Originally formed in 1997 for Easy Star Records’ first recordings, the All-Stars primarily existed as a studio entity until releasing Dub Side of the Moon. The success of that album led to the formation of a touring version of the collective. The core of the touring line-up has remained relatively intact, including Ras Iray (bass/vocals), Junior Jazz (guitar/vocals), Ive-09 (drums) and Jeremy Mage (keyboards) in the rhythm section. Tamar-kali and Menny More provide additional lead and backing vocals, while the group is filled out by the Chronic Horns (Jennifer Hill on saxophone & flute and Buford O’Sullivan on trombone). The band is always mixed live by a dub engineer, usually Marcos Ferrari or Jocko Randall (of John Brown’s Body). Other members of the musical collective, such as Victor Rice (Victor Rice Octet, Version City All-Stars and bassist on Dub Side of the Moon), reggae legend Ranking Joe, trumpet player Pam Fleming (of the Burning Brass), singers Kirsty Rock (of Trumystic) and Stephanie McKay, Groove Collective’s Jay Rodriguez, Antibalas’s Stuart Bogie, John Brown Body’s Josh Driscoll, and even Ticklah and Michael G join the All-Stars on specific gigs, adding their abilities to the already talented ensemble.
The Easy Star All-Stars—in any combination of members—have been a resounding success. The band has played at numerous major festivals or headlined their own shows in the U.S., U.K., France, Italy, Chile, Poland, Turkey, Mexico, Argentina, Israel, Croatia, Ireland, Egypt, Brazil, and beyond.
As individuals, the band’s vocalists and instrumentalists have toured and recorded with Burning Spear, Toots and the Maytals, Jimmy Cliff, Gil Scott-Heron, The Toasters, The Meditations, Bernie Worrell, DJ Logic, MC Solaar, King Django, Antibalas, The Scofflaws, Diana King, Dennis Brown, Monty Alexander, Sister Carol, and many others. Each of these musicians gets a chance to shine in the typical Easy Star set, whether it is through soloing, composing, or singing, or simply through playing an essential part in this tight-knit collective. Each line-up may result in slightly different sounds for this unique reggae band, but regardless of who plays, the one thing that never changes is that the Easy Star All-Stars deliver a fun, exciting, and different show every time out.
Subterranean Homesick Alien
Easy Star All-Stars Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The smell of the warm summer air
I live in a town where you can't smell a thing
You watch your feet for cracks in the pavement
Up above, aliens hover
Making home movies for the folks back home
Of all these weird creatures who lock up their spirits
They're all uptight, uptight
They're all uptight, uptight
Uptight, uptight
I wish that they'd swoop down in a country lane
Late at night when I'm driving
Take me on board of their beautiful ship
Show me the world as I'd love to see it
I'd tell all my friends but they'd never believe me
They'd think that I'd finally lost it completely
I'd show them the stars and the meaning of life
They'd shut me away, but I'll be alright, alright
I'm just uptight, uptight
I'm just uptight, uptight
Uptight, uptight
I'm just uptight, uptight
Just uptight
Uptight
The Easy Star All-Stars' song "Subterranean Homesick Alien" is about feeling disconnected and alienated from the world around you. The song starts by describing the feeling of forgetting the simple things in nature, like the breath of the morning and the smell of warm summer air. The singer mentions living in a town where they can't smell anything and must watch their feet for cracks in the pavement, creating a sense of isolation from their environment.
The chorus introduces the idea of aliens hovering above, making home movies of the strange creatures they see below. The singer observes that these beings are so locked up in themselves that they drill holes in themselves to uncover their secrets. The repetition of "they're all uptight" emphasizes the idea that these creatures are so consumed by their own inner worlds that they can't connect with others.
The song's bridge is a dream of being taken away by these aliens, to be shown a world that the singer would love to see, one that's full of wonder and meaning. But the singer feels that if they shared this experience with others, they'd be dismissed and labeled as crazy, unable to communicate their experience with others. The repetition of "I'm just uptight" underscores the sense of being closed off from the world and unable to express oneself.
Overall, "Subterranean Homesick Alien" is a meditation on the feeling of being disconnected from the world and the struggle to communicate with others when one's experiences feel alienating.
Line by Line Meaning
The breath of the morning I keep forgetting
I often forget to take in and appreciate the freshness and vitality of each new day.
The smell of the warm summer air
The fragrance of the air in summertime is notable and memorable.
I live in a town where you can't smell a thing
The place I reside lacks any distinct aromas or smells.
You watch your feet for cracks in the pavement
In this town, one must be constantly aware of their surroundings and potential hazards.
Up above, aliens hover
In the sky, extraterrestrial beings fly close by.
Making home movies for the folks back home
The aliens capture footage to bring back to their homeland.
Of all these weird creatures who lock up their spirits
The aliens note the odd behavior of humans, who hide their innermost selves from others.
Drill holes in themselves and live for their secrets
People seemingly enjoy keeping secrets about themselves and will even harm themselves to keep them hidden.
They're all uptight, uptight
Humans are tense and anxious.
They're all uptight, uptight
Humans are tense and anxious.
Uptight, uptight
Humans are tense and anxious.
I wish that they'd swoop down in a country lane
It would be exciting if aliens were to suddenly appear in a rural area.
Late at night when I'm driving
Specifically, it would be thrilling if it occurred while I was traveling at night.
Take me on board of their beautiful ship
I want to go for a ride on their attractive spacecraft.
Show me the world as I'd love to see it
The aliens would reveal to me an exciting and wondrous new way of life.
I'd tell all my friends but they'd never believe me
Although I would share this incredible experience with acquaintances, they likely would not trust me.
They'd think that I'd finally lost it completely
Others would doubt my mental stability and sanity.
I'd show them the stars and the meaning of life
If only they could see what I have seen, they would understand the grandeur of the universe and the essence of existence.
They'd shut me away, but I'll be alright, alright
Even if others do not believe me, I am comfortable with my experience and its validity.
I'm just uptight, uptight
I am also anxious and tense like other humans.
I'm just uptight, uptight
I am also anxious and tense like other humans.
Uptight, uptight
I am also anxious and tense like other humans.
Just uptight
I am simply an uptight person.
Uptight
I am uptight.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Colin Charles Greenwood, Edward John O'Brien, Jonathan Richard Guy Greenwood, Philip James Selway, Thomas Edward Yorke
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind