After a solo tour in the fall of 2003, Alexakis decided to continue with Everclear, organizing a new band that made its debut in March of 2004. The new lineup consisted of bass player Sam Hudson, guitarist Dave French, and drummer Eric Bretl. In the summer of 2004, the band added keyboard player Josh Crawley, and swapped Bretl for former Everclear drum tech Brett Snyder. The new lineup released its first recording, a cover of Woody Guthrie's This Land Is Your Land, that summer. A self-released EP of performances recorded for XM Satellite Radio called Closure was given out at shows in the fall of 2004.
Free of a major label, Alexakis spent the ensuing year and half slowly recording material for a new Everclear release. He admitted that the time after the breakup of the original lineup served as a "wake up call", during which he suffered his third divorce and a filing for bankruptcy. Alexakis announced the completion of the album in early 2006,titled Welcome To The Drama Club. The new band is now on Eleven Seven Music.
In August of 2008, drummer Brett Snyder left the band after four years. He was then replaced by Tommy Stewart, who previously played in bands Fuel and Godsmack.
Pale Green Stars
Everclear Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She's got pale green stars in her room
Right above her bed
Put them on the ceiling
Leave on the light
When the sun goes down then the stars might shine
Shining in the dark
Skinny little girl in her room alone
If you can call it a home
Doesn't want to be like anybody else
When no one is around she talks to herself
I can hear her in the night
Hey, hey yeah
It's hard on a girl
When the blood won't come when it ought to come
It's hard on a girl
When you try to walk around on the shaky ground
Hey, hey
Daddy's going away
Scared little girl watching Aladdin on TV
Amanda always cries when you yell at me
Yeah, please don't yell at me
Climb up all the stairs
Close the door
Doesn't want to hear us fighting anymore
Yeah, better call it a day
Hey, hey yeah
It's hard on a young girl
She thinks it's all her fault when it all goes wrong
It's hard on a grown man too
See my baby crying at the window calling out my name
Hey, hey
Daddy's going away
She's got pale green stars in her room
The song "Pale Green Stars" by Everclear is a poignant and melancholic reflection on family dysfunction, loneliness, and the hardships faced by young women. The lyrics describe Amanda, a skinny, pale girl who has decorated her room with pale green stars and talks to herself when no one is around. Her home life is tense and stressful, with her father leaving and her parents fighting in front of her. Amanda finds solace in the moon and the stars, creating her own little sanctuary in her room.
The chorus of the song speaks to the universal difficulties faced by women, particularly in dealing with their bodies and the expectations placed upon them. The line "It's hard on a girl when the blood won't come when it ought to come" alludes to the struggles of menstrual cycles and fertility, while the line "When you try to walk around on the shaky ground" speaks to the challenge of navigating a world that doesn't always value or respect young women.
Overall, "Pale Green Stars" is a haunting and evocative portrayal of a young woman's struggles with family, identity, and growing up.
Line by Line Meaning
Amanda is in love with the sight of the moon
Amanda is deeply fascinated by the moon and loves to gaze at it.
She's got pale green stars in her room
Amanda has put up pale green stars on her bedroom ceiling as a decoration.
Right above her bed
The stars are positioned directly above Amanda's bed.
Put them on the ceiling
Amanda affixed the stars to her ceiling.
Leave on the light
Amanda keeps a light on, even when she goes to bed.
When the sun goes down then the stars might shine
The stars will only be visible when it gets dark outside and the lights are turned off.
Shining in the dark
The stars give off a dim glow in the darkness of Amanda's bedroom.
Skinny little girl in her room alone
Amanda is a slender girl who often spends time alone in her room.
She's got hell to spare in her home
Amanda's home life is challenging, and she has more than enough problems to deal with.
If you can call it a home
Amanda's living situation is uncertain, to say the least.
Doesn't want to be like anybody else
Amanda doesn't want to conform to society's norms or emulate anyone else.
When no one is around she talks to herself
Amanda engages in self-talk when she's alone.
I can hear her in the night
Amanda's talking to herself can sometimes be heard by others when it's quiet at night.
Hey, hey yeah
This is a repeated refrain in the song with no specific meaning.
It's hard on a girl
When the blood won't come when it ought to come
Amanda is struggling with a menstrual cycle that is irregular, causing stress and frustration.
It's hard on a girl
When you try to walk around on the shaky ground
Amanda feels like her life is shaky and uncertain, which is stressful and hard to navigate.
Daddy's going away
Amanda's father is leaving, causing distress and uncertainty in her life.
Scared little girl watching Aladdin on TV
Amanda is watching the movie Aladdin and feels scared and vulnerable.
Amanda always cries when you yell at me
Yeah, please don't yell at me
Amanda is sensitive to getting yelled at and cries when it happens, asking that others not do it anymore.
Climb up all the stairs
Close the door
Amanda goes up to her bedroom to escape the noise and disturbance of others in the house, closing the door to try to muffle the sounds.
Doesn't want to hear us fighting anymore
Yeah, better call it a day
Amanda is tired of hearing her family fight and suggests that they stop arguing and move on.
She thinks it's all her fault when it all goes wrong
Amanda has a tendency to blame herself when things go wrong, which makes her feel guilty and burdened.
It's hard on a grown man too
See my baby crying at the window calling out my name
Amanda's dad is also struggling with the separation from his family, and Amanda can see his pain when he looks in through her window.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ART ALEXAKIS, CRAIG MONTOYA, GREG EKLUND
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind