They met at a Sheffield party, when Murphy had no prior professional singing experience. Meanwhile, Brydon had a thirteen-year musical résumé, first with Chakk / Hula pioneering EBM (then, aka big beat). Subsequently, within dance music, he formed and produced various pop and house acts, e.g. producing Krush's hit "House Arrest" (1987, FON) and his 1993 Cloud Nine project. Murphy approached Brydon with the chat-up line "Do you like my tight sweater? See how it fits my body!", hence their debut album's title. Respectively, 'Moloko' originates from the Nadsat slang word for "milk" (from the Russian, молоко), in Anthony Burgess' novel "A Clockwork Orange".
Recorded while the pair were dating, Do You Like My Tight Sweater? gained notice on underground dance and trip-hop scenes, then more so with I Am Not a Doctor (Jul 1998, Echo). The latter yielded "Sing It Back", which broke Moloko into the mainstream. Remixed by house producer Boris Dlugosch, "Sing It Back (Boris Musical Mix)", was a massive Ibiza hit and entered the top-five of 1999 weekly UK singles charts, helped by a psychedelic video featuring Murphy in a very short metallic flapper dress and cap. "Sing It Back" was eventually featured on more than 110 music compilations. Dlugosch's remix also appears on faux radio station Rise FM in the action-adventure game "GTA: Liberty City Stories" (2005, Rockstar Games).
In 2000 Moloko started touring as a full band along with percussionist Paul Slowly, keyboardist Eddie Stevens, and guitarist Dave Cook.
The band also had chart success with "The Time Is Now", the first single from their third album, Things to Make and Do. This album had relied less on the leftfield beats of the previous albums, and featured more organic instrumentation.
Murphy and Brydon ended their relationship in 2001. After their breakup they recorded and released their fourth and final studio album, Statues, in 2003. Statues continued a segue into more traditional instrumentation, along with electronica elements from their earlier releases. The album majorly incorporated the theme of the couple's split: all of the songs deal with a troubled and/or ending romance.
In 2004 Moloko released a live DVD, 11,000 Clicks, recorded on stage at the Brixton Academy. It contained many of their well known songs including "Indigo", "Sing It Back", and "The Time Is Now".
After concluding the tour supporting Statues, Moloko mutually parted ways, with Róisín Murphy launching a solo career.
A "best of" album, Catalogue, was released in 2006. Murphy and Brydon, along with long-time Moloko guitarist Dave Cook, played a select number of acoustic radio performances to promote the album.
Since 2006 they have been on an indefinite hiatus.
Boo
Moloko Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I bring no harm,
No one knows where I came from,
I walk on water all day long,
No one knows how far I came,
No one even knows my name,
I sometimes sing as I float,
No one ever hears a note,
No one ever sees my face,
I can't touch I can't weep I can't taste I can't sleep,
I appear I disappear I reappear I'm getting near,
I'm tired of living in my brain,
I feel no joy I feel no pain,
I don't live I just exist,
I need to know the life I missed,
I'm the only one host I'm this town,
I'm the only ghost in the lost and found,
I'm the only one if you look around,
Reappear I'm getting near.
In Moloko's song Boo, the lyrics describe a ghostly figure that walks on water, sings unheard melodies, and appears and disappears at will. The ghost, who speaks directly to the audience, assures them that it brings no harm, but also reveals that it has no name or history, leaving us to wonder about its true identity. The ghost seems to be tired of living in its own head and wants to know what life it has missed out on by being a ghost. At the end of the song, the ghost declares that it is the only one in the town, indicating perhaps a feeling of loneliness or isolation.
The lyrics of Boo can be open to interpretation, and some may see the ghost as a symbol for a person who feels disconnected from the world and yearns for a more meaningful existence. The lines "I'm the only one if you look around" can be seen as a call for recognition and acknowledgement, while the refrain of "Reappear, I'm getting near" suggests a sense of urgency to be seen and heard.
Overall, the lyrics of Boo capture a haunting and lonely atmosphere that is common in many of Moloko's songs. The combination of the eerie music and Róisín Murphy's ethereal vocals create a dreamlike quality that transports the listener to a world of mystery and wonder.
Line by Line Meaning
Do not fear me,
Do not be afraid of me,
I bring no harm,
I do not intend to cause harm,
No one knows where I came from,
My origins are unknown to anyone,
I walk on water all day long,
I am able to defy the laws of nature by walking on water,
No one knows how far I came,
The distance I have traveled is unknown,
No one even knows my name,
My identity is a mystery,
I sometimes sing as I float,
While floating, I occasionally sing,
No one ever hears a note,
But no one is able to hear me sing,
I sometimes move from place to place,
At times, I relocate from one place to another,
No one ever sees my face,
But nobody can see my face,
I can't touch I can't weep I can't taste I can't sleep,
I am unable to experience physical sensations such as touch, tears, taste, or sleep,
I appear I disappear I reappear I'm getting near,
I have a habit of appearing, disappearing, and then reappearing, thus coming closer and closer,
I'm tired of living in my brain,
I am exhausted from being confined to my own thoughts and mind,
I feel no joy I feel no pain,
I do not experience emotions such as happiness or sadness,
I don't live I just exist,
I am merely existing, not living a fulfilling life,
I need to know the life I missed,
I have a desire to understand the life experiences that I have not had,
I'm the only one host I'm this town,
I am the only inhabitant of this town,
I'm the only ghost in the lost and found,
I am the sole ghost in this place of lost items and memories,
I'm the only one if you look around,
If you search, you will find that I am the only one here,
Reappear I'm getting near.
As I reappear once again, I am getting closer to my destination.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: MARK ERRINGTON BRYDON, ROISIN MURPHY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind