In 1981, a fan of the Clean founded the Flying Nun label to release their first single, "Tally Ho." A follow-up track off one of their early EPs, "Beatnik", also achieved success, as did the second single, "Getting Older". The Flying Nun label went on to be New Zealand's biggest independent record company, championing the Dunedin Sound, a loosely-connected style of music largely produced by bands from this southern city. Others on the label included The Chills, The Verlaines, The Bats, and Sneaky Feelings.
During much of the 1980s, The Clean disbanded, and during this time the Kilgour brothers worked together on an experimental album and EP using the deliberately punning titles "The Great Unwashed" and "Clean Out of Our Minds". Reforming in the late 1980s, the band explored a slightly poppier vein of music while still retaining their experimental edge.
In June 2008 a live album recorded during the 2007 New Zealand tour was released in New Zealand on Arch Hill Records, entitled "Mashed". A new studio album, titled Mister Pop was released on September 7, 2009 on Arch Hill, and on September 8 in the United States on the Merge label.
In December 2009, The Clean announced their first European dates in more than 20 years, supporting the cult U.S band Pavement at Brixton Academy on the 10th of May. They also played at the Pavement curated ATP at Butlins Minehead on the 14th of May. Other dates on the tour included Amsterdam (May 22), Hamburg (May 23), Berlin (May 25) and Barcelona's Primavera Sound festival May 29).
Stars
The Clean Lyrics
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Yeah, sun's shining all of the time
Time, time, time, time, time
And sometimes I'm all on my own
Sometimes I'm all on my own
Time, time, time, time, time
If I took a page from your book
It's gonna be page number nine
Time, time, time, time, time, time, time, time
Time, time, time, time
Sun's shining all of the time
Sun's shining all of the time
Time, time, time, time, time, time, time, time, time, time, time, time, time
The Clean's song "Stars" is a classic indie rock song that captures both the joy and the loneliness of life. The repetition of the lyrics "time, time, time" throughout the song creates a sense of the passing of time, which is both constant and fleeting. This theme of time is further explored in the opening lyrics, "There's sun shining all of the time," which suggests that life is a never-ending cycle of light and dark, good and bad, and that we must learn to embrace both.
The second verse, "sometimes I'm all on my own," explores the loneliness that inevitably comes with being alive. However, the following line, "If I took a page from your book, it's gonna be page number nine," suggests that there is always hope and inspiration to be found from others. The repetition of the phrase "time, time, time" at the end emphasizes how important it is to make the most of the time we have and to learn from those who have come before us.
Overall, The Clean's "Stars" is a reflective and insightful song that elegantly captures the passage of time, the joy of life, and the necessity of both solitude and companionship.
Line by Line Meaning
There's sun shining all of the time
The world is full of light and positivity
Yeah, sun's shining all of the time
This is a repeated affirmation of the previous line
Time, time, time, time, time
Time is a recurring theme and often feels like it passes quickly
And sometimes I'm all on my own
Despite the constant presence of light, loneliness is still a possibility
Sometimes I'm all on my own
This is a repeated affirmation of the previous line
If I took a page from your book
Looking to someone else's example for guidance or inspiration
It's gonna be page number nine
A specific page is being referenced, suggesting a particular source of inspiration
Sun's shining all of the time
This line is repeated and reinforces the sense of positivity
Time, time, time, time, time, time, time, time
Time is a recurring theme and often feels like it passes quickly
Time, time, time, time
This line is repeated and reinforces the sense of time passing
Contributed by Cooper R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.