However, for a brief period of time in the 1970s, she was one of Country Music's best-selling artists in her own right, acclaimed for her million-selling 1975 Country Pop crossover hit "I'm Not Lisa" and several best-selling albums. She became known as the "first lady" of the Outlaw country movement.
Starman
Jessi Colter Lyrics
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Maybe we won't ever be together
Maybe childish needs in me
Makes me think that I can win forever
Maybe the roads we both took
Brought us to a different vain level
I'll call this shot while it's still hot
Starman, shine your ligtht away from me
Starman, this won't ever, ever be
Your way (your way) with me (with me)
So just leave
You're gonna have to bleed from me
I've been here once before
Took me years to know it for
What it was
I know it was
Him shinin' his light, turnin' me on
Burnin' me up, then leavin' me to wonder
And, oh, I wondered
Oh, it ain't never gonna change, no
We ain't never gonna be
We ain't never gonna work
You're not the same, you and me
Starman, shine your ligtht away from me
Starman, this ain't never gonna be
Your way (your way) with me (with me)
So just leave
C'mon, c'mon, let me see you bleed
Starman, I know you can bleed
C'mon, c'mon, let me see you bleed
C'mon, c'mon, I gotta see you bleed
The lyrics to Jessi Colter's "Starman" appear to be about a failed relationship, in which the singer admits that perhaps she and her former lover were never meant to be together. She acknowledges that her desire to hold onto the relationship may have been driven by childish needs to win or to avoid being alone. The title "Starman" suggests that the former lover was perhaps idealized or put on a pedestal, like an unattainable star in the sky. However, the singer seems to have come to a realization that she needs to let go and move on. She doesn't want to go down with another "midnight lover" and instead chooses to call the shot herself.
The chorus reinforces the idea that the singer wants to be left alone and wants the "Starman" to shine his light away from her. She acknowledges that they are not compatible and that their relationship will never work. The repetition of "C'mon, c'mon, let me see you bleed" could imply that the singer wants to see her former lover suffer as she has suffered. The song culminates with the singer demanding to see the Starman bleed, suggesting that she wants some sort of validation for the pain she has endured.
Line by Line Meaning
Maybe you and I can't play
Perhaps we cannot be together
Maybe we won't ever be together
Perhaps we will never be together
Maybe childish needs in me
Perhaps my immaturity causes me to believe I can win forever
Makes me think that I can win forever
Leads me to believe that I can always be victorious
Maybe the roads we both took
Maybe the paths we've taken
Brought us to a different vain level
Have led us to different levels of self-importance
I'll call this shot while it's still hot
I will make this decision while I still have the chance to do so
I won't go down with one more midnight lover
I won't let another lover hurt me again
Starman, shine your ligtht away from me
I don't want your attention or affection
Starman, this won't ever, ever be
We can never be together
Your way (your way) with me (with me)
This is not how our relationship will be
So just leave
Go away
You're gonna have to bleed from me
You will have to hurt me to the point that you can no longer have power over me
I've been here once before
I have experienced this before
Took me years to know it for
It took me a long time to realize
What it was
What was actually happening
I know it was
I am aware that it was
Him shinin' his light, turnin' me on
Him attracting me with his charisma and presence
Burnin' me up, then leavin' me to wonder
Exciting me, then leaving me confused and uncertain
And, oh, I wondered
And I was left in a state of perplexion
Oh, it ain't never gonna change, no
It will never be different
We ain't never gonna be
We will never be able to have a successful relationship
We ain't never gonna work
Our relationship will never succeed
You're not the same, you and me
We are different people
C'mon, c'mon, let me see you bleed
I want to see you vulnerable
Starman, I know you can bleed
I am aware that you can feel pain
C'mon, c'mon, I gotta see you bleed
I need to see you suffer in order to move on
Contributed by Jeremiah H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.