Born from the Dallas suburb of Denton, TX, in the mid-'80s, Ten Hands brief… Read Full Bio ↴Born from the Dallas suburb of Denton, TX, in the mid-'80s, Ten Hands briefly enjoyed heaps of acclaim and an impressive following in their home state. Their music tended to be high in energy, syncopated and funky. Matched with Paul Slavens]' charismatic vocal stylings and political assertions that denigrated the ruling elite, the complacent middle class, and environmental evils, Ten Hands was one of the more politically oriented Texas bands of the era. They rarely forgot to be fun, however, and their musical playfulness and frequent lyrical absurdism belied any pretensions they may have had.

Sometime in late 1986, Mike Dillon, Gary Muller, and Matt Chamberlain were playing in Dallas-based band Zane Grey, who actually appeared on Star Search. They did not win, but Muller did get to touch Ed McMahon (specifically, his hand). Meanwhile, Steve Brand and Slavens were playing in a Denton band called the Gonemen. Dillon, Muller, and Chamberlain lived in the same Denton house as other members of the Gonemen, and when dissatisfaction with both groups began to appear, the idea for a new band was spawned.

The first Ten Hands rehearsal (documented on videotape) took place late 1986 in Denton. Shortly thereafter, Zane Grey's manager, Tony Johnson, accepted an offer to manage the fledgling band. For the first year, Ten Hands played mostly small venues in Denton and performed a weekly gig at the Prophet Bar, a seminal Deep Ellum club in Dallas. During this time, a studio recording was made and handmade cassettes were sold and distributed in and around the Dallas, Ft. Worth, and Denton area.

Chamberlain and Dillon were already well-known in Denton as top players in the University of North Texas Jazz program, and interest in the band soon grew. It was also during this time that the New Bohemians were becoming a major draw in Dallas. It happened that several members of that band were friends with a few Ten Hands members, and ultimately, New Bohemians finagled some opening slots for Ten Hands at Deep Ellum's celebrated Club Dada. The Club Dada shows helped expose the band to a much wider audience, and the venue would later host many of Ten Hands' most memorable performances.

In late 1988, Earl Harvin joined the band as drummer after the Matt left to play with the New Bohemians. The band went into the studio to record Kung Fu...That's What I Like. As New Bohemians vacated Dallas for bigger and better things, Ten Hands stepped in to fill the void and began what would be a three or four year run as one of the region's most popular draws. The band won numerous Dallas Observer Awards in 1988-1989, and shortly after the release of their first live CD, The Big One Is Coming, and sold over 20,000 copies. Joe Cripps joined the band to replace Dillon on percussion.

Earl left the band to play with Mike Dillon's Billy Goat and "Big" Al Emert became drummer. Ten Hands started to tour heavily and built a large following with college audiences.

At a SXSW performance, the band was offered a record deal by an independent producer in L.A. Desperate to release an album after two years of inactivity, the band agreed and began work on Be My Guru in late 1991. While the album contained some of the band's best songs, the recording itself was a disappointment and the relationship with the label grew stormy. By the time the band left the label, much of their earlier momentum was lost.

As the band's popularity began to wane, a friend of the band, Byron Wilson, offered to produce a CD. Jazz for Jerks was recorded in early 1993 with the assistance of the band's friend and longtime collaborative producer, Dave Castell.

Steve Brand left the band in 1993. New guitarists, Chris Claridy and Chad Rueffer joined and the band wrote some new songs and continued to gig around the area. In the next incarnation, guitarist, Ed McMahon (in a strange twist of fate), and drummer Greg Beck were hired. A demo record was recorded with the brand new lineup, but the album was never mixed or released.

Ten Hands continues to play, with various lineups, several times a year in the Dallas area.

Moses in My Life
Ten Hands Lyrics

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He got a wizened face
And a crooked staff
He works his art
He works his craft
I got Moses in my life
He got the evil eye
He got leather skin
He brings me dirt

He brings me sin
I got Moses in my life
That's the way he seems to me
That's the way he seems to be
You know we're gonna
We're really gonna
Break the bread !
You know He's gonna

He's really gonna
BRING ME THE FISH !!!

Overall Meaning

The song "Moses in My Life" by Ten Hands is an enigmatic piece that explores the darker sides of a prophetic figure that is referred to as Moses. The lyrics present a characterization of Moses that is different from the usual representation found in religious texts. In the song, Moses is portrayed as a wizened, rough-looking old man with a crooked staff and a penetrating "evil eye". He is also described as someone who brings "dirt" and "sin". The persona singing the song claims to have Moses in their life, implying that they have developed a close relationship with the prophet, despite his questionable qualities.

The lyrics suggest a sense of reverence and awe mixed with fear and confusion towards Moses. The lines "That's the way he seems to me / That's the way he seems to be" implies that there is a degree of uncertainty surrounding this character. The song creates an interesting paradox by presenting Moses as a figure who is both awe-inspiring and frightening at the same time.

Overall, the song presents a unique interpretation of the biblical figure of Moses, who is seen as an enigmatic and multifaceted personality, rather than merely a saintly prophet.

Line by Line Meaning

He got a wizened face
His face has aged with wisdom over the years

And a crooked staff
He uses a staff that has a bent shape or crookedness to it

He works his art
He has honed his skills and practices them with precision

He works his craft
He has a particular trade or profession that he has mastered

I got Moses in my life
He has a person who provides guidance and wisdom in his life

He got the evil eye
He has a threatening or malevolent gaze that can bring harm

He got leather skin
His skin has rough texture and calluses from the hard work he does

He brings me dirt
He provides a raw, authentic perspective on life's realities

He brings me sin
He has experienced and confronted his own flaws and faults

I got Moses in my life
He has a person who reminds him to seek truth and goodness in all things

That's the way he seems to me
This is how his qualities make an impression on me