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
The Ghost of Ralph's Mom
moe. Lyrics
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Till the morning light
I saw you on the ceiling
How could I even fight?
I saw you in the morning
About 3:55
I asked you what you wanted
The more things change, the more they stay the same
The more things stay the same, the more I go insane
The more things change, the more they stay the same
The more things stay the same, the more I go insane
You ran around my bedroom
And made me levitate
You pinned me to my bed
You forced me to stay awake
The more things change, the more they stay the same
The more things stay the same, the more I go insane
The more things change, the more they stay the same
The more things stay the same, the more I go insane
Haunted by the ghost of you
Each lonely night
I've tried to scream out loud
But the walls they closing tight
My heart beats faster
Twice as faster
And the more things change, the more they stay the same
The more things stay the same, the more I go insane
The more things change, the more they stay the same
The more things stay the same, the more I go insane
The more I go insane
The more I go insane
The lyrics of moe.'s song "The Ghost of Ralph's Mom" allude to a haunting presence that the singer is struggling to overcome. The opening lines suggest that this ghostly figure lingers in the singer's room every evening until the morning light, and that the singer is powerless to resist the experience of seeing this figure on the ceiling. The lyrics then go on to recount a conversation between the singer and the ghostly figure, in which the ghost reveals a desire to be alive.
The recurring refrain of the song, "The more things change, the more they stay the same, the more things stay the same, the more I go insane," underscores the sense of entrapment that the singer feels under the ghost's influence. The ghostly figure is not simply a source of fear, however; the lyrics also suggest that the singer may be somewhat enamored with the figure, as evidenced by the lines "You ran around my bedroom and made me levitate, you pinned me to my bed, you forced me to stay awake." The haunting presence of the ghost haunts the singer, to the point where the walls seem to be closing in around him, and his heart beats twice as fast.
Line by Line Meaning
You wait there every evening
Till the morning light
I saw you on the ceiling
How could I even fight?
The persona is haunted by the ghost of Ralph's mom every night and cannot fight the ghost he sees on the ceiling.
I saw you in the morning
About 3:55
I asked you what you wanted
You said you wanted to be alive
The following morning at 3:55 AM, the persona saw the ghost again and when he asked what she wanted, she responded with wanting to be alive again.
The more things change, the more they stay the same
The more things stay the same, the more I go insane
The more things change, the more they stay the same
The more things stay the same, the more I go insane
The chorus reveals that despite changes occurring, the persona still feels like insanity is continuing to progress and nothing is changing in reality.
You ran around my bedroom
And made me levitate
You pinned me to my bed
You forced me to stay awake
The ghost rampaged around his room, made him levitate, pinned him down and kept him awake.
Haunted by the ghost of you
Each lonely night
I've tried to scream out loud
But the walls they closing tight
Even when alone, the persona is plagued by the memories of the ghost who keeps him up every night. He tries to scream but is restrained by the walls that seem to be tightening.
My heart beats faster
Twice as faster
And the more things change, the more they stay the same
The more things stay the same, the more I go insane
The more things change, the more they stay the same
The more things stay the same, the more I go insane
The more I go insane
The more I go insane
The persona's heart rate increases and his mental instability persists uncontrollably, just as the chorus repeats itself.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: AL SCHNIER, CHUCK GARVEY, ROB DERHAK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind