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
Opium
moe. Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Hear that train, floatin' past
On feathered tracks, with helium wheels
Got no coal, got no steel
Opium, won't you smile on my brain
Flowers and fog, you've got me feeling no pain
You gonna be my pal, my bestest friend
Hear that train, screamin' past
Out of control and off the tracks
Opium, won't you smile on my brain
Flowers and fog, you've got me feeling no pain
It's 8:00 AM not a quarter past 3
Flowers and fog won't you rescue me
Fast asleep, quick to die
Seen 'em go in the blink of an eye
Long white line, tied to the tracks
Little white lie, no looking back
Opium, won't you smile on my brain
Flowers and fog, you've got me feeling no pain
It's 8:00 AM not a quarter past 3
Flowers and fog won't you rescue me
Rescue me, can't you set me free
Rescue me, set me free
Opium, won't you smile on my brain
Flowers and fog, you've got me feeling no pain
It's 8:00 AM not a quarter past 3
Flowers and fog won't you rescue me
Opium, won't you smile on my brain
Flowers and fog, you've got me feeling no pain
It's 8:00 AM not a quarter past 3, baby
Flowers and fog won't you rescue me
The song Opium by moe. appears to be about addiction and the effects of drugs on the mind and body. The opening lines, "Give me some fire, and a piece of glass, Hear that train, floatin' past," could refer to smoking drugs through a pipe, while the train sound could represent the high that the drugs bring. The line "Got no coal, got no steel" could be saying that the singer has nothing left, nothing to fuel him except for the drugs.
The chorus, "Opium, won't you smile on my brain, Flowers and fog, you've got me feeling no pain," further emphasizes the intoxicating effects of the drug. The line "Deja vu, all over again" suggests that this has happened before and the singer is stuck in a cycle of addiction. The line "Long white line, tied to the tracks, Little white lie, no looking back" could be referring to snorting cocaine.
The final lines, "Rescue me, can't you set me free, Rescue me, set me free," show that the singer knows he is struggling with addiction and is asking for help. Overall, the song Opium paints a picture of the despair and hopeless cycle of addiction.
Line by Line Meaning
Give me some fire, and a piece of glass
The singer is asking for a way to smoke opium.
Hear that train, floatin' past
The singer hears a train passing by.
On feathered tracks, with helium wheels
The singer imagines the train's tracks as made of feather, and its wheels as filled with helium.
Got no coal, got no steel
The train is not fueled by coal or powered by steel, but by something imaginary.
Opium, won't you smile on my brain
The artist is asking opium to give them pleasure and happiness in their mind.
Flowers and fog, you've got me feeling no pain
Opium makes the singer feel disconnected from pain, and as if they are surrounded by blooming flowers and misty fog.
Deja vu, all over again
The singer is experiencing a feeling of déjà vu, where everything seems familiar and repetitive.
You gonna be my pal, my bestest friend
The artist is personifying opium as a buddy, their closest and most loyal friend.
Hear that train, screamin' past
The artist hears the train loudly passing by, possibly expressing a feeling of fear or danger.
Out of control and off the tracks
The train has derailed and lost its control, maybe symbolizing the artist's loss of control over their own life and addiction.
It's 8:00 AM not a quarter past 3
The singer is aware of the time and suggests they are not under the influence of opium at this moment.
Flowers and fog won't you rescue me
The artist is once again asking opium to help them escape from the difficulties of reality.
Fast asleep, quick to die
The singer is describing the state of being asleep and the possibility of dying quickly while under the influence of opium.
Seen 'em go in the blink of an eye
The singer has witnessed others dying or losing themselves to opium quickly and easily.
Long white line, tied to the tracks
The singer is referring to the act of snorting opium, depicted as a long white line similar to the train tracks.
Little white lie, no looking back
The artist is acknowledging the addiction to opium, which they see as a small but harmful lie that they cannot deny or undo.
Rescue me, can't you set me free
The artist once again asks opium to rescue them from their struggles and allow them to be free from the burdens of life.
Opium, won't you smile on my brain
The singer is reaching out to opium, calling for its presence and its effects on their mind.
Flowers and fog, you've got me feeling no pain
Opium is once again described as a source of relief and pleasure, allowing the singer to feel absent of pain and surrounded by a dreamy environment.
It's 8:00 AM not a quarter past 3, baby
The artist is reaffirming their awareness of the current time and suggesting they are still sober.
Flowers and fog won't you rescue me
The artist continues to turn to opium as a means of rescue and escape from their difficulties.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Reservoir Media Management, Inc.
Written by: AL SCHNIER, CHUCK GARVEY, ROB DERHAK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@sagerdood
Back checking in 2021, still jammin to one of the best bands of all time
@jonathanafshar7909
Certainly one of the better songs made by humankind
@cravingkawasaki
this song is more addictive then opium
@Paulyppb69
What a great song....
@nomadseawolf
Saw moe open for the allman brothers at jones beach. Wareen Haynes and Derek Trucks jammed this with the band for 20 minutes. Heaven
@m.nagles640
oh my god. what year was that? That's soooo insane
@MRJKING2690
M. Nagles could have easily been a different tour but the first time I saw them they opened for the Allman Bros in like 2003 I think? That was my introduction, been in love ever since.
@nomadseawolf
M. Nagles just seeing this. 2006 maybe.
@nomadseawolf
Joshua King might be that early even. Took my son to see the AB and I was shook by these guys.
@AtmaRising
Sick tune.