The band was originally conceived as a side project. The Weiss brothers and Kleinberg were playing together in another band called The Operation (who released one album, 2001's There Is Hope for a Tree Cut Down, on Takehold Records), but Aaron wanted to start another band to experiment with new sounds. After picking up Rick Mazzotta on drums and Ray Tadeo on bass, Kleinberg and the Weiss brothers released their first EP (I Never Said That I Was Brave) in 2001 and shortly thereafter signed to Tooth & Nail Records after a show at Cornerstone Festival the same year. An even earlier six song demo EP called Blood Enough For Us All has also surfaced, apparently having been recorded in 2000.
Around this time Tadeo had moved on, Daniel Pishock picked up as the bass player, and The Operation disbanded soon afterward. mewithoutYou's debut full-length album, A→B: Life, was released in 2002. The band garnered more attention for their sophomore release, 2004's Catch for Us the Foxes, which was produced by Brad Wood (Smashing Pumpkins, Fire Theft). In December of 2004 Pishock had made a decision to retire as the bassist for the band and former Operation frontman, Greg Jehanian, was selected to replace him. In 2005, mewithoutYou won mtvU's "Left Field" award for most original artist. Their third album, Brother, Sister, again produced by Wood, was released on September 26th, 2006. Their fourth album, it's all crazy! it's all false! it's all a dream! it's alright, produced by Dan Smith of Danielson, was released May 19th, 2009. Their fifth album Ten Stories, produced again by Dan Smith of Danielson, was independently released May 15th, 2012. Their sixth LP is set to be released in 2015 on Run for Cover Records.
mewithoutYou has released videos for "January 1979" and "Paper Hanger", from Catch for Us the Foxes, with the help of Red Van Pictures this past year, and one for "Bullet to Binary" from A→B: Life. They have recently released a video for "Nice and Blue, Pt. 2" from Brother, Sister, directed by Shane Drake. A video for "The Fox, the Crow and the Cookie" from It's All Crazy! has recently been released.
mewithoutYou is:
Aaron Weiss - Lead Vocals
Michael Weiss - Guitar
Brandon Beaver - 2nd Guitar
Greg Jehanian - Bass Guitar
Richard Mazzotta - Drums
Official homepage: http://www.mewithoutyou.com
http://www.myspace.com/mewithoutyou
The Sun and the Moon
mewithoutYou Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Peter stepped from the ship to the sea
There was hope for Job like a cut down tree,
I hope that there's such hope for me
Dust be on my mind's conceptions
And anything I thought I knew
Each word of my lips' description,
And on all that I compare to You
To the south side of the farm
I planted to the north in a terra-cotta pot
Blind as I'd become, I used to wonder where you are-
These days I can't find where you're not!]
Mine's been a yard carefully surgace level tended
Foxes burrowed underground
My gardening so highly self-recommended,
What could I have done but let you down?
The sun and the moon,
I want to see both worlds as One!
Mine's been a vivid story, dimly remembered
And by the hundredth time it's told, halfway true
Of bad behavior well engendered
What good is each good thing we think we do?
[find a friend and stay close and with a melting heart
Tell them whatever you're most ashamed of-
Our parents have made so many mistakes,
But may we forgive them and forgive ourselves]
The sun and the moon are my Father's eyes (x1,000)
The song "The Sun and the Moon" by mewithoutYou talks about the struggles of the human condition and the desire for redemption. The lyrics mention biblical characters Daniel and Peter who both defied authority in order to stay true to their beliefs. The singer of the song hopes that there is hope for him like there was for Job, who was compared to a cut-down tree but still had the potential to grow again. The chorus repeats the desire to see both the sun and the moon as one, which could represent unity or balance in the singer's life.
The second verse talks about the singer's own shortcomings and the realization that they have let others down, despite their efforts to maintain a "carefully surface-level tended" appearance. They acknowledge that bad behavior can overshadow any good behavior, leaving the singer to wonder if anything they have done was truly good. The bridge includes a plea to forgive oneself and others, acknowledging the mistakes made by "our parents" while melting away the shame and guilt that weigh the singer down.
Overall, the lyrics suggest a desire for self-improvement and redemption, even in the face of past mistakes and poor choices. The repetition of the sun and the moon imagery could represent hope for a better future or a sense of cosmic perspective that helps the singer reframe their struggles.
Line by Line Meaning
Daniel broke the king's decree,
Daniel defied the law of the land set by the king.
Peter stepped from the ship to the sea
Peter left the security of the boat to walk on water towards Jesus.
There was hope for Job like a cut down tree,
Job's life, like a cut down tree, seemed hopeless, but there was still hope for him.
I hope that there's such hope for me
I wish there is still hope for me despite my failures.
Dust be on my mind's conceptions
My thoughts are limited and subjected to human imperfections.
And anything I thought I knew
Anything I thought I knew isn't really a complete truth.
Each word of my lips' description,
Every word I speak falls short of accurately describing anyone or anything.
And on all that I compare to You
Everything I compare to You, God, is inadequate and insignificant.
[the preference of the sun was
To the south side of the farm
I planted to the north in a terra-cotta pot
Blind as I'd become, I used to wonder where you are-
These days I can't find where you're not!]
I used to be misguided and oblivious to Your presence, but now I see and feel You everywhere.
Mine's been a yard carefully surgace level tended
My life has been neatly maintained on the surface, but deep down, I had no spiritual growth.
Foxes burrowed underground
Evil forces lurk beneath the surface of my life.
My gardening so highly self-recommended,
I was overly confident and self-sufficient in my spiritual growth.
What could I have done but let you down?
Despite my best effort, I still failed You, God.
The sun and the moon,
I want to see both worlds as One!
I aspire to see my physical and spiritual existence as one in Your eyes, God.
Mine's been a vivid story, dimly remembered
My life is full of memories that are not entirely accurate or trustworthy.
And by the hundredth time it's told, halfway true
As my memories are recalled multiple times, they become less reliable and less accurate.
Of bad behavior well engendered
I have a tendency to repeat past mistakes despite knowing better.
What good is each good thing we think we do?
What's the point of doing good deeds if they don't help people in reality?
[find a friend and stay close and with a melting heart
Tell them whatever you're most ashamed of-
Our parents have made so many mistakes,
But may we forgive them and forgive ourselves]
We should be vulnerable with people we trust, confess our shame, and learn to forgive ourselves and others.
The sun and the moon are my Father's eyes (x1,000)
God's presence is everywhere and takes infinite shapes and forms to watch over us.
Contributed by Annabelle V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@beeasy508
I don't necessarily believe in a god, or a religion, but this is still one of my favorite bands. It just goes to show if a band is good enough, and their music is well written enough, their audience isn't limited to people sharing their beliefs and ideas.
@carl9z
the atomosphere of this song is so amazing. So well produced.
@notoriousNIC
Perfect.
@TheSpoartsNetwork
All worlds as one! ^^
@dianar9165
It’s a nice song ❤️🩹❤️🩹❤️🩹
@tylercanning9900
What album was this off?
@Tate70444
Brother Sister
@PenguinsAndTacos
can anybody explain the lyrics near the end that start with "find a friend"? These are not actually heard in the song at all....why are they there?
@skyeskelter
They're heard at 2:24.
@johnjo128
@Hessekimojo well put my freind :D btw cheers for stickin up... i appreaciate it