Griffith and bassist Jake Brown first met in the late 1990s, when the two musicians played in a couple of North Florida punk combos. Griffith eventually moved north to Boston, but they maintained their friendship via e-mail and late night phone calls. In 2001, Brown issued a disc of Griffith's demos, called The Purple Magnolia, through his "really, really, really indie" label, Computer Club Records. When Griffith returned to Florida the following year, it seemed obvious that the two friends should team up in a band. They enlisted guitarist/keyboardist Justin Etheridge and drummer Brandon Cook to fill out the line-up. Taking their moniker from a lyric by Fugazi precursor Rites of Spring, Moments In Grace was born. They quickly began playing live gigs, but most of their time was spent holed up at Griffith's rented rehearsal space - dubbed "the Factory" - writing songs and refining their sonic approach.
In June 02, Moments In Grace supported Liars Academy at a show near Birmingham, Alabama, and the two like-minded outfits became fast friends. Later that year, Liars Academy was recording tracks with renowned indie producer/engineer McTernan at his Salad Days Studio in scenic Beltsville, Maryland. During a break between sessions, McTernan overheard the band's guitarist listening to Moments in Grace's early demo CD.
"I was like, Holy shit, who is that?'" McTernan recalls. "Jeremy's voice was unbelievable. I just couldn't stop listening to it."
Impressed and moved by what he'd heard, McTernan reached out to the young band, with an eye towards signing them to his new Salad Days imprint. He flew down to St. Augustine, Florida to see them play live, and while he was intrigued with their provocative sound, it was clear Moments in Grace was still in its embryonic stage. It wasn't until drummer Tim Kirkpatrick (formerly of prominent hardcore outfit As Friends Rust) was drafted into the fold that the band began to truly gel into something special.
The four musicians knew they had found their fire after penning the yearning, anthemic "Stratus." "It really set the tone for what we wanted to do with the band," says Griffith. "Recording it was awesome as well. We rented a Hammond B3 organ, which is really cool to get to play. We also brought in a string section, which took the song to a whole other place."
On April 18th 2006, the band posted a blog on their Myspace page saying that they "had decided, after extensive touring and promotion for our album "Moonlight Survived", to take a rest from the band. Did we break up? Not officially, there's always a chance that Jeremy, Tim and I will write music together again (touring? no.). However, we're all very much wrapped up in our own separate lives at this point."
As of 2009: Tim is currently living in Hollywood, CA and recently played drums for an As Friends Rust reunion tour in Europe. Jeremy lives in Atlanta, GA and records all sorts of great bands. Jake lives in St. Augustine, FL and is currently playing bass for Frodus, and singing/playing guitar in The Eastern Wave.
Monologue
Moments In Grace Lyrics
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And yet tonight you question all that we've said,
We gave it all to chance,
But it's not enough,
Uncertainty moves right through you.
Spare me the monologue,
I know you've hurt more than this,
But I won't be left here deciding,
Spare me the monologue.
Your eyes give away the truths,
You say aren't truths at all,
We're fading out this ghost light falls,
It falls on me,
But I am still waiting for you.
But I won't be left here deciding,
Spare me the monologue.
I sleep alone for now,
Should I blame myself?
The ghost light falls it falls on me,
But I'm still waiting for you.
The lyrics of Moments In Grace's song Monologue are about a failed relationship and the aftermath of hurt and uncertainty that follows. The lines “We gave it all to chance, and yet tonight you question all that we've said, we gave it all to chance, but it's not enough, uncertainty moves right through you” suggest that the relationship was based on taking a chance, but it ultimately did not work out. The singer seems to be questioning whether it’s their fault, but they’re unsure because their partner’s behavior is contradictory.
The chorus “Spare me the monologue, I know you've hurt more than this, maybe this moment is wrong, but I won't be left here deciding” implies that the singer doesn’t want to hear any more of the excuses and reasons from their partner. They know that their partner is hurting, but they’ve reached their limit and don’t want to wait around anymore. The lines “Your eyes give away the truths, you say aren't truths at all, we're fading out this ghost light falls, it falls on me, but I am still waiting for you” indicate that their partner is not being honest about their feelings, and the singer is left in the dark.
The verse “I sleep alone for now, should I blame myself? The ghost light falls it falls on me, but I'm still waiting for you” reveals that the singer is still holding on to hope, but they are unsure if they should blame themselves for the relationship’s failure. The ghost light could symbolize the hope that the singer still has, but it is slowly fading away.
Line by Line Meaning
We gave it all to chance,
We left our fate up to luck and external circumstances.
And yet tonight you question all that we've said,
Despite our past agreement or understanding, you now doubt the validity of our words.
We gave it all to chance,
We relied solely on chance or fate to determine the outcome of our situation.
But it's not enough,
The current state of affairs is not satisfactory or fulfilling.
Uncertainty moves right through you.
You are overwhelmed with doubt and hesitation, causing you to feel uncertain.
Spare me the monologue,
I don't want to hear a lengthy and often self-indulgent speech about your feelings and opinions.
I know you've hurt more than this,
I am aware that you have experienced greater pain or suffering in the past than what you are currently going through.
Maybe this moment is wrong,
Perhaps this particular moment or decision is not the correct one.
But I won't be left here deciding,
I refuse to be the only one responsible for making a decision or taking action.
Your eyes give away the truths,
The expression or look in your eyes reveals the hidden or underlying truths that you deny or suppress.
You say aren't truths at all,
Despite being obvious or evident, you deny that these truths are valid or true.
We're fading out this ghost light falls,
We are slowly disappearing or losing our connection, as if disappearing into the darkness like a ghost.
It falls on me,
The responsibility or blame for this situation falls on me.
But I am still waiting for you.
Despite everything, I am still hoping or waiting for your response or action.
I sleep alone for now,
Currently, I am sleeping alone without your presence or companionship.
Should I blame myself?
Am I responsible for our current situation or should I hold someone else accountable?
The ghost light falls it falls on me,
The sense of emptiness or uncertainty caused by our fading connection affects me more than anyone else.
But I'm still waiting for you.
Despite everything, I am still hoping or waiting for your response or action.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Bobby Womack
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind