Big Star is often cited as a prime example of power pop. Drawing upon pop music traditions โ especially The Beatles, The Byrds, The Kinks, The Zombies, Badfinger, The Who, Moby Grape, The Beach Boys and Free โ 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 Starโs albums, Radio City, #1 Record, and Third/Sister Lovers were included in Rolling Stone magazineโs "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.
Dream Lover
Big Star Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I'm never gonna let you go
And there's no other
Could look as good as you right now
And you shine like ice
And glare your eyes
Won't those daydreams come true
On Beale Street Green
You're real, so real
Seen twixt me and you
And I wake up and shiver
A lonely quiver
And I don't know where to look
Dream lover
Dream, you're a dream lover
Play it for me guitarist.
In "Dream Lover" by Big Star, the singer expresses their deep and unwavering love for someone who they see as the perfect dream lover. They vow to never let go of them and claim that no one else could compare to their beauty in the present moment. The dream lover is described as shining like ice and having a mesmerizing gaze that captures the singer's heart. The singer wishes for their daydreams to come true on Beale Street Green, a location that represents a place of solace and happiness. The singer acknowledges the reality of their love for the dream lover, and emphasizes that it is tangible and not just a product of their imagination. However, despite the singer's deep love, there is a sense of loneliness in their voice, a shivering feeling of uncertainty and insecurity that they cannot shake.
The song is full of vivid imagery and metaphors that evoke the intense emotions and yearning of the singer. The dream lover represents not just someone they desire, but a symbol of a perfect, unattainable reality. The song captures the feelings of love, desire, and the sadness that often accompanies it. Overall, "Dream Lover" is a poignant and introspective love song that speaks to the universal experience of yearning for something beyond our grasp.
Line by Line Meaning
You're a dream lover
You are the love of my dreams
And I'm never gonna let you go
I will never let you leave my side
And there's no other
No one else can compare to you
Could look as good as you right now
No one else could look as attractive as you do currently
And you shine like ice
You are shining bright like a diamond
And glare your eyes
Your eyes are sparkling with brightness
Won't those daydreams come true
I hope my daydreams about you become a reality
On Beale Street Green
In a specific place called Beale Street Green
My wishes visualized
My hopes are becoming a reality
You're real, so real
You are real and not just in my dreams
Seen twixt me and you
Something special exists between you and me
And I wake up and shiver
I wake up feeling scared and anxious
A lonely quiver
A feeling of loneliness and tremble
And I don't know where to look
I am lost and do not know what to do
Dream lover
My ideal romantic partner
Dream, you're a dream lover
You are the manifestation of my ideal romantic partner
Lyrics ยฉ CARLIN AMERICA INC, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Bobby Darin
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind