The Parlotones’ three studio albums —2005’s Radiocontrolledrobot, 2007’s A World Next Door To Yours, and 2009’s Stardust Galaxies, have racked up numerous platinum and gold certifications and South African Music Awards, while their three live CD/DVD packages (culminating in 2010’s Live Design) have cemented their reputation as a fiery force to be reckoned with onstage. Confronted with the sight of powerfully expressive frontman Kahn Morbee leading the band — which also includes guitarist Paul Hodgson, bassist Glen Hodgson, and drummer Neil Pauw — to soaring emotional heights during their Fall 2011 club tour of the U.S., the Boston Herald predicted that “The Parlotones could become huge here. Killers huge, Muse huge, Coldplay huge.” Filter magazine reckoned that “their earnestness, work ethic, and charm may be their biggest weapons.”
Those qualities will serve The Parlotones well in 2012 as they prepare to expand their loyal fanbase beyond South Africa and Europe (where they also have a devoted following) to the United States with the release of their new album Journey Through the Shadows, via their own Sovereign Entertainment label, on May 8th. “America dictates trends around the world,” Morbee says. “If you’re big there, the rest of the world listens. It has a ripple effect. We would be very proud to achieve success in the U.S. because very few artists from our country have managed it. I think for a long time, South Africans have had an inferiority complex in terms of our place in the world and our relative insignificance compared to the super powers. It would be nice to have a success story, especially in a nation that needs uplifting, and instill in folks back home that ‘can do’ belief.”
To achieve their goal, The Parlotones have crafted the kind of melody-minded arena-filling songs that transcend language and culture barriers on Journey Through The Shadows. First single “Save Your Best Bits,” with its theme of not allowing negative things from the past to affect the good parts of your soul, and the celebratory “I Am Alive” are about catharsis. They chase those moments of universal human experience when everyone in the room is uplifted by a shared emotion. “My goal is to connect with people across the world, and I think the human condition is very similar regardless of where you are,” Morbee says. “I think the theme of these songs is hope and that life is worth living regardless of its ups and downs.”
That theme informs the album’s title, Journey Through The Shadows, which, Morbee explains, is a metaphor for the human experience. “You’re not given a guidebook or map at birth that guarantees the smoothest path,” he says. “Ultimately, we all walk through with a candle that only allows us to see so far in front of ourselves. You never know what’s around the corner, so it’s an analogy for life.”
In keeping with The Parlotones’ big themes are big ideals. Ever since these four school friends formed the band in the Johannesburg suburb of Roodepoort in the late ’90s they have always aspired not only to have fun making music, but also to give back to their community. Over the years, they have raised funds and awareness for a variety of social and environmental organizations, lending their high profile to initiatives such as Live Earth, Earth Hour, The South African Broadcasting Corporation’s Carbon Free campaign, Nelson Mandela’s 46664, and Live Earth’s Run for Water, among others. They are also ambassadors for the anti-poaching organization Rhino Force, United Against Malaria, and several other non-profits that combat problems that acutely affect South Africa. In March 2012, they will join with Africa Unites for a climb up Mt. Kilimanjaro to raise global awareness about ending violence against women and girls in Africa. The band sees the music and the activism, as well as their other creative business endeavors (the band has its own boutique wine label, which has released three highly successful blends) as one and the same: methods of expression, communication, and connection.
“People in the public eye have the ability to spread a message very quickly and effectively,” Morbee says. “So we try to do so when it concerns issues we feel strongly about. But we never want to come across as a band that's preaching. All we're really doing is drawing attention to causes that we support. South Africa is our home and home to our families and our friends. We certainly want to make sure they have a bright future. If we can get involved and encourage people to get involved, it can only have positive effects.”
The Parlotones are excited to be representing their homeland and shining a spotlight on it in the process. “Every band dreams of making a living, touring, and having a large fan base around the world,” Morbee says. “Those were our aspirations from the beginning, but because the music market in South Africa wasn’t developed, they were very difficult to achieve. We had to pave our own way. For me the success is not in what we may eventually achieve but in actually taking the journey. Yes there's a lot of risk associated, but we’ve soaked up such a wealth of experiences that it makes it all worthwhile.”
Fly to the Moon
The Parlotones Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In real life the good guys die, let's go somewhere safe
Outer space, let's climb to the moon
I have no desire for truth
No longer watch the gloomy news, feed me fantasy
So I'll believe, we're gonna fly to the moon
We'll grow some wings, yes we'll grow some wings and we'll fly to the moon
Side step reality
Build my world on fantasy
Me and my Cinderella
We're gonna fly to the moon
We'll build a ladder, oh we'll build a ladder and we'll climb to the moon
We'll grow some wings, yes we'll grow some wings and we'll fly to the moon
And we'll dream with open eyes not in the recess of our murky minds
Oh we'll dream, yes we'll dream
Oh dream with open eyes
With open eyes
Is this delicious creation of mine
As tasty outside my mind?
Me and my Cinderella
We're gonna fly to the moon
Oh we'll dream with open eyes not in the recess of our murky minds
Oh we'll dream, yes we'll dream
Oh dream with open eyes
With open eyes
We'll build a ladder, oh we'll build a ladder and we'll climb to the moon
We'll grow some wings, yes we'll grow some wings and fly to the moon
We'll build a ladder, oh we'll build a ladder and climb to the moon
We'll grow some wings, yes we'll grow some wings and we'll fly to the moon
Once rich in romance
Has lost its glow
Lost in our imagination
We'll take it slow
Much like the book my Cinderella will vanish too soon
Our silhouettes ablaze
As we fly to the moon
To the moon
“Fly to the Moon” by The Parlotones tells the story of two people who are tired of the hardships of real life and want to escape to a safe and fantasy-filled world on the moon. The first verse speaks about how in fairytales, good guys always win but in reality, it’s not always the case. Therefore, the characters in the song want to escape to “somewhere safe” and climb to the moon. The second verse speaks about how the singer has no desire for the truth anymore, and wants to be filled with fantasy. They believe that they will be able to fly to the moon and will build a ladder or grow wings to get there.
The chorus of the song continues to describe the characters' desire to escape reality and climb to the moon. They want to dream with open eyes and build their world on fantasy. The song ends with the two characters flying to the moon, but with the realization that their love story, like Cinderella’s, will vanish too soon.
Overall, the lyrics of “Fly to the Moon” depict a longing for escapism and a desire to leave the hardships of reality behind. It's a romantic and hopeful song that encourages dream-chasing and living a life filled with fantasy.
Line by Line Meaning
Fairytales all tell a lie
Fairytales are fabricated stories that don't depict reality
In real life the good guys die, let's go somewhere safe
In reality, good people are vulnerable to unfortunate events, so let's escape to a safe place
Outer space, let's climb to the moon
Let's aim for the moon by climbing to outer space
I have no desire for truth
I have no interest in the reality
No longer watch the gloomy news, feed me fantasy
I don't watch the sad news anymore, I want to be fed with fiction
So I'll believe, we're gonna fly to the moon
I am willing to believe that we can fly to the moon
We'll build a ladder, oh we'll build a ladder and we'll climb to the moon
We will create a ladder and use it to climb to the moon
We'll grow some wings, yes we'll grow some wings and we'll fly to the moon
We will develop wings and use them to fly to the moon
Side step reality
Avoiding real life
Build my world on fantasy
Creating a world out of fiction
Me and my Cinderella
Myself and my beloved
We're gonna fly to the moon
We will soar to the moon
And we'll dream with open eyes not in the recess of our murky minds
We will dream with clarity, not let our thoughts be clouded
Oh we'll dream, yes we'll dream
We will constantly imagine
Oh dream with open eyes
Dream clearly
Is this delicious creation of mine
Is this exquisite creation of mine
As tasty outside my mind?
Does it exist in reality or is it just my mind?
Much like the book my Cinderella will vanish too soon
Like a book, my beloved will disappear quickly
Our silhouettes ablaze
Our outlines brightly lit
As we fly to the moon
While we travel to the moon
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@scottipippen6935
2021. Can't stop listening to this song. Magical..Greets from Munich to everyone listening..
@Henriiist
Essa música marcou minha vida … a conheci na época da novela Escrito nas estrelas ! Desde então ela se tornou trilha sonora da minha vida . Quantos momentos, quantas lembranças … Passe o tempo que passar, ela será atemporal … ❤️
@maximizerboy
Top comment.
@christina6026
I would listen to this song on repeat thru my headphones secretely in highschool just to get through the day. I would pretend he was singing to me. This song got me through alot. Thank you
@candipill
" Feed me fantasy, so I'll believe We're gonna fly to the moon Side step reality Build my world on fantasy Me and my Cinderella We're gonna fly to the moon We'll build a ladder, we'll build a ladder And we'll climb to the moon We'll grow some wings, we'll grow some wings And we'll fly to the moon - my favourite part in this song - so sad that they are leaving us! One of my all time favourite Homegrown bands ever! At least we still have Gangs of Ballet local!
@jaysonlightfoot9177
Thanks jay kzn 🇿🇦 UK
@lenayth
Nem acredito que consegui encontrar essa musica pqp uahuah AMOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
@Paul-ml6ur
Just been told about this group by a friend and now i'm hooked.
@sharonhillyard7173
TOTALLY AGREE !! My cousin, Louise, in South Africa told me about them 2 months ago & i'm slightly obsessed with them. THEY ARE FANTASTIC & have already taken a place in my top 5 bands of all time ( 1:The Beatles, 2:Coldplay, 3:The Beautiful South, 4:U2 and now 5:The Parlotones, sorry New Order ) Going to see them in Manchester in November on their 20th. Anniversary Tour CAN'T WAIT !!
@doreenbeets6904
Parletones simply the best!!