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)
South Side
Moby Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I see the light come over known
I see myself in the pouring rain
I watch hope come over me
Here we are now, going to the East side
I pick up my friends and we start to ride
Ride all night and we ride all day
Here we are in the pouring home
I watch the light man fallen comb
I watch a light move across the screen
I watch the light come over me
Here we are now going to the West side
Weapons in hand as we go for a ride
Some may come love and some may stay
Watching out for the sunny day, where
There's love and darkness and my sidearm
Hey élan élan
Here we are now going to the North side
I look at my friends as they start to ride
Ride all night and we ride all day
Looking out for the sunny day
Here we are now going to the South side
(To the South side)
I pick up my friends and we hope we won't die
(Hope we won't die)
Ride at night, ride through Heaven and Hell
(Heaven and Hell)
Come back love and I feel so well
(Feel so well)
The opening lines of Moby's "South Side" create vivid imagery of the singer being drenched in rain, yet hopeful. The repetition of "I see" highlights a strong sense of self-awareness, with the singer observing their own emotions and surroundings. The chorus takes the listener on a journey with the singer and their friends as they travel to each cardinal direction around their city. The travels range from cruising with friends, to feeling the thrill of danger, to looking forward to good days to come.
The journey could represent a physical escape from the mundane, as well as a spiritual search for something better. The "sidearm" mentioned in the third verse could refer to a personal defense mechanism as they navigate through life's ups and downs. The repeated "élan élan" serves almost as a subconscious chant, alluding to the idea of pressing forward towards a goal.
Overall, "South Side" captures a sense of youthful energy and directionless wanderlust, balanced with a persistent hope for something better.
Line by Line Meaning
I see myself in the pouring home
I see my reflection in my home in the rain
I see the light come over known
I see a bright light shining over everything
I see myself in the pouring rain
I see my reflection again in the rain
I watch hope come over me
I feel hopeful as I watch the rain and the light
Here we are now, going to the East side
We are heading to the East side
I pick up my friends and we start to ride
I collect my friends and we begin our journey
Ride all night and we ride all day
We travel non-stop, day and night
Some may come love and some may stay
Some friends will join us for the ride, some will leave
I watch the light man fallen comb
I observe an orderly man who has fallen
I watch a light move across the screen
I see a light flash across a screen
Here we are now going to the West side
We are traveling to the West side next
Weapons in hand as we go for a ride
We carry weapons as we go on the ride
Watching out for the sunny day, where
We're hoping for a sunny day amidst chaos
There's love and darkness and my sidearm
In this situation, there is both love and violence
Hey élan élan
This line has no clear meaning beyond sounding good as part of the song
Here we are now going to the North side
We are now heading for the North side
I look at my friends as they start to ride
I observe my friends as they begin the journey
Looking out for the sunny day
We continue to hope for better times
Here we are now going to the South side
We are going to the South side now
(To the South side)
This line has no clear meaning beyond indicating the location we're heading to
I pick up my friends and we hope we won't die
We collect friends as usual, but also fear for our safety
(Hope we won't die)
This line repeats the fear and concern in the prior line
Ride at night, ride through Heaven and Hell
We continue to travel regardless of the dangers
(Heaven and Hell)
This line emphasizes the extreme ups and downs of our journey
Come back love and I feel so well
If we can make it back safe, we will feel great relief and happiness
(Feel so well)
This line emphasizes the great sense of relief we will feel if we make it home
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Richard Melville Hall
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@franciscot6660
Lyrics
See myself in the pouring home
See the light come over now
See myself in the pouring rain
I watch hope come over me
Here we are now going to the east side
I pick up my friends and we start to ride
Ride all night we ride all day
Some may come and some may stay
Here we are in the pouring home
I watch the light man fall the comb
I watch a light move across the screen
I watch the light come over me
Here we are now going to the west side
Weapons in hand as we go for a ride
Some may come and some may stay
Watching out for a sunny day where there's
Love and darkness and my sidearm
Hey, elan
Here we are now going to the north side
I look at my friends as they start to ride
Ride at night we ride all day
Looking out for a sunny day
Here we are now going to the south side
I pick up my friends and we hope we won't die
Ride at night, ride through heaven and hell
Come back and feel so well
@jessemeyers5699
2024 anyone ?
@troygemmell8543
Yes sir
@whiterose-kb9lk
You better believe it
@coltino99
Yuuup
@JPF_311
Yup 3.28!
@TracyJacks555
Здесь
@staceymacaluso4548
I’m 42. This song came out when I was 21. I’m not ready for that.
@Mike1973NJ
I was 25. I feel ya!
@Thisisaparticularlylonghandle
I'm 33. This song came out when I was 11
@Pdoja1990
I was 9, now I’m 30. Time flies