Big Star is often cited as a prime example of power pop. Drawing upon pop music traditions — especially The Beatles, The Byrds, The Kinks, The Zombies, Badfinger, The Who, Moby Grape, The Beach Boys and Free — Big Star's music was lyrical, powerful, and at times melancholic pop for the post-1960s generation. Their approach not only recalled the British Invasion groups but the spare, relaxed style of Stax Records, the Memphis soul label, as well as the edgy rockabilly of early Sun Records. In an era of singer-songwriters and heavy-metal groups, they played melodic, concisely written songs. Their reputation, negligible in 1974 beyond a small coterie of admirers, has steadily grown, and they are today considered one of pop's classic groups.
Big Star was formed in 1971 in Memphis, Tennessee, United States by guitarist/vocalist Chris Bell, bassist Andy Hummel, drummer Jody Stephens, and guitarist/vocalist Alex Chilton. All four at times contributed to the songwriting and lead vocals, with Chilton and Bell singing and writing the majority of the early songs as a team modeled after Lennon and McCartney's collaborative style. Chilton, a former teen pop idol, and Bell had a musically fruitful but difficult relationship. The band's first two albums had a string of great reviews but sold almost nothing, not helped by Stax's struggle to know how to sell a bunch of white guys playing retro rock. The failure to break through was a huge blow to Chilton and Bell, and their relationship deteriorated, and by the time their third album Third/Sister Lovers came around, Bell had left to pursue a solo career that was cut short by his untimely death.
Chilton and Stephens have toured since 1993 under the Big Star name with Jon Auer and Ken Stringfellow of The Posies in the band. This lineup released the album In Space in 2005.
After the EP Live Tribute to Alex Chilton was released in June 2011, Stephens wrote on the Ardent blog that the tribute performance in May 2010 was the last performance for Big Star as a band.
On March 17th, 2010, Alex Chilton passed away in a New Orleans hospital at the age of 59. Big Star was scheduled to play at SXSW that week. Andy Hummel died of cancer in Weatherford, Texas, on 19 July 2010 .
Big Star has gained more recent exposure with bands like Superdrag, Weezer, R.E.M., The Replacements, Primal Scream, the Posies, Bill Lloyd and the dB's citing them as an influence. Three of Big Star’s albums, Radio City, #1 Record, and Third/Sister Lovers were included in Rolling Stone magazine’s "500 Greatest Albums of All Time" in 2003.
Big Star's biggest champions have been Teenage Fanclub who have been involved in re-issuing some of their work and even named one of their albums after one Big Star's most affecting songs, "thirteen". It was a song covered live on occasion by Elliott Smith who was clearly influenced by Chilton's vocal style (the similarities in the higher vocal register are notable there and on Give Me Another Chance and I'm in Love with a Girl). The Bangles also scored a hit in the 80s with their cover of "September Gurls". Cheap Trick have recorded several covers of "In The Street" for use as the theme song for the sitcom That '70s Show.
Paul Westerberg wrote and recorded ( with his band, The Replacements) the song "Alex Chilton", which contains the line, "I never travel far, without a little Big Star." Westerberg lists Chilton as one of his greatest influences, and has covered "September Gurls" live, both solo and with his band.
Big Black Car
Big Star Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Nothing can go wrong
I'm going and I don't know how far
So, so long.
Maybe I'll sleep in a Holiday Inn
Nothing can hurt me
Nothing can touch me
Why should I care?
It ain't gonna last.
Sunny day, highway
If it rains it's all the same.
I can't feel a thing
I can't feel a thing
I've got a big black car.
Nothing can hurt me
Nothing can touch me
Why should I care?
Driving's a gas
It ain't gonna last.
The lights above, oh yes.
I see the stars above
The lyrics to Big Star's song "Big Black Car" are about the freedom and sense of invincibility that driving can provide. The singer is driving alone in his big black car, feeling as if nothing can go wrong and that he is invincible. He contemplates sleeping in a Holiday Inn and not caring about anything that might hurt him or touch him. The act of driving is a gas to him, and he is enjoying the freedom he feels as he cruises down the highway.
The song seems to suggest that this feeling won't last forever and that the singer is aware of this. He knows that eventually, he will have to face the realities of life and that the sense of invincibility he feels while driving won't be enough to protect him from everything. However, for the moment, he is enjoying the feeling of being alive and free.
Line by Line Meaning
Driving in my big black car
I am in control of my life and I'm cruising through it smoothly without any worries or doubts.
Nothing can go wrong
I feel invincible and nothing can disrupt my carefree lifestyle.
I'm going and I don't know how far
I'm living in the moment and I don't care about the future.
So, so long.
I'm leaving everything and everyone behind, not looking back and moving on.
Maybe I'll sleep in a Holiday Inn
I'm not tied down to anything and I'm open to any opportunity that comes my way.
Nothing can hurt me
I'm shielded from any pain or harm because of my aloofness and detachment.
Nothing can touch me
I'm emotionally unavailable and numb to any feelings or connections.
Why should I care?
I'm nonchalant and indifferent towards anything that doesn't concern me directly.
Driving's a gas
I enjoy the thrill of driving and the freedom it represents.
It ain't gonna last.
I'm aware that my carefree lifestyle is finite and won't last forever.
Sunny day, highway
I'm optimistic and positive about the present moment and the journey I'm on.
If it rains it's all the same.
I'm indifferent to any change or challenge that might arise in my life.
I can't feel a thing
I'm emotionally numb and I don't allow myself to feel anything deeply.
I've got a big black car.
My car represents my escapism and the shield I use to shield myself from the world.
The lights above, oh yes.
I'm in awe of the beauty of the night sky and the vastness of the universe.
I see the stars above
I'm now embracing the wonder of nature and appreciating the universe.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Chris Gage, William Chilton
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind