Case moved around often as a child, spending the largest part of her youth in Tacoma, Washington. She left her parents at age 15 and three years later she started playing drums for several bands around the Northwest's punk rock scene. In 1994, she moved to Vancouver, BC to enter art school, and simultaneously joined the punk group Maow, who released a record on the Mint label. She also played with roots rockers the Weasles, and eventually formed her own backing band, the Boyfriends, which initially featured alumni of the Softies, Zumpano, and Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet.
Case released her solo debut, The Virginian, in 1997, delving wholeheartedly into traditional country via a mix of covers and originals. She went on to perform with Carolyn Mark in the old-timey side project the Corn Sisters, and recorded with the Vancouver indie supergroup the New Pornographers, which she continues to be a member of. In 1998, Case completed her studies and, with her student visa expired, returned to Washington and began work on her second solo album. The lovely, melancholy Furnace Room Lullaby was released on Bloodshot Records in 2000 and won high praise from most critics.
Case subsequently relocated to Chicago, home of a thriving alt-country scene, and released the home-recorded Canadian Amp EP in 2001. Its moody, late-night ambiance carried over to 2002's Blacklisted, a darker yet more eclectic affair; it garnered Case her strongest reviews up to that point, making many year-end critics' polls, and landed her a tour slot opening for Nick Cave. Blacklisted was recorded at Wavelab Studio in Tuscon AZ, where Case had moved to in 2002.
In 2004, Case signed with Anti Records in the United States, and that year she released a live album, The Tigers Have Spoken, recorded during several dates with Canadian surf-country band the Sadies.
Fox Confessor Brings the Flood, hailed by critics as an instant classic and Case's most realized work yet, followed in 2006. Calexico's Joey Burns and John Convertino contributed guitar, cello, bass, and drums to the album.
On March 3, 2009, Case released Middle Cyclone. It was her first album to reach the top ten's on the Billboard charts in the US.
Middle Cyclone was followed by "The worse things get, the harder I fight, the harder I fight, the more I love you" which came out September 4th 2013.
Case now lives on her farm in Vermont.
I Wish I Was the Moon
Neko Case Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Thought that I was young
Now I've freezing hands
And bloodless veins
As numb as I've become
I'm so tired
I wish I was the moon tonight
'Cause I sold my soul
But I woke just the same
I'm so lonely
I wish I was the moon tonight
God blessed me I'm a free man
With no place free to go
Paralyzed and collared-tight
No pills for what I fear
This is crazy
I wish I was the moon tonight
Chimney falls as lovers blaze
I thought that I was young
Now I've freezing hands
And bloodless veins
As numb as I've become
I'm so tired
I wish I was the moon tonight
How will you know if you've found me at last?
'Cause I'll be the one be the one be the one
With my heart in my lap
I'm so tired
I'm so tired
And I wish I was the moon tonight
I'm so tired
I'm so tired
And I wish I was the moon
I'm so tired
I'm so tired
And I wish I was the moon tonight
In Neko Case's "I Wish I Was the Moon," the singer is feeling trapped and wants to escape her current situation. At the beginning of the song, she describes a scene of destruction, with a chimney falling and lovers blazing. This could symbolize destruction and chaos in the world. The singer then laments that she's not as young as she used to be and is now numb to everything around her. She wishes she could become the moon, a celestial body that represents change and evolution, to escape her current state of feeling stuck and numb.
The singer then describes a dream she had where she forgot her name, representing a loss of identity and purpose. She feels lonely and wishes she was the moon, which could symbolize a desire to be otherworldly and distant from the pain and struggles of life. The next verse describes feeling paralyzed and restrained, with no pills to cure her fear. She again wishes she was the moon, indicating a desire to be free from her current situation.
The final verse contains the repeated refrain of being so tired and wanting to be the moon. The singer wants to be recognized by someone who will see her for who she truly is, with her heart on her sleeve. The song ends with a repetition of the desire to be the moon, symbolizing a desire for escape and transformation.
Overall, "I Wish I Was the Moon" is a deeply introspective and emotional song about feeling trapped and wanting to escape. The moon serves as a symbol for the singer's desired transformation and escape from her current state.
Line by Line Meaning
Chimney falls and lovers blaze
The sight of a burning chimney and passionate lovers reminds the singer of the fleeting nature of youth and love.
Thought that I was young
The singer used to believe she was young and had her whole life ahead of her, but now realizes the harsh reality of aging and the loss of innocence.
Now I've freezing hands
The singer feels cold and distant, both physically and emotionally.
And bloodless veins
The singer feels drained of vitality and energy, resulting in a sense of numbness.
As numb as I've become
The singer has become emotionally desensitized to life's challenges and struggles.
I'm so tired
The singer is exhausted physically and emotionally, and desperately craves an escape from reality.
I wish I was the moon tonight
The singer longs to be an ethereal, distant observer of the world, rather than a participant.
Last night I dreamt I'd forgotten my name
The singer's dream represents feelings of disconnection from her true identity and purpose.
'Cause I sold my soul
The singer feels as though she has made sacrifices or compromises in her life that have depleted her of her essence.
But I woke just the same
Despite feeling lost in her dream, the singer wakes to the same struggles and challenges that haunt her reality.
I'm so lonely
The singer is overwhelmed by feelings of isolation and solitude.
God blessed me I'm a free man
The singer acknowledges that she has the freedom to make her own choices, but feels trapped nonetheless.
With no place free to go
Despite her freedom, the singer feels as though there are no true escapes from her emotional struggles.
Paralyzed and collared-tight
The singer feels immobilized and trapped, as if held captive by her own emotional state.
No pills for what I fear
The singer recognizes that medication cannot cure her emotional pain and turmoil.
This is crazy
The singer feels overwhelmed and helpless in the face of her emotional struggles.
How will you know if you've found me at last?
The singer wonders if anyone will be able to see through her emotional mask and truly connect with her.
'Cause I'll be the one be the one be the one
The singer feels as though she is the only one who truly understands her own struggles.
With my heart in my lap
The singer feels emotionally exposed and vulnerable.
I'm so tired
The singer is exhausted physically and emotionally, and desperately craves an escape from reality.
And I wish I was the moon tonight
The singer longs to be an ethereal, distant observer of the world, rather than a participant.
I'm so tired
The singer is exhausted physically and emotionally, and desperately craves an escape from reality.
And I wish I was the moon
The singer longs to be an ethereal, distant observer of the world, rather than a participant.
I'm so tired
The singer is exhausted physically and emotionally, and desperately craves an escape from reality.
And I wish I was the moon tonight
The singer longs to be an ethereal, distant observer of the world, rather than a participant.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: NED FAIRCHILD, MERLE TRAVIS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@dustyeatman5217
A very beautiful song. I am a veteran with cancer and this song adds comfort with what lays ahead for me. Thank you for posting the song. May God Bless you and may your husband be at peace..
@jerryrobbins7256
me also Veteran facing the same
@dustyeatman5217
My prayers go out for you sir..keep up the fight by all means
@TalynStormcrow
Still going Dusty?
@StarofSolomon
Are you still alive?
@bam7521
GOD BLESS U! 🙏 🤲 🕍 ❤️
@SCARLET91LETTER
hearing this song at true blood, made me feel bittersweet, giving goodbye to your first love, and enjoy the new one, it was just perffect with bill looking far away and giving up on sookie, and than sookie embracing the new love with eric
@helene6988
This Moment with this song was perfectly choosen ❤
@Ibrahim-rv7cz
anyone from true blood ? ❤
@R3YN0LUN5R
yes! #TeamEric