Her first album "Pinwheels" was recorded shortly after her high school graduation. During a 1 1/2 year stint as a student at Ole Miss, Starr met and forged a friendship with fellow artist and producer Neilson Hubbard. To this day, Starr and Hubbard frequently collaborate. Her second release, the 7 track EP "Stupid Girl" references her experiences there which were not always pleasant.
Garrison was signed to Geffen Records who released her first major label album "18 Over Me" in 1997. "18 Over Me" includes the song "Superhero" which is her most well known song to date, it has appeared on several compilations including "Live at World Cafe" and CMJ magazine's sampler. Garrison re-recorded "Superhero" for her 3rd major release 2005's "Airstreams & Satellites". It also includes a faster version of "Molly" which originally appeared on the "Stupid Girl" EP. On both versions producer Neilson Hubbard sings back-up vocals. "18 Over Me" is currently out of print and can only be purchased used. Garrison occasionally has copies at her live performances, but currently Geffen owns the rights to it so she cannot re-release it.
On the moderate success of "18 Over Me" Garrison was invited to play on the highly successful all female festival tour Lilith Fair created by Sarah McLachlan. Starr left the deep south for Los Angeles in the mid 1990s. There was a huge gap between the release of "18 Over Me" (1997) and "Songs From Take-Off To Landing" (2004) because Garrison (along with many other artists) was dropped from the Geffen roster. Garrison recorded several demos of songs that would eventually become part of "Take-Off" those were never officially released and in the years between those recordings & the release of "Take-Off" the songs evolved and changed significantly. Between these releases Garrison released "24/7" an EP of live & acoustic versions of songs from "18 Over Me" as well as a cover of the Rolling Stone's "Taxman" and a previously unreleased song "Simple Theme". Also during this time Garrison released "Something To Hold You Over" for devoted fans who were asking for new recordings.
In Los Angeles she gained inspiration for two albums, "Songs From Take-Off To Landing" (which was finally released in February 2004) and "Airstreams and Satellites" (October 2005). "Airstreams" includes a hidden track in which Garrison makes her first definitive reference to being a lesbian. She has toured with the likes of Melissa Etheridge, Steve Earle, Melissa Ferrick and Mary Chapin-Carpenter.
In 2005, Starr returned to the south, more specifically, Nashville, Tenn., where she completed her most recent album, "The Sound of You and Me" (March 2006). Released by Vanguard Records it includes a fellow Vanguard artist Mindy Smith on background vocals for track "Kansas City, KS".
Starr's song "Superhero" was featured during ABC-TVs coverage of the Women's World Cup Soccer in 1999. More recently, Starr's "Beautiful in Los Angeles" was the featured song on the season one finale of MTVs original program "The Hills" (2006).
Starr is currently working on her next album, a greatest hits cd for which she asked fans to vote for their top 10 favorite songs. In early 2007 she released a statement that she is recording the songs that received the most votes and that the cd will be available at her Los Angeles shows in late January 2007. Garrison put that cd online for purchase on her official website www.garrisonstarr.com in March 2007.
Garrison's new album "The Girl That Killed September" will be released on October 18, 2007 on Media Creature. Available Online for $10 (CD) and $7.50 (DOWNLOAD) LISTEN | WATCH EPK http://www.mediacreature.com/playerpage/gstarr/blastplyr-lcns.html
Hardest Part Of Living
Garrison Starr Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
After the ride had ended
At the death of the last note,
The halls were already empty
Nobody is safe from heartache
We handle what we're given,
But to stand in the face of heartache
Down highway 51
Mississippi, 1964
The day you gave away someone
Lost to a different kind of war
Nobody is safe from heartache
We handle what we're given,
But to stand in the face of heartache
Maybe that's the hardest part of living
All decked out in your camouflage paint
Stalking a ghost you will never escape
There's no shortcut detour around disaster
To gain the things that matter
Early morning, desperate call
You never had the chance
The first hand that broke your fall
He only wanted one dance
Nobody is safe
from heartache. Garrison Starr's song "Hardest Part of Living" explores the difficult moments that people face in their lives. The first stanza talks about how people often disappear after the end of a good time. The party is over, the music has ended, and suddenly the halls are empty. It's a metaphor for how life can sometimes leave people feeling alone, wondering where everyone went after the fun is over. It's an experience that most people can relate to - the feeling of emptiness after a great night that ended too soon.
In the second stanza, Garrison Starr sings about a specific event in history - the civil rights movement in Mississippi in 1964. She describes how someone gave away a loved one to a different kind of war. It's a poignant moment in the song that highlights the ways in which life can be unpredictable and tragic. Even when people handle the heartaches they are given, standing in the face of it and persevering can be the hardest part of living.
The final stanza is about how there are no shortcuts in life to get to the things that matter. Many people try to avoid tragedy, but sometimes it finds them anyway. The song ends with a story about someone receiving a desperate call early in the morning about a first love, who never had a chance to make it back from the dance. The end of the song suggests that heartache is an inevitability in life, and that standing in the face of it and persevering may be the hardest part of living.
Line by Line Meaning
Where did everybody go
As the music stopped playing, my friends disappeared and left me alone.
After the ride had ended
When the fun came to a halt.
At the death of the last note,
As the music faded away completely.
The halls were already empty
The party was long over, and everyone had left.
Nobody is safe from heartache
Everybody experiences sadness and pain in life.
We handle what we're given,
We tackle the challenges that come our way.
But to stand in the face of heartache
Facing pain and not running from it takes great strength.
Maybe that's the hardest part of living
Perhaps the most difficult thing in life is finding the courage to confront our pain.
Down highway 51
Traveling on a road named Highway 51.
Mississippi, 1964
The year was 1964 in the state of Mississippi.
The day you gave away someone
The day you lost someone you cared about.
Lost to a different kind of war
They may not have died in combat, but they were still gone forever.
All decked out in your camouflage paint
Wearing paint and clothing to blend in with surroundings.
Stalking a ghost you will never escape
Pursuing something that is unreachable and may not even exist.
There's no shortcut detour around disaster
No quick or easy way to avoid calamity.
To gain the things that matter
Achieving what is most important.
Early morning, desperate call
A phone call came in the morning, and it was urgent.
You never had the chance
You didn't get the opportunity to say or do what you wanted.
The first hand that broke your fall
Someone reached out to help you when you were in a bad place.
He only wanted one dance
He only wanted to spend a little time with you.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind