that the singer calls home but cannot return to. The song begins with the line, "thin light escapes," which could be interpreted as an escape from reality, from the darkness that looms over the singer. Despite running fast, the weight of all the time they've spent waiting seems to drag them down.
Moby explores the theme of homecoming throughout the song. "Somewhere there's a Sunday in the fall where your love is safe and warm," he sings, suggesting a simple, happy place where his love could exist without fear or concern. As midnight approaches and life as he once knew it fades away, he realizes that his place in the world has changed. The darkness that he experiences is deeper and darker than anything he has ever seen before. He acknowledges that there may still be places where one can feel warm and safe, but he knows that he cannot return home. The song ends with the realization that the sun has set, and the lights have gone to sleep, and he must continue to wander.
Overall, the lyrics in "Gone To Sleep" reflect the universal human experience of searching for a place to belong. The theme of longing for a place that feels safe and warm is something that many people can relate to. Moby's use of imagery and metaphors creates a powerful emotional response that lingers with the listener. Through his poetry, he encourages us to reflect on our own sense of home and to appreciate the memories and moments of love and warmth that we have experienced.
Line by Line Meaning
Thin light escapes
A faint glimmer of hope remains
We run fast and we wait
Feeling like time is running out, we hurry but end up waiting more
All the time we wait, all the days we played
We spent so much time waiting and playing, but the wait seems never-ending
Somewhere there's a Sunday in the fall,
Where you love is safe and warm,
Where everything was right,
But I'm never goin' home
There's a happy memory of home, but it's unattainable and I'll never return
Midnight is long
The night seems never-ending
The life I knew is gone
My past life is no more, everything has changed
There is nothing that I've ever seen,
Darker than it's ever been
The darkness consumes everything, and it's worse than anything he's ever seen
The Sun is gone,
The lights have gone to sleep
It's dark, both physically and mentally
I never knew the dark would be so deep
The darkness is deeper than he ever imagined
Somewhere you are warm,
But I'm never goin' home
Although someone or somewhere is warm and comforting, he can never return to his past life
Contributed by Alyssa J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
León Solitario
Тонкий свет ускользает
Мы бежим быстро и ждем
Все время мы ждем, все дни, когда мы играли
Где-то осенью есть воскресенье,
Где ты любишь безопасно и тепло,
Где все было правильно
Но я никогда не пойду домой
Полночь длинна
Жизнь, которую я знал, ушла
Там нет ничего, что я когда-либо видел
Темнее, чем когда-либо
Где-то осенью есть воскресенье,
Где ты любишь безопасно и тепло,
Где все было правильно
Но я никогда не пойду домой
Солнце ушло
Огни ушли спать
Я никогда не знал, что темнота будет так глубоко
Где-то тебе тепло
Но я никогда не пойду домой
Где-то осенью есть воскресенье,
Где ты любишь безопасно и тепло,
Где все было правильно
Но я никогда не пойду домой
Спасибо Moby за очередной шедевр!!!
mxndelx203
LYRICS
Thin light escapes
We run fast and we wait
All the time we wait, all the days we played
Somewhere there's a Sunday in the fall,
Where you love is safe and warm,
Where everything was right
But I'm never goin' home
Midnight is long
The life I knew is gone
There is nothing that I've ever seen
Darker than it's ever been
Somewhere there's a Sunday in the fall,
Where you love is safe and warm,
Where everything was right
But I'm never goin' home
The Sun is gone
The lights have gone to sleep
I never knew the dark would be so deep
Somewhere you are warm
But I'm never goin' home
Somewhere there's a Sunday in the fall,
Where you love is safe and warm,
Where everything was right
But I'm never goin' home
Scott M
Her voice on this track moves my soul unlike any song I have ever heard. Great collaboration. Everything Moby touches turns to gold. Brilliant man!
Angela808
Iva- Yes/ all true....Moby has all brilliant music and game
León Solitario
Тонкий свет ускользает
Мы бежим быстро и ждем
Все время мы ждем, все дни, когда мы играли
Где-то осенью есть воскресенье,
Где ты любишь безопасно и тепло,
Где все было правильно
Но я никогда не пойду домой
Полночь длинна
Жизнь, которую я знал, ушла
Там нет ничего, что я когда-либо видел
Темнее, чем когда-либо
Где-то осенью есть воскресенье,
Где ты любишь безопасно и тепло,
Где все было правильно
Но я никогда не пойду домой
Солнце ушло
Огни ушли спать
Я никогда не знал, что темнота будет так глубоко
Где-то тебе тепло
Но я никогда не пойду домой
Где-то осенью есть воскресенье,
Где ты любишь безопасно и тепло,
Где все было правильно
Но я никогда не пойду домой
Спасибо Moby за очередной шедевр!!!
laughingcoyote111
It's hard to believe this song was made in a few hours. It's amazing, it sticks in your mind, and it seems to have so many layers. Both Moby and Scarr have amazing talent.
Vivian Veg
que voz, que som é esse ? fantástico, Moby faz umas parcerias Incríveis, esta melodia mexe com a alma, Espírito, Dentro - Amazing
jorge A marquez
excelente melodia, Moby siempre tiene ese toque especial en cada una de sus creaciones. Gracias Moby!
Paul Kalkbrenner France
Beautiful track, Keli Scarr vocal is absolutly amazing ! <3
Aurízia Fernandes
Surreal de incrivel a música na voz dela
wayra intiwatana
El tema bárbaro,Kelli estupenda y una voz delicada y hermosa Moby lo mejor.
Karina Ocampo
I love this song!! It's so sad and beautiful...She has an amazing voice, and he's unique!!