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
WATER
moe. Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Give me the deed, drill the well, and run the line
(Water, water)
Chinatown...watch that celluloid shine
(Water, water)
Would you kill for a glass when the sand fills up your throat?
(Water, water)
(Water, water)
Chorus:
Hello again
Goodbye my friend
Goodbye again, hello
Alone with you I want to be
Hello again, hello
Hello again
Goodbye my friend
Goodbye again, hello
Alone with you I want to be
Hello again, hello
Hello again, hello.
(Water, Water)
Thousand feet below, got a law that's all it's own
(Water, water)
Thousand feet below, looks like they got hell on loan
(Water, water)
Another cowboy song about dying all alone
(Water, water)
Chuck is gonna piss on the grave of the man who stole his...
(Water, water)
(Chorus)
The song "Water" by moe. seems to be about the desperation and value of water, as well as the conflicts and betrayals that arise over this resource. The opening lines express a desire for access to water, saying "Give me the deed, drill the well, and run the line." Chinatown is referenced as an example of a place where water is coveted, with the celluloid shining as a symbol of the lure of this resource. The next lines pose a question to the listener, asking if they would be willing to kill or harm others in order to obtain water, demonstrating the extreme need and potential violence involved in acquiring it.
The chorus of the song repeats the phrase "Hello again, goodbye my friend, goodbye again, hello" over and over, suggesting a cyclical nature to life and relationships, perhaps a reflection of the constant need for water. The desire to be alone with someone, expressed in the chorus, could represent the desire for companionship and connection in a world where water is often the focus of attention.
The next verse continues to explore the extremes related to water, with a reference to a law that is unique to wells and another to the concept of hell itself. A cowboy song is mentioned as another example of the pervasive nature of water in culture, with the ultimate expression of revenge being threatened in the form of urinating on someone's grave.
Overall, "Water" seems to be a commentary on the importance of this resource in human life, as well as the conflicts and betrayals that can emerge when some have access to it and others do not. It raises questions about the nature of our relationship to water and to each other in the face of scarcity and need.
Line by Line Meaning
Give me the deed, drill the well, and run the line
Provide me the legal permission, dig the well through the ground and setup the pipeline for water supply
Chinatown...watch that celluloid shine
Observe the bright and colorful lights of the Chinatown that reflects on the film strip
Would you kill for a glass when the sand fills up your throat?
In a situation of severe thirst, will you commit murder to get a glass of water as your throat is choked with sand
Would you twist a knife in the back of the man who stole your...
Are you ready to use force against the thief who snatched your only source of sustenance
Thousand feet below, got a law that's all it's own
A divergent way of life exists at a depth of a thousand feet underground
Thousand feet below, looks like they got hell on loan
The image of the deepest level of ground appears to resemble a world of chaos and inferno borrowed from hell
Another cowboy song about dying all alone
Yet anohter old fashioned song that narrates the subject of solitude during the last moments of life
Chuck is gonna piss on the grave of the man who stole his...
Chuck is planning on portraying his utmost disrepect and contempt by literally urinating on the thief's grave
Hello again
Goodbye my friend
Goodbye again, hello
Alone with you I want to be
Hello again, hello
Hello again
Goodbye my friend
Goodbye again, hello
Alone with you I want to be
Hello again, hello
Hello again, hello.
A farewell and reuinion repeated twice, with a desire to be left alone with someone conveyed in between.
Contributed by Mateo H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.