Upcoming Concerts

  • Apr 20
    420 Gathering of the Tribe @ The Chapel!
    San Francisco, CA
  • Apr 23
    Skull & Roses Festival V
    Ventura, CA
  • May 26
    BottleRock Festival
    Napa Valley, CA
Apr 20
420 Gathering of the Tribe @ The Chapel! - San Francisco, CA
Apr 23
Skull & Roses Festival V - Ventura, CA
May 26
BottleRock Festival - Napa Valley, CA

Moonalice News

  • Let's Rock The World One Tree At A Time!
  • Commemorating the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival!!!
  • Moonalice Minute: Lester & Dylan Chambers (Episode 1)
  • Acoustic Guitar reviews Full Moonalice, Volume 2!!
  • Moonalice plays a set on Jam In The Van
  • Glide Magazine interviews Pete Sears!
  • Acoustic Guitar Magazine: Barry, Roger and T’s play Nick and Woo Woo
  • PopMatters: Bottlerock Napa review … featuring Moonalice
  • Moonalice Will Not Play Indoors Until Further Notice
  • Bottlerock Napa 2022: Photos by Bob Minkin
Let's Rock The World One Tree At A Time!
Commemorating the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival!!!
Moonalice Minute: Lester & Dylan Chambers (Episode 1)
Acoustic Guitar reviews Full Moonalice, Volume 2!!
Moonalice plays a set on Jam In The Van
Glide Magazine interviews Pete Sears!
Acoustic Guitar Magazine: Barry, Roger and T’s play Nick and Woo Woo
PopMatters: Bottlerock Napa review … featuring Moonalice
Moonalice Will Not Play Indoors Until Further Notice
Bottlerock Napa 2022: Photos by Bob Minkin

What To Watch (Archive)

  • Feb 26, 2023 / Acoustic Album Release Celebration BottleRock Re-Broadcast (Napa Valley)
    According to Moonalice legend, releasing a new album is cause for celebration! Moonalice's new acoustic ...
  • Dec 3, 2022 / Saturday Stream (Howling Moon Studio)
  • Jan 14, 2023 / Saturday Stream (Howling Moon Studio)
    First performance: Second Saturday Out of Control Staring at Sixty Three Little Words Tie Dye and Vi...
  • Dec 10, 2022 / Saturday Stream (Howling Moon Studio)
  • Dec 31, 2022 / Saturday Stream (Howling Moon Studio)
    Kick your NYE plans off right with a Saturday Stream at 4:20 PM PT!
  • Nov 11, 2022 / Golden Gate Bandshell (San Francisco)
    According to Moonalice legend, today is Veterans Day. We salute all veterans and thank them. Todayâ€...
  • Nov 26, 2022 / Saturday Stream (Howling Moon Studio)
  • Feb 4, 2023 / Saturday Stream (Howling Moon Studio)
  • Jan 28, 2023 / Saturday Stream (Howling Moon Studio)
    Notes: MYOB: new name for the song Minding Your Business
  • Dec 17, 2022 / Saturday Stream (Howling Moon Studio)
Feb 26, 2023 / Acoustic Album Release Celebration BottleRock Re-Broadcast (Napa Valley)
According to Moonalice legend, releasing a new album is cause for celebration! Moonalice's new acoustic ...
Dec 3, 2022 / Saturday Stream (Howling Moon Studio)
Jan 14, 2023 / Saturday Stream (Howling Moon Studio)
First performance: Second Saturday Out of Control Staring at Sixty Three Little Words Tie Dye and Vi...
Dec 10, 2022 / Saturday Stream (Howling Moon Studio)
Dec 31, 2022 / Saturday Stream (Howling Moon Studio)
Kick your NYE plans off right with a Saturday Stream at 4:20 PM PT!
Nov 11, 2022 / Golden Gate Bandshell (San Francisco)
According to Moonalice legend, today is Veterans Day. We salute all veterans and thank them. Todayâ€...
Nov 26, 2022 / Saturday Stream (Howling Moon Studio)
Feb 4, 2023 / Saturday Stream (Howling Moon Studio)
Jan 28, 2023 / Saturday Stream (Howling Moon Studio)
Notes: MYOB: new name for the song Minding Your Business
Dec 17, 2022 / Saturday Stream (Howling Moon Studio)

Tell Me It's Okay

Credits: 
Music and lyrics by Roger McNamee

Some times I lie awake and wonder what the world is coming to
It's been a wild ride; now I fear the bills are coming due.

Oh, there's trouble in my Valley.
Oh, there's trouble in my mind . . .
Tell me I'm okay.

I need to know what makes life real, what is the essence of my being
I struggle every day to deal with all the weird stuff that I'm seeing

Oh, there's trouble in my Valley.
Oh, there's trouble in my mind . . .
Tell me I'm okay.

How am I supposed to know what is real and what's for show?
Won't you tell me it's okay?
How am I supposed to know what is real and what's for show?
Won't you tell me it's okay?

Some times I lie awake at night and dream of things that might have been
I wonder why it is that someone has to lose so you can win

Oh, there's trouble in my Valley.
Oh, there's trouble in my mind . . .
Tell me I'm okay.

How am I supposed to know what is real and what's for show?
Won't you tell me it's okay?
How am I supposed to know what is real and what's for show?
Won't you tell me it's okay?
Won't you tell me, won't you tell me won't you tell me it's okay?
Tell me it's okay . . .

-----------

Here's the back story to Tell Me It's Okay.

I wrote it in late 2000 or early 2001. The song is about dealing with economic calamity. When the internet bubble burst, our part of California melted down economically. People said and did things that really bothered me. A huge number of our friends were laid off without anyplace to go. Just like now.

The first line of the chorus was suggested by a friend. The parallel guitar parts I worked out myself. The FOBs recorded the song with no jam, but a long guitar solo at the end by Bert Keely. The jams at the beginning and in the middle of the song evolved at Moonalice shows. We didn't play the song at the first five Moonalice concerts - for some weird reason I was reluctant to play my FOB songs - but then we tried it at a free show in San Francisco.

T Bone Burnett didn't care for the song, so we never went past basic tracks in the studio. As a result, we thought it would be good to include the video produced by Elliot Mazer. Believe it or not the video is entirely live EXCEPT Pete's keyboard part (note that he also plays bass!) and GE's harmony vocal.

Tribe Comments

Kip Bailing's picture

What's the meaning of the designation, "Festival Version," that sometimes refers to this terrific song?