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.
Holocaust
Big Star Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Can't get out of bed
And you can't sleep
You're sitting down to dress
And you're a mess
You look in the mirror
You look in your eyes
Say you realize
Leaving those who fall behind
Everybody goes
As far as they can,
They don't just care.
They stood on the stairs
Laughing at your errors
Your mother's dead
She said, "Don't be afraid."
Your mother's dead
You're on your own
She's in her bed
Everybody goes
Leaving those who fall behind
Everybody goes
As far as they can
They don't just care
You're a wasted face
You're a sad-eyed lie
You're a holocaust.
The lyrics to Big Star's song "Holocaust" are haunting and introspective. In the first verse, the singer describes the sleeplessness and lethargy that often accompany depression. They continue to paint a picture of a person who is struggling to function, sitting down to dress and looking into the mirror to confront their own reflection. The second verse takes a dark turn, referencing the laughing of those who mock the singer's mistakes and the loss of their mother. The final line of the song ties everything together in a powerful and harrowing way, with the singer declaring the singer to be "a wasted face / a sad-eyed lie / a holocaust."
On the surface, these lyrics may seem bleak and hopeless. However, there is also a sense of resilience and determination that runs throughout the song. Despite the pain and isolation that the singer is experiencing, they continue to move forward, even as others "leave those who fall behind". The repeated refrain of "everybody goes" highlights the ways in which we are all ultimately alone in our struggles, but also implies a sense of shared experience and common humanity.
Overall, "Holocaust" is a powerful and emotional song that confronts difficult truths about human suffering, resilience, and mortality.
Line by Line Meaning
Your eyes are almost dead
You are mentally and emotionally exhausted, drained to the point of near extinction.
Can't get out of bed
You lack the will and energy to perform the simplest of actions, like getting out of bed.
And you can't sleep
Your mind is preoccupied with anxieties, worries, and despair, making it impossible to rest.
You're sitting down to dress
You cannot even stand long enough to dress yourself, leaving you to aimlessly spend more time in your bed.
And you're a mess
Your life is a chaotic mess, it's how you feel inside and out.
You look in the mirror
You see your own reflection, but it's not the one you wish to see.
You look in your eyes
You look deeper into your soul, searching for some answers and finding only emptiness.
Say you realize
You finally understand the gravity of your situation, the depth of your misery; you are unable to escape.
Everybody goes
Everyone must face their own challenges and battles, no matter what they entail.
Leaving those who fall behind
People move forward and progress, but some are left behind because they are unable to catch up due to issues beyond their control.
As far as they can, They don't just care.
People will do what they can, but ultimately they will not be as invested in your struggles as you are.
They stood on the stairs, Laughing at your errors
Others will poke fun at your mistakes and shortcomings, which seems cruel, but it's how people are.
Your mother's dead
The one person who loved and protected you in this world is gone.
She said, "Don't be afraid."
The last thing she spoke to you was a message of courage and optimism.
You're on your own
Despite the challenges facing you, no one else will come to rescue you; you need to face them alone.
She's in her bed
Your mother has found her eternal rest, while you are still tormented by the trials of life.
You're a wasted face
You have given up trying to look presentable, your expression tells the entire story-- one of despair, hopelessness, and resignation.
You're a sad-eyed lie
Your eyes reflect a reality different than what you portray or pretend to feel.
You're a holocaust.
Your soul and your spirit have died, leaving behind a shell of what you once were; a pitiable and painful existence.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: William Chilton
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind