Moby found commercial and critical success with his fifth album Play (1999), which, after receiving little recognition, became an unexpected global hit in 2000 after each track was licensed to films, television shows, and commercials. It remains his highest selling album with 12 million copies sold. Its seventh single, "South Side", featuring Gwen Stefani, remains his only one to appear on the US Billboard Hot 100, reaching No. 14. Moby followed Play with albums of varied styles including electronic, dance, rock, and downtempo music, starting with 18 (2002), Hotel (2005), and Last Night (2008). His later albums saw him explore ambient music, including the almost four-hour release Long Ambients 1: Calm. Sleep. (2016). Moby continues to record and release albums; his twenty-first studio album, Resound NYC, was released in May 2023.
In addition to his music career, Moby is known for his veganism and support for animal rights and humanitarian aid. He was the owner of TeaNY, a vegan cafe in Manhattan, and Little Pine, a vegan restaurant in Los Angeles, and organized the vegan music and food festival Circle V. He is the author of four books, including a collection of his photography and two memoirs: Porcelain: A Memoir (2016) and Then It Fell Apart (2019).
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moby
Discography
Moby (1992)
Ambient (1993)
Everything Is Wrong (1995)
Animal Rights (1996)
Play (1999)
18 (2002)
Hotel (2005)
Last Night (2008)
Wait for Me (2009)
Destroyed (2011)
Innocents (2013)
Long Ambients 1: Calm. Sleep. (2016)
These Systems Are Failing (2016)
More Fast Songs About the Apocalypse (2017)
Everything Was Beautiful, and Nothing Hurt (2018)
Long Ambients 2 (2019)
All Visible Objects (2020)
Live Ambient Improvised Recordings Vol. 1 (2020)
Reprise (2021)
Ambient 23 (2023)
Resound NYC (2023)
New York New York
Moby Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Does it taste right
Does it feel right
New York, New York
Does it burn bright
Are the stars light
Do you know my name
Do you love when I take you up there
New York, New York
Does it taste nice
Does it feel right
New York, New York
Does it taste like
What it burns like
Do you know my name
Do you even care
Do you love when I take you up there
Baby won't you take me there
Make it like you really care
I am feeling good up there
Just keep the diamonds in my hair
Make me feel good right now
Like everything does in this town
Lines of snow and popping corks
Money, drugs in old New York
Baby won't you really hurt
Make it like it really burns
I am feeling good up there
Just keep the diamonds in my hair
Make me feel good right now
Like everything does in this town
Lines of snow and popping corks
Money, drugs in old New York
New York, New York
Does it taste right
Does it feel right
New York, New York
Does it burn bright
Are the stars light
Do you know my name
Do you even care
Do you love when I take you up there
Baby won't you take me there
Make it like you really care
I am feeling good up there
Just keep the diamonds in my hair
Make me feel good right now
Like everything does in this town
Lines of snow and popping corks
Money, drugs in old New York
Baby make it really hurt
Like everything that ever burned
I am feeling good up there
Just keep the diamonds in my hair
Make me feel good right now
Like everything does in this town
Lines of snow and popping corks
Money, drugs in old New York
Baby won't you take me there
Make it like you really care
I am feeling good up there
Just keep the diamonds in my hair
Make me feel good right now
Like everything does in this town
Lines of snow and popping corks
Money, drugs in old New York
The lyrics of Moby's song "New York, New York" featuring Debby Harry portray the city as a place of extremes. The chorus questions whether the city tastes right, feels right, and burns bright; while the verses express a desire to feel good, even at the expense of temporary pleasures like drugs and money. The song creates a sense of hedonism and desire for instant gratification, as the repetitive lines encourage the listener to "make me feel good right now, like everything does in this town."
The lyrics are a commentary on the culture and lifestyle of New York City, where people are constantly seeking the next big thing, the next high, the next experience. The city is portrayed as both seductive and dangerous, a place where anything can happen, and pleasure and pain go hand in hand.
The repeated question "Do you know my name, do you even care?" captures the loneliness and anonymity that can come with living in a city that is so full of people. The desire for connection, even if it comes in the form of fleeting moments of pleasure, is a central theme of the song.
Overall, "New York, New York" is a critique of the culture of excess and instant gratification that characterizes New York City, while still acknowledging the seductive pull of that lifestyle.
Line by Line Meaning
New York, New York
The city of New York
Does it taste right
Is everything as it should be
Does it feel right
Are things going smoothly
Does it burn bright
Is the city alive and vibrant
Are the stars light
Is the city sparkling with life
Do you know my name
Do you recognize me
Do you even care
Do you have any concern for me
Do you love when I take you up there
Do you enjoy being brought to a higher level
Does it taste nice
Is everything to your liking
Does it burn bright
Is the city filled with energy
Does it taste like
Is the experience as intense as it seems
What it burns like
Is the city buzzing with excitement
Baby won't you take me there
Please bring me to a higher level
Make it like you really care
Make the experience genuine
I am feeling good up there
I am enjoying the higher level
Just keep the diamonds in my hair
Let me savor the luxury of the city
Make me feel good right now
Let me feel the pleasure of the moment
Like everything does in this town
Like the city satisfies all desires
Lines of snow and popping corks
Drugs and alcohol flowing freely in the city
Money, drugs in old New York
The city's reputation for its excess and indulgence
Baby make it really hurt
Push me to the limits of pleasure
Like everything that ever burned
Like every intense experience I've ever had
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Richard Melville Hall
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Brandon Matuja
1. Mere Anarchy 00:00 - 05:58
2. The Middle Is Gone 05:58 - 11:09
3. Falling Rain & Light 11:09 - 15:50
4. [Talks to audience about NYC, and introduces next song] 15:50 - 17:37
5. Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad? 17:37 - 22:14
6. Porcelain 22:14 - 26:51
7. This Wild Darkness 26:51 - 32:34
8. The Tired & The Hurt 32:34 - 37:03
9. The Last of Goodbyes 37:03 - 42:10
10. A Dark Cloud Is Coming 42:10 - 48:58
11. The Sorrow Tree 48:58 - 54:20
12. The Ceremony of Innocence 54:20 - 1:00:06
13. Like A Motherless Children 1:00:06 - 1:05:24
ENCORE
14. [Talks, and introduces next song] 1:05:24 - 1:06:47
15. Extreme Ways 1:06:47 - 1:11:23
16. Southside 1:11:23 - 1:17:18
17. Natural Blues 1:17:18 - 1:22:01
18. Whole Lotta Love 1:22:01 - 1:30:16
19. [Introduces next song] 1:30:16 - 1:32:04
20. Go 1:32:04 - 1:36:29
21. We Are All Made Of Stars 1:36:29 - 1:41:35
22. Almost Home 1:41:35 - 1:50:29
(Sorry I didn't include ALL of his talking breaks, just a few of them that seemed long enough to be like their own "tracks" or whatnot.)
Giorgi Nemsitsveridze
I think here's all of it:
Mere Anarchy
The Middle is Gone
Falling Rain and Light
Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad?
Porcelain
This Wild Darkness
The Tired and the Hurt
The Last of Goodbyes
A Dark Cloud is Coming
The Sorrow Tree
The Ceremony of Innocence
Like A Motherless Child
Extreme Ways
Southside
Natural Blues
Whole Lotta Love / Honey
Go
We Are All Made of Stars
Almost Home
Laura Rodriguez
Escuchar a Moby me mantiene con los pelitos de punta, energía moviéndose en mi cuerpo. Su música me transmite nostalgia por el hecho de estar viva, me reconecta. Si pudiera abrazarlo y llorar juntos 💓
Osmir Chiapetti
Não canso de ouvir.
scoroop
this guy is just incredible...
Brandon Matuja
1. Mere Anarchy 00:00 - 05:58
2. The Middle Is Gone 05:58 - 11:09
3. Falling Rain & Light 11:09 - 15:50
4. [Talks to audience about NYC, and introduces next song] 15:50 - 17:37
5. Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad? 17:37 - 22:14
6. Porcelain 22:14 - 26:51
7. This Wild Darkness 26:51 - 32:34
8. The Tired & The Hurt 32:34 - 37:03
9. The Last of Goodbyes 37:03 - 42:10
10. A Dark Cloud Is Coming 42:10 - 48:58
11. The Sorrow Tree 48:58 - 54:20
12. The Ceremony of Innocence 54:20 - 1:00:06
13. Like A Motherless Children 1:00:06 - 1:05:24
ENCORE
14. [Talks, and introduces next song] 1:05:24 - 1:06:47
15. Extreme Ways 1:06:47 - 1:11:23
16. Southside 1:11:23 - 1:17:18
17. Natural Blues 1:17:18 - 1:22:01
18. Whole Lotta Love 1:22:01 - 1:30:16
19. [Introduces next song] 1:30:16 - 1:32:04
20. Go 1:32:04 - 1:36:29
21. We Are All Made Of Stars 1:36:29 - 1:41:35
22. Almost Home 1:41:35 - 1:50:29
(Sorry I didn't include ALL of his talking breaks, just a few of them that seemed long enough to be like their own "tracks" or whatnot.)
Florencia Ayala
Graciass!
Dhaniel Brasil
@Florencia Ayala .. gracias
A. K
THAAANKS!!!
sarivario
Man of the year
Pedro Vargas
Thank you sir🙌
Caner Aktan
You're music is my bestfriend almost every night. Thank you Moby, you're the best...