Friedberger grew up singing with her grandmother, Olga Sarantos, and family in a Greek Orthodox Church.
On July 12, 2011, Merge Records released Friedberger's first solo album, Last Summer.
The Spoon song "Anything You Want" and the Franz Ferdinand song "Eleanor Put Your Boots On" were both written about Friedberger.
She released her second album, Personal Record, on 4 June 2013.
Stare at the Sun
Eleanor Friedberger Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And read me a book on your phone
Here’s the return of your skeleton key
Oh baby, the places we’ve gone
If that was goodbye then I must be high
You know I’ll be seeing you soon
If that was goodbye then the snow in July
Give me your toothpaste, give me your ointment
Give me your body and then
Keep this in amber, keep our appointment
Remember the things that we said
If that was goodbye then I must be high
You must be the sugar I need
If that was goodbye then I am a fly
And the future’s guaranteed
‘Cause when I’m with you, everything’s treasure
I forget what it’s like to be gone
I’m far from the town, in the suburbs of your pleasure
I’ve been in exile so long
I’ll try not to stare at the sun, oh,
I’ll try not to stare at the sun
I’ll try not to stare at the sun
Go out and get coffee and synchronize showers
I try not to look at the clock
Goodbye to your castle, wave from the tower
And drop me a light from the dark
If that was goodbye then you must be high
And maybe I’m loosing a thread
If that was goodbye then the sea has run dry
So I’ll fill it with tears instead
‘Cause when I’m with you, everything’s treasure
I forget what it’s like to be gone
I’m far from the town, in the suburbs of your pleasure
I’ve been in exile so long
I’ll try not to stare at the sun
I’ll try not to stare at the sun
I’ll try not to stare at the sun
‘Cause when I’m with you, everything’s treasure
I forget what it’s like to be gone
I’m far from the town, in the suburbs of your pleasure
I’ve been in exile so long
I’ll try not to stare at the sun
I’ll try not to stare at the sun
I’ll try not to stare at the sun
The lyrics of Eleanor Friedberger's song Stare at the Sun seem to be about the end of a relationship, but the singer is not yet ready to let go. The lyrics are full of mixed emotions where the singer is trying to hold everything together. In the first verse, the singer is in a cab, and the singer turns off the TV to read a book on her phone. The conversation is awkward, and there seems to be an underlying sadness that is not being voiced. The singer reflects on how they have been far from the town, in the suburbs of their pleasure and in exile for so long. They seem to have a close and intimate relationship, which is what the singer cherishes, and they are not ready to let go of it.
The chorus, "If that was goodbye then I must be high" expresses how she is not ready to accept that it’s the end, and she's in a state of disbelief, trying to pretend that everything is perfect. The second verse talks about how they live together, and the singer asks for their partner's toothpaste, ointment, and body. The singer wants to freeze this moment in time forever, even if the relationship is about to end. The song ends with the singer trying not to stare at the sun, which is a metaphor for not wanting to let go of good times and memories.
Overall, the lyrics suggest a sense of longing, pain, love, and loss. The song portrays how hard it is to come to terms with giving up on a relationship, even when it's clear it's over.
Line by Line Meaning
In the back of the taxi you turned off the TV
We were in the back of a taxi and you turned off the TV so you could read me a book on your phone
And read me a book on your phone
Instead of watching TV, you read me a book on your phone
Here’s the return of your skeleton key
I'm giving you back the key to my heart
Oh baby, the places we’ve gone
I'm reminiscing about all the places we've been together
If that was goodbye then I must be high
If you really left me, I'd be in a state of disbelief
You know I’ll be seeing you soon
I'm confident that we won't really say goodbye, as we will see each other again soon
If that was goodbye then the snow in July
If you left me, it would feel like the impossible happening
Is handed in the middle of June
It would feel like something happened out of its normal time frame
Give me your toothpaste, give me your ointment
I want all of your belongings to have a piece of you with me
Give me your body and then
I want to be close to you and feel your presence
Keep this in amber, keep our appointment
I want to preserve our relationship and keep all of our promises to each other
Remember the things that we said
I want you to keep every word that we said to each other in your heart
You must be the sugar I need
I need you in my life like sugar to my tea or coffee
If that was goodbye then I am a fly
I'm insignificant if you leave, much like a fly that comes and goes without anyone noticing
And the future’s guaranteed
I'm confident that our future together is guaranteed because of the strength of our love
'Cause when I’m with you, everything’s treasure
I feel like everything is meaningful and valuable when we are together
I forget what it’s like to be gone
When we're together, I forget what it's like to be away from you
I’m far from the town, in the suburbs of your pleasure
I'm happy to be with you, in your own little world where we can enjoy each other's company
I’ve been in exile so long
I've been without you for so long, it feels like being in exile
I’ll try not to stare at the sun, oh,
I'll try not to get too caught up in the moment and get hurt
Go out and get coffee and synchronize showers
Let's go get coffee and do everything together
I try not to look at the clock
I don't want to think about time passing without you
Goodbye to your castle, wave from the tower
Saying goodbye to you is like saying goodbye to a royalty, but I'll still wave and smile
And drop me a light from the dark
Give me a sign that you are still with me, even in the darkness
And maybe I’m loosing a thread
Maybe I'm losing connection with you and our relationship is slowly unraveling
If that was goodbye then the sea has run dry
If you left me, it would feel like something as impossible as the sea running dry
So I’ll fill it with tears instead
I'll cry and mourn for our lost love
I’ll try not to stare at the sun
I'll try not to get too caught up in the moment and get hurt
I’ll try not to stare at the sun
I'll try not to get too caught up in the moment and get hurt
I’ll try not to stare at the sun
I'll try not to get too caught up in the moment and get hurt
Writer(s): John Wesley Harding, Eleanor Friedberger
Contributed by Alex F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Chris Breslaw
I really love Eleanor voice.
Insect Politics
she has the best voice, I can listen to her all day
Fred Leal
i've watched this over 20 times this morning because of her. the music is good too. but she is beautiful.
rickterpaul
Great song. Can't wait for the new album. Plus, now I know how to play air guitar in ASL.
The Beacon
I knew I liked this before I even clicked play. I like the upbeat fast paced style of it. Wicked :)
Leonardo Bravo Vergara
Buen segundo disco el primero fue increible...
T Walsh
she's seriously talented. The first tune on the new record is amazing. and i probably love her. and her legs.
Teona
Very beautiful !
Blake Edwards
Finally nostalgic for the days when we weren't so nostalgic.
TKSF78
LOVE Eleanor!