Musical career
Growing up in Tumbler Ridge and later Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, The Moffatts learned singing early in their lives and singing country music with their mother, Darlana and father, Frank Moffatt, first appearing on-stage in 1990. In 1992, after performing at large-scale country music festivals, the group was nominated for five awards by the British Columbia Country Music Association.
In 1992, the Moffatt family moved to Branson, Missouri where they performed at the Osmonds theatre. In March 1993 they moved to Nashville, Tennessee were they became regulars on TNN's Nashville Now with Ralph Emery. In October, they joined the cast of the Country Tonite show at the Aladdin Hotel in Las Vegas. In 1994 Country Tonite opened a new theatre in Branson and the Moffatts became a part of that cast. In June 1995 they released their first country album, titled The Moffatts. In 1996, the brothers' parents divorced and the boys lived primarily with their father, who also managed the group until their 2001 break up.
In their teens, the group dropped out of the country music genre and recorded a new album, Chapter One: A New Beginning, and began singing pop/rock music. Prior to their teens the band would only sparingly perform their own instruments and had a back-up band, but now chose to go it alone with Scott on lead guitar, Clint on bass guitar, Dave on keyboards and Bob on drums. Lead vocals on the album were shared between Scott and Dave, however live they all took their turns. Chapter One sold more than two million copies worldwide and almost went double platinum in their native Canada. It was produced in part by the Berman Brothers (who also worked for Hanson and Real McCoy) in New York and Toronto. One single on the US version, the Glen Ballard-produced "Until You Loved Me," appeared in the Drew Barrymore film, Never Been Kissed. "Misery" in Chapter 1: A New Beginning (US Version) is on the soundtrack of the movie Teaching Mrs. Tingle starring Katie Holmes. Chapter One was also very popular in Europe, which allowed the group to write and record a song with German teen idol Gil Ofarim.
Following the success of Chapter One, the group stated publicly that they would be working with Dave Grohl of Foo Fighters on their next album, in an attempt to break away from their boy-band image. Grohl, however, was quoted on MuchMusic.com as saying that he had never heard of the band and did not intend to work with them. Truth be told Dave spoke with the band at a Juno aftershow party and stated he was interested in producing the band. However, later, his manager felt it wasn't the right mix.
The follow-up album Submodalities was released in October 2000, and contained a more classic/harder edged rock flavor than typical "boy band" fare. The transition between the bubblegum pop of their prior album and the harder edge of the new was captured in the 2001 documentary, Moffatts: Closing of Chapter One. The Moffatts wrote or co-wrote almost all of the album songs. Bob Rock, who has produced albums for such superstars as Metallica and Bon Jovi, produced Submodalities. The album was also certified platinum by the CRIA selling over 100,000 copies. The first single, "Bang Bang Boom" at that time was the fastest rising single to #1 in Canadian music history and topped the retail singles chart in Canada.
[edit] TV appearances
Throughout the nineties, The Moffatts made hundreds of live performances and hundreds of television appearances worldwide. In addition to these performances and interviews, the band also appeared as themselves on the NBC TV show Hang Time in 1999, performing the song "Girl of My Dreams" for the school. In 2000, they again played themselves on the Disney Channel show So Weird in the episode "Destiny". Fiona Phillips, the lead character in the show, was an obsessed fan on the show, while her mom Molly Phillips, played by Mackenzie Phillips, was performing with The Moffatts. During the same year, the group appeared in the documentary, The Closing of Chapter One, detailing their move from pop to rock.
They performed "Guns of Love" on Good Morning America in July 1995.
In 1999, the Moffats also did an episode of TV show Campbell Scramble, a show that Calgary's CTV sports newscaster Glenn Campbell made. His three daughters, Kate, Madeline, and Amy appeared on this episode as well.
Break-up
In August 2001, the group broke up following their concert in London, Ontario. Scott Moffatt had enough of the comparisons to boy-bands and felt that the band wasn't receiving the credit they deserved as both musicians and entertainers, and now that he had completed his five year commitment to the band, chose to quit. Dave Moffatt recently appeared on Canadian TV program, Entertainment Tonight Canada, where it was stated that the band broke up because his father was not able to accept his sexuality. It was also stated that "The Moffatts" was his father's dream, and that he had pushed himself and his brothers into it.
Frank's take on these comments were - "The Moffatts break up had nothing to do with Dave's sexuality, but it does make for good press." As for The Moffatts being Frank's dream, he stated that the dream originally was Scott's, however he does admit to pushing the band once the ball was in motion. "You can't be the best young band (Backstreet Boys & NSYNC were also vocal boy-band groups) in the world without consistency and hard work, but granted there may have been a better way of me doing things." He then commented, "I'll be the first one to admit I wasn't the perfect father, but we all have good relationships now and I'm working on improving my parenting skills daily." Frank also commented, "I think the fact that they are all still active in music answers a lot of questions in itself."
After the break-up, two of the triplets, Bob and Clint Moffatt, briefly joined a group called Pusch and performed at the 2002 Winter Olympics. The band was later renamed Hidell [1], and lasted slightly over a year and released one album. Bob relocated to Ban Phe, Thailand, where he began working on an English singing contest with an educational organization called TEFL International. Bob convinced Clint to join him in Thailand and start a band called Same Same under the Thailand label. Same Same had chart-topping hits in Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines.
Scott Moffatt resurfaced in an Ontario-based band The Boston Post, named after the old New England newspaper. The original lineup included Shawn Everett on drums, Jon Gant on guitar and Neal Gupta on bass. They released an EP titled It's 99PM in 2003. A video interview with Scott Moffatt from the Holiday Train show in Sparwood, BC on December 13, 2005 confirmed that he planned to go solo and was recording in LA. On April 10, 2006, song previews from the upcoming independent release The Allegory of the City were put up on his music page along with the promise of a limited edition version soon being available for pre order. The new songs are all acoustic and reveal a folk rock/pop vibe. He played all instruments and did all vocals on the record, as well as produced it. The CD will be available worldwide but tour dates have not been determined. The album is available at www.myspace.com/scottmoffattmusic. Scott is currently in Thailand producing a rock band called Slot Machine.
Dave Moffatt eventually relocated to Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, at first with aspirations of attending the University of Winnipeg and then deciding to launch an acting and modeling career. In addition to hosting karaoke nights at a local gay bar (including Calgary's Twisted Element), Dave also appeared in a 2005 Winnipeg production of Miss Saigon and was a contestant on Canadian Idol, making it into the top 32 before being eliminated.
In 2004, the Canadian Pacific Railway announced in a press release that Bob and Clint were "reunited" and appeared under the name "The Moffatts" for the railway's Holiday Train program, a mobile fundraiser for community food banks. In 2005, Scott also joined the tour (see this photograph (Clint to the far left, Scott and Bob to the far right).
Although the group has shut down its main website, the Moffatts remain popular in Europe; its German fansite, linked below, is quite active.
Scott Moffatt is currently in Bangkok, Thailand working with rock bands for record company Sony BMG. Clint and Bob Moffatt moved to Thailand in 2006 and formed Same Same. They now reside in Nashville, Tennessee and perform country music under the name Two Bullet Parade. They also participated in the Task Force Afghanistan Show Tour in December 2008 to entertain the Canadian troops. Dave Moffatt was in a Toronto-based band called Lights Out Love. He still lives in Canada and eventually started a career as a yoga instructor.
Reunions
The Moffatts reunited for the first time in over ten years for an online Christmas show on Stageit on December 22, 2012. The set list included Christmas carols and songs picked by fans from the entire Moffatts' catalog, including solo records and Like Strangers/Same Same.
In 2016, Clint, Scott, and Bob reformed The Moffats without Dave to embark on a farewell tour. The tour kicked off in February 2017 and hit stops in Indonesia, Singapore, and the Philippines. In May 2017, Dave came out of retirement to hold a farewell concert of his own in Manila. By the end of 2017, the Moffats' farewell turned into a complete reunion, as Dave rejoined the band to work on new music. A 6 track EP "Chapter II" was released in November 2018 and was followed by The Reunion Tour 2018.
Full names
* Scott Andrew Moffatt (Scott Moffatt) - Lead vocals, Guitars
* Clinton Thomas John Moffatt (Clint Moffatt) - Lead vocals, Bass, Percussion
* Robert Franklin Peter Moffatt (Bob Moffatt) - Lead vocals, Drums
* David William Michael Moffatt (Dave Moffatt) - Lead vocals, Keyboards
We Are Young
The Moffatts Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I was a little scared
I never knew what I could do
It was like a light
In the middle of the night when I realized
That fear was something I could lose
I'll never turn around , anymore
You can run away with me
We are young , we are free
If you only believe
That everything you want it not so far away
We are young , we are free, forever
Everywhere to go, everything to see
If you want to know
Just take my hand and come with me
Just another , living my own way
If you take a chance
Then you can your fantasy
I'll never turn around , anymore
We are young we are free
You can run away with me
We are young , we are free
If you only believe
That everything you want it not so far away
We are young , we are free, forever
If you don't believe in all of your dreams
Then your fear will never go away
If you open your eyes I kno you will see
That we're and we are free
We are young we are free
You can run away with me
We are young , we are free
If you only believe
That everything you want it not so far away
We are young , we are free, forever
The lyrics to The Moffatts’s song “We Are Young” unapologetically celebrate youthful freedom and rebellion. The lyrics, “Do you remember me, ‘cause I remember you / I was a little scared / I never knew what I could do,” suggest the fear and uncertainty that often accompany adolescence. However, this fear is overcome with the realization that it is possible to lose it. The line “It was like a light in the middle of the night when I realized that fear was something I could lose” is a metaphor for the realization that fear can be overcome. This is an important lesson for young people, who are often constrained and limited by their fears.
The chorus of the song further emphasizes the thematic message of youthful freedom and rebellion. The phrase “We are young, we are free” is repeated throughout the chorus, emphasizing the idea of young people being free to live their lives on their own terms. The idea of running away with someone is also a common motif in youthful rebellions. Running away from the constraints of society and authority into a world of freedom and possibility is a particularly attractive idea to young people, and this is reflected in the lyrics of the chorus.
In conclusion, the lyrics of The Moffatts’s song “We Are Young” are a celebration of youthful freedom and rebellion. The fear and uncertainty of adolescence are acknowledged but ultimately overcome. The chorus of the song emphasizes the idea of young people being free to live their lives on their own terms.
Line by Line Meaning
Do you remember me, cause I remember you
I have not forgotten you, and I hope you remember me too.
I was a little scared
I was afraid and uncertain about my abilities.
I never knew what I could do
I did not have confidence in my own potential and capabilities.
It was like a light
A realization came upon me, sudden and bright like a light.
In the middle of the night when I realized
This realization arrived in a moment of clarity, in the dead of night.
That fear was something I could lose
I discovered that I could overcome my fears and not let them hold me back.
I'll never turn around , anymore
I won't backtrack or give up on my journey to reach my aspirations.
We are young we are free
We are youthful and unencumbered, with our whole lives ahead of us.
You can run away with me
Come with me and we can explore all that life has to offer.
If you only believe
All that you want can become reality, but you have to believe in yourself.
That everything you want it not so far away
Your aspirations are within reach, closer than you may believe.
Forever
We will continue to live passionately, fearlessly, and authentically for as long as we live.
Everywhere to go, everything to see
The world is vast, with endless possibilities and opportunities to explore.
If you want to know
If you're curious, eager to learn, or simply seeking new experiences.
Just take my hand and come with me
I'll take you with me, someone you can trust and lean on as we embark on our journey.
Just another , living my own way
I am unique and singular, and I choose to live life on my own terms.
If you take a chance
If you're willing to take risks and embrace new challenges.
Then you can your fantasy
You can achieve all that you dream of, given the right mindset and effort.
If you don't believe in all of your dreams
If you lack faith in your own potential and aspirations.
Then your fear will never go away
Your fear will continue to hold you back and prevent you from reaching your true potential.
If you open your eyes I kno you will see
If you're willing to look within and around you, you'll find new possibilities and perspectives.
That we're and we are free
We are capable of living free, fulfilling lives, without limitations or restrictions.
We are young, we are free
We are youthful, vibrant and unchained by limitations.
Forever
We will continue to live passionately, fearlessly, and authentically for as long as we live.
Lyrics © OLE MEDIA MANAGEMENT LP
Written by: CHRISTIAN BERMANN, DAVID BRUNNER, FRANK BERMANN, JEFF COPLAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Jacky's Gingerbread
time flies and now i'm 41...... i love the moffats and all of their songs.
KALOYAL AU BEAR
same with me here I'm 37 and still can memorise the lyrics by heart
뿅뿅
37 years old from Korea. I didn't even know any single words of English at that time. And I still remember all lyrics. This is crazy.
amanda marry
@뿅뿅 have they ever performed in Korea back then? I know they had one in Japan. There's a clip where a Japanese girl with Scott hair put her paper for Scott to sign with so much force that he was startled 😅
Nonie Han
And i will turn 44 next Dec 😂😂
Suzila Cdin
This song brings back so many memories....ahhh I miss the old days
Optimist Buddy
I really love this song. Still memorize the lyrics. What a great memory❤❤❤
Ellie Gabriel
im 38 now,,still love their songs since.i was 15 last yr 1998!!!
Simon
The song that will never be old. 90s and early 20s yeah i miss those eras of music! To seven dislikes they are too old and never been wild.
helga
Listen this music when I was young.. but until now still feel forever young enjoy this music🎵