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.
You And Your Sister
Big Star Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But you don't know how real it feels
All I want to do
Is to spend some time with you
So I can hold you, hold you
Your sister says that I'm no good
I'd reassure her if I could
All I want to do
So I can hold you, hold you
Plans fail every day
I want to hear you say
Your love won't be leaving (Run run, run run)
Your eyes ain't deceiving (Run run, run run)
Fears will soon fade away
Smile now, don't be afraid
All I want to do
Is to spend some time with you
So I can hold you, hold you
And let me whisper in your ear
Don't you worry, they can't hear
All I want to do
Is to spend some time with you
So I can hold you
The lyrics to Big Star's "You and Your Sister" tell the story of a narrator who is desperately in love with someone, despite the objections of their sister. The singer acknowledges that many people doubt the authenticity of their love, but they feel it deeply and long to spend time with the object of their affection. The sister disapproves of the singer, but the singer wants to reassure their love and hold them close. The singer tries to persuade the object of their love to ignore fear and doubt, insisting that their love is real and won't fade away. The singer even whispers to the object of their love, promising that they can keep their love affair a secret.
This song is open to interpretation, but it seems to be about a love affair that is plagued by social and familial disapproval. The singer is trying to convince the object of their affection to take a chance on love, despite the obstacles they face. The song is poignant in its honesty and vulnerability, and the theme of forbidden love feels universal.
Line by Line Meaning
They say my love for you ain't real
People doubt the genuineness of my love for you
But you don't know how real it feels
Only you can truly understand the authenticity of my love for you
All I want to do
My desire and my singular aim is
Is to spend some time with you
To be able to be in your company without any distractions
So I can hold you, hold you
And have the opportunity to hold you close to me
Your sister says that I'm no good
Your sister has a negative perception of me
I'd reassure her if I could
I wish I had the chance to convince her otherwise
Plans fail every day
Many of our plans don't always come to fruition
I want to hear you say
I long to hear you affirm
Your love won't be leaving (Run run, run run)
That you won't abandon me and our relationship (as if to emphasize it with urgency)
Your eyes ain't deceiving (Run run, run run)
That what I see and feel for you is real and not illusory (as if to emphasize it with urgency)
Fears will soon fade away
There is hope that things that make us anxious will soon disappear
Smile now, don't be afraid
In the meantime, let's try to be happy and not worry too much
And let me whisper in your ear
And allow me to speak softly to you
Don't you worry, they can't hear
Reassuring you that nobody else is listening to our private conversation
All I want to do
Again, reminding you of my deepest desire
Is to spend some time with you
To be able to spend more quality time with you
So I can hold you
So that I can hold you close to me (repeating the chorus to emphasize its significance)
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: CHRISTOPHER HAMILTON BELL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@midoriichii1625
They say my love for you ain't real
But you don't know how real it feels
All I want to do
Is to spend some time with you
So I can hold you, hold you
Your sister says that I'm no good
I'd reassure her if I could
All I want to do
Is to spend some time with you
So I can hold you, hold you
Plans fail every day
I want to hear you say
Your love won't be leaving (Run run, run run)
Your eyes ain't deceiving (Run run, run run)
Fears will soon fade away
Smile now, don't be afraid
All I want to do
Is to spend some time with you
So I can hold you, hold you
And let me whisper in your ear
Don't you worry, they can't hear
All I want to do
Is to spend some time with you
So I can hold you
@keithplunk6611
It's amazing to me how such beautiful, gentle, heartfelt and incredibly written, as well as superbly performed and engineered music never reached the masses. I feel blessed to have known and lived in the shadows of it's greatness. Thankyou guys for being true to your heart. Your music will never need an award or airplay to absolutely be the best. Not to mention everything else tune wise. Outstanding!!!
@beans7831
The harmonies between chris and alex in this song are among the best sounds ever heard
@robison5396
This is one of the most achingly beautiful songs ever written
@midoriichii1625
They say my love for you ain't real
But you don't know how real it feels
All I want to do
Is to spend some time with you
So I can hold you, hold you
Your sister says that I'm no good
I'd reassure her if I could
All I want to do
Is to spend some time with you
So I can hold you, hold you
Plans fail every day
I want to hear you say
Your love won't be leaving (Run run, run run)
Your eyes ain't deceiving (Run run, run run)
Fears will soon fade away
Smile now, don't be afraid
All I want to do
Is to spend some time with you
So I can hold you, hold you
And let me whisper in your ear
Don't you worry, they can't hear
All I want to do
Is to spend some time with you
So I can hold you
@MrJaybo1960
I am obsessed with Big Star and in particular Chris Bell..He throws all he has into his songs and his voice makes that clear. His songs rival Brian Wilsons sadness and melancholy. On Big Star Number 1 Record, the background vocal arrangements, all over the album, are stellar..Wish there were more ( in fact any) video performances of Chris Bell era Big Star.
@mickjimenez94
+Jay Harris Yeah, me too. It would've been really nice to have footage of him performing live. But as far as I know he was reluctant to go touring, so I doubt there's live footage of the Bell-era Big Star.
@MrUfojunkiedavid
He was the Big Star sound
@rothr
Me too; the "Thank You Friends" video is the closest we can get to them, I think.
@jaredbirden3953
#1 hands down the best
@JulieDodgshon
I love Chris Bell and this song is adorable, innocent and brilliant. Its like a "sister" song to "Thirteen". Everytime I hear it I cant help feeling a bit sad that he lived such a short time, but he created some timeless music that will go on forever. Ditto Alex, miss you......