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
Little Lonely Girl
Garrison Starr Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
No one in the world
Set your sights down low
Little lonely girl
Missed identity
Where can you be free
There's no place like home
Love is listening
Fall deep into sleep
And lift your eyes
You don't have to hide
Solitary heart
Born broken apart
It's a choice you'll never know
You'll learn to stand alone
Love is listening
Fade into a dream
And lift your eyes
Up to the sky
Oh but you gotta show your strength
Flex your muscle
Protect your name
And defend your stuff
I know, It's never ending
All that anger
And it tastes so bitter
No surrender
No surrender
Cause love is listening
Still unwavering
Lift your eyes
You don't have to hide
Little lonely girl
Little lonely girl
Oh you're so lonely girl
In Garrison Starr's song Little Lonely Girl, the lyrics tell a story of a girl who has felt alone and isolated for most of her life. The song begins with a description of her current state, as a little lonely girl with no one in the world. The next few lines provide some insight into how this girl got to be so lonely - missed identity and a lack of freedom, with no place to call home.
As the song progresses, the narrative shifts towards empowering the little lonely girl. The mention of love being a listening experience could symbolize the friend or family member who finally took the time to listen to her, thus allowing her to fall deeply into sleep and lift her eyes, as there's no need for her to hide anymore. The song goes on to suggest that in order to get stronger, the little lonely girl needs to flex her muscle, protect her name, and defend her stuff. As hard as it may be, she must keep going without surrender.
The song's chorus serves as a steadying presence throughout the song, repeating the line "Love is listening" to remind the listener that there is always hope - that love will listen to the little lonely girl and help her rise above her struggles. The final refrain of "Little lonely girl, oh you're so lonely girl" is both reflective and empathetic, as the song recognizes the pain and alienation this girl has experienced.
Line by Line Meaning
Little lonely girl
Addressing someone who is isolated and feeling alone.
No one in the world
Feeling insignificant and as though there is no one around for support.
Set your sights down low
Encouraging the person to have more modest goals to avoid disappointment.
Missed identity
The person's sense of self is unclear and undefined.
Where can you be free
Wondering where the person can feel comfortable and unencumbered.
There's no place like home
Home is the place where the person can be themselves and feel safe.
Little lonely one
Repeating the opening line for emphasis on the person's emotional state.
Love is listening
Love is when someone is willing to give their attention to another person to show their care.
Fall deep into sleep
Encouraging the person to seek comfort in sleep to escape their troubles.
And lift your eyes
Looking up can represent hope and motivation to move forward.
You don't have to hide
The person does not need to be ashamed or conceal their true self.
Solitary heart
The person's heart feels alone and disconnected from others.
Born broken apart
The person's emotional state was not always like this, but it has been this way for as long as they can remember.
It's a choice you'll never know
Feeling as though the choices made in life have led to this emotional state, but not knowing how things could have been different.
You'll learn to stand alone
Recognizing that sometimes the person will need to rely on themselves to overcome challenges.
Fade into a dream
Encouraging the person to find temporary relief in dreaming and imagining an ideal life.
Up to the sky
Looking up to the sky can represent faith and trust in something greater than oneself.
Oh but you gotta show your strength
Encouraging the person to be strong and resilient in the face of adversity.
Flex your muscle
Using a metaphor for being assertive and standing up for oneself.
Protect your name
Defending one's reputation and being true to oneself.
And defend your stuff
Protecting the things that matter, such as friends, family, and personal values.
I know, It's never ending
Acknowledging that the struggle is ongoing and there will always be challenges to overcome.
All that anger
Referencing the emotions that come with feeling alone, such as frustration and resentment.
And it tastes so bitter
Describing the unpleasantness of those emotions.
No surrender
Encouraging the person to keep fighting and not give up.
Still unwavering
Despite the challenges, the person's love and support is unwavering.
Little lonely girl
Repeating the song's opening line for emphasis on the person's state of isolation.
Oh you're so lonely girl
Reinforcing the person's loneliness and need for understanding and support.
Contributed by Ethan F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.