The group took their name from the name of a Flintstones character, which, in turn, was a parody of singer Mel Torme's nickname; the Velvet Fog. The group first came together in the Minneapolis area in 1989 as a country-rock reaction to the punk and hardcore music that dominated the Twin Cities' musical scene at the time; eventually Golden Smog became something of a fixture at local clubs, where they would play a handful of shows annually. Golden Smog's lineup has often changed, though Run Westy Run guitarist Kraig Jarret Johnson as well as guitarists Dan Murphy (Soul Asylum) and Gary Louris (the Jayhawks) were relative constants.
The definitive beginning of Golden Smog is hard to pinpoint given the mercurial nature of the band's lineup. Some point back to a show in January of 1987 when a band billed as 'The Take It To The Limit Band' played an all Eagles cover show at the Uptown Bar in Minneapolis. This band consisted of Dan Murphy and Dave Pirner (both of Soul Asylum), Jim Boquist (later of Son Volt), and Martin Zellar (Gear Daddies). The show ended with a cover of then Bangles hit song Walk Like An Egyptian. This same band later played a The Rolling Stones themed show in 1989 under the name "Her Satanic Majesty's Paycheck."
Between these early covers shows, and Golden Smog's first album, it is unclear what happened. It's hard to claim that these early shows were by Golden Smog, but rather in hindsight they were played in the spirit of the early Golden Smog. In 1992, Dan Murphy, Gary Louris, Marc Perlman (bassist for The Jayhawks), Kraig Johnson, and Chris Mars (the Replacements) released Golden Smog's first CD, a covers EP entitled On Golden Smog. This was followed four years later in 1996 by their full-length debut, Down By The Old Mainstream, recorded at Pachyderm Recording Studio with a lineup that included Kraig Johnson, Dan Murphy, Gary Louris, Marc Perlman, Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy, and Honeydogs drummer Noah Levy (all of whom recorded under pseudonyms as a result of contractual obligations). A few years later the band reformed with Jody Stephens (of Big Star) taking over for Noah on the drums (Jody had previously played with the band during a New Years Eve show in Chicago in 1996). This new incarnation of Golden Smog released Weird Tales in 1998.
In 2005 a new incarnation of the smog formed and recorded a new album in Spain. The new album is entitled Another Fine Day and was released on July, 18th 2006 on the Lost Highway Records. This album features both Jody Stephens and Linda Pitmon from Zuzu's Petals on drums. This album, like the previous couple is of a more coherent band, although Jeff Tweedy is only featured on a few songs. In the summer of 2006, the Smog played a couple of shows in Minneapolis and New York City. These shows were without Tweedy, as he had previously stated that he was too busy to tour with the band. A six-show mini-tour occured in September of 2006. In 2007 Golden Smog released an EP on Lost Highway called Blood On The Slacks.
Starman
Golden Smog Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I leaned back on my radio
Some cat was layin' down some rock 'n' roll
Lotta soul, he said
Then the loud sound did seem to fade
Came back like a slow voice on a wave of phase
That weren't no DJ that was hazy, cosmic jive
There's a starman waiting in the sky
He'd like to come and meet us
But he thinks he'd blow our minds
There's a starman waiting in the sky
He's told us not to blow it
'Cause he knows it's all worthwhile
He told me
Let the children lose it
Let the children use it
Let all the children boogie
I had to phone someone, so I picked on you, ooh, ooh
Hey, that's far out, so you heard him too, ooh, ooh
Switch on the TV, we may pick him up on channel two
Lookin' out your window, I can see his light
If we can sparkle, he may land tonight
Don't tell your poppa or he'll get us locked up in fright
There's a starman waiting in the sky
He'd like to come and meet us
But he thinks he'd blow our minds
There's a starman waiting in the sky
He's told us not to blow it
'Cause he knows it's all worthwhile, oh
Let the children lose it
Let the children use it
Let all the children
There's a starman waiting in the sky
He'd like to come and meet us
But he thinks he'd blow our minds
There's a starman waiting in the sky
He's told us not to blow it
'Cause he knows it's all worthwhile, oh
He told me
Let the children lose it
Let the children use it
Let all the children boogie
The lyrics to Golden Smog's "Starman" tell the story of a person who is listening to the radio when suddenly a cosmic voice interrupts the music. The voice introduces himself as a starman, waiting in the sky, who wants to come down to Earth and meet humans. However, he warns that he might blow their minds, so the people need to be ready for this encounter. The starman encourages people to be open-minded and to let go of their societal restrictions because following their instincts and passions will ultimately lead to a fulfilling life. The song ends with a message to let the children express themselves freely, suggesting that they are the hope for a better future.
Line by Line Meaning
Didn't know what time it was, the lights were low
I was lost in the moment, unaware of the time as the lights dimmed down
I leaned back on my radio
I relaxed and tuned into my favorite radio station
Some cat was layin' down some rock 'n' roll
A musician was playing some great rock tunes
Lotta soul, he said
The singer had a lot of soul in his music
Then the loud sound did seem to fade
The music got momentarily soft
Came back like a slow voice on a wave of phase
The music regained its vigor, with slow sound that carried on for a while
That weren't no DJ that was hazy, cosmic jive
The music was not from any regular DJ, but rather a celestial and trippy tune
There's a starman waiting in the sky
There's an extraterrestrial being waiting to meet us
He'd like to come and meet us
This extraterrestrial being wants to have a conversation with us
But he thinks he'd blow our minds
He fears that we might not be capable of handling what he has to say and do to us
He's told us not to blow it
He requested that we not screw up the opportunity to connect with him
'Cause he knows it's all worthwhile
The starman is convinced that the endeavor is worth the risk
He told me
The starman spoke directly to me
Let the children lose it
The starman urged us to let loose and act like children
Let the children use it
He recommends that we engage our youthful curiosity and creativity
Let all the children boogie
The starman suggests that we dance together like kids and have a good time
I had to phone someone, so I picked on you, ooh, ooh
I needed to tell someone about this extraordinary encounter, so I chose to call you
Hey, that's far out, so you heard him too, ooh, ooh
Wow, you also received the starman's message, that's amazing
Switch on the TV, we may pick him up on channel two
Let's turn on the television, maybe we will find the starman on channel two
Lookin' out your window, I can see his light
I can see the shining light of the starman outside your window
If we can sparkle, he may land tonight
The starman may decide to visit and communicate with us if we show our brightness and creativity
Don't tell your poppa or he'll get us locked up in fright
Let's not discuss this with our parents or they may get scared and overreact
Let the children lose it
The starman reminded us to keep that youthful energy and spirit alive
Let the children use it
He insisted that we put our imagination and creativity to good use
Let all the children boogie
Finally, the starman encouraged everyone to let go and dance like no one's watching
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: David Bowie
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Bob Wagner
IMO, one of the best Starman covers
Valentyna Belofsky
+Bob Wagner The best!!!
poddopetals
The best cover out there. <3
Valentyna Belofsky
I've listened to this so much ever since David Bowie passed away.
Tom deFig
Howard Stern played this the other day. Great version.
Manny El Dude
HOWARD IS BETA MALE P.O.S.
carly ale
Tom deFig Howard got me here