The band's first record, Fatboy (1992), established the band as a favorite of the same 1990s scene that became popular through bands such as the Dave Matthews Band, Phish, and Widespread Panic. moe. has toured with the 1997 Furthur Festival, appeared at Woodstock '99, have played in Central Park, were the opening band for The Allman Brothers and The Who, and performed at Radio City Music Hall on New Years Eve 2006 and 2007.
They also host the annual festival moe.down at Snow Ridge Ski Area in Turin, NY. Started in 2000, the festival runs for three days and occurs every Labor Day weekend. The festival has attracted a wide variety of musical talent. Acts range from newer bands just emerging onto the scene (such as Tea Leaf Green, Nellie McKay and Raq) to big name acts and jam rock staples, such as Les Claypool, Blues Traveler, and Mike Gordon (of Phish fame); to pop rock icons, such as Leo Kottke, The Flaming Lips, The Violent Femmes; and most recently, Perry Farrell. Each year, the amount of moe.down attendees has steadily increased. moe.down I attracted around 3,000 people while moe.down VI in 2005, had attracted close to 7,000.
During an interview, guitarist Al Schnier was asked to describe moe. for those who have never heard their music: "It's an amalgamation of a wide variety of the history of rock, all regurgitated and recycled through the eyes, ears, hands, whatever of the guys in our band and all of that with a sense of adventure, a sense of humor, also a constant desire to push the envelope. All in this arena of taking chances, improvising live, and making things up on the spot."
Their official site can be found at www.moe.org
Captain America
moe. Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Or you're gonna wind up dead last
At the end of your rope
Flat broke
Down and tired
You sleepy head
Won't you go to bed
Let me run your life
Clark Kent ran for president
No one knew about the secrets locked in his head
Friends tried to take his life
Accusations flew
Flew like Kryptonite
Clark still looking good
What you gonna say
To make everything alright
Lies
May be right
May be wrong
I'm in the middle anyway
May be right
May be wrong
I'm in the middle anyway
Stuck in the middle anyway
Buckshot shooter
Had a realm of fun
With a smoking gun
Heard around the world
What a War of the Worlds
What a wonderful way to wage
Suicide
Lies!
Pay your fine
Do your time
Let me run your life
Lies
May be right
May be wrong
I'm in the middle anyway
May be right
May be wrong
I'm in the middle anyway
Stuck in the middle anyway
Right in the middle
Dead in the middle anyway
Captive America read I gotta be like you
With a bubble in your bed
Buzzin' your telephone
Like you're not at home
Home on the range
Bread and corn fed
Won't you got to bed
Let me run your life
Lies
May be right
May be wrong
I'm in the middle anyway
May be right
May be wrong
I'm in the middle anyway
May be right
May be wrong
I'm in the middle anyway
May be right
May be wrong
I'm in the middle anyway
Stuck in the middle
Right in the middle
Dead in the middle anyway
The song "Captain America" by moe. talks about the pressure of conformity and societal expectations on individuals. The lyrics describe how Captain America tells others to be like him or face failure and how Clark Kent had to hide his secrets to become a successful politician. The chorus highlights the theme of uncertainty, with the repeated line "May be right, may be wrong, I'm in the middle anyway" suggesting that it's hard to know what the right path is when facing societal pressures. The verses about Buckshot Shooter, who commits suicide due to societal pressures, and Captive America, who is stuck in a conformist routine, further emphasize the dangers of conformity.
The character of Captain America in the song likely refers to the comic book character, who is known for his patriotism and upholding of American values. The song critiques the idea of forcing people to conform to these values as it can result in very negative outcomes. The reference to Clark Kent running for president and hiding his secrets may be a reference to how politicians often have to hide aspects of themselves in order to fit into society's idea of what a leader should be like.
Overall, "Captain America" is a song that critiques conformity and the societal pressure to adhere to a particular, narrow set of values. It suggests that this can lead to negative outcomes and may not always be the best or only way forward for individuals.
Line by Line Meaning
Captain America said you gotta be like me
Captain America believes that everyone should mimic and emulate him
Or you're gonna wind up dead last
If you don't follow Captain America's path, you'll end up failing
At the end of your rope
You'll feel like you've run out of options
Flat broke
You'll be penniless and destitute
Down and tired
You'll be exhausted and beaten down
You sleepy head
You're too tired to think for yourself
Won't you go to bed
Captain America wants you to stop resisting and just give in
Let me run your life
Captain America wants control over your life
Lies
Captain America is not telling the truth
Clark Kent ran for president
Clark Kent tried to become president
No one knew about the secrets locked in his head
Clark Kent had hidden things that nobody knew about
Friends tried to take his life
People who were once friends with Clark Kent betrayed him
Accusations flew, Flew like Kryptonite
Clark Kent faced accusations that were as harmful as Kryptonite to him
Clark still looking good
Clark Kent remained composed and confident
What you gonna say
What can you say to make things better?
To make everything alright
To make everything OK again
May be right
Captain America may be right
May be wrong
Captain America may be wrong
I'm in the middle anyway, Stuck in the middle anyway
The singer is uncertain and conflicted about what to believe
Buckshot shooter, Had a realm of fun
Someone who shoots recklessly with buckshot was enjoying themselves
With a smoking gun
They had just fired the gun
Heard around the world
News of this event spread far and wide
What a War of the Worlds
This is a huge and devastating event
What a wonderful way to wage
This is a horrific and scary way to wage a war
Suicide, Lies!
This event is deadly and Captain America is lying about it
Pay your fine, Do your time
You have to accept the consequences of your actions
Captive America read I gotta be like you
Someone held captive believes that they need to be like Captain America
With a bubble in your bed
You're overly comfortable and insulated from the world
Buzzin' your telephone
Your phone keeps ringing with distractions
Like you're not at home
You're not present in your life
Home on the range
You have a comfortable and predictable life
Bread and corn fed, Won't you go to bed
You're content and Captain America wants to keep it that way
May be right, May be wrong
Captain America's beliefs may be correct or misguided
I'm in the middle anyway, Stuck in the middle anyway, Right in the middle, Dead in the middle anyway
The artist is stuck in between conflicting beliefs and doesn't know what to do
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: ASHLEY DWAYNE MACISAAC, ROGER WILLIAM GREENAWALT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind