After four years in the Navy, he returned to Chapel Hill to play in rock bands in that legendary underground music scene.
A friend of Jonathan's invited him to an old-time fiddle festival in the mountains of southwest Virginia, where his writing began to change.
Assimilating the sounds of southern traditional music, Byrd wrote new songs in an ancient style. One of those first songs was "Velma," a murder ballad based on the true story of Velma Barfield, the last woman to be executed in North Carolina (in 1984) and the murderer of Jonathan's own grandfather...
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Starlight
Jonathan Byrd Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She boarded the train and gave him a kiss, a tentative wanderer.
Star light, star bright, you're the only star I've got tonight. Starlight.
He stroked her hair and showed her the dough, no more than bargainer.
She followed him back to the sleeping car, oh, Saint Christopher.
Star light, star bright, you're the only star I've got tonight. Starlight.
I know a man who'll give you a room. You don't have to work for him.
Star light, star bright, you're the only star I've got tonight. Starlight.
Train kept a-chuggin on through St. Paul, her face in the window,
drinking black coffee and cutting her hair on the white linoleum.
Star light, star bright, you're the only star I've got tonight. Starlight
The lyrics of "Starlight" by Jonathan Byrd tell the story of two people who meet and briefly fall in love on a train ride. The first verse introduces the two characters; the man is a mischievous carpenter and the woman is a tentative wanderer. The second verse describes their interaction; he shows her some dough and they go back to the sleeping car together. The chorus repeats the line "star light, star bright, you're the only star I've got tonight," which seems to be the man's way of expressing his affection for the woman.
The third verse has the man giving the woman some advice about where to go once they reach Thunder Bay. He tells her to wait outside the Finlandia and gives her the name of someone who can give her a room without having to work for it. This implies that the woman is a drifter who doesn't have much money or a place to stay. The final verse has her cutting her hair on the train and looking out the window while drinking coffee. The song ends with the chorus repeating one final time.
Overall, the lyrics paint a picture of a brief, intense romantic encounter between two strangers on a train ride. The man seems to be a bit of a smooth-talker and the woman is a bit more reserved, but they both seem to be looking for something they can't quite find.
Line by Line Meaning
He held a toothpick ‘tween his teeth, a mischievous carpenter.
A playful skilled worker who had a toothpick in his mouth
She boarded the train and gave him a kiss, a tentative wanderer.
A hesitant traveler who embarked on a train and shared a kiss with him
Star light, star bright, you're the only star I've got tonight. Starlight.
The only shining light he has tonight is one single bright star
He stroked her hair and showed her the dough, no more than bargainer.
He gently caressed her hair and displayed the money he had, just a simple negotiator
She followed him back to the sleeping car, oh, Saint Christopher.
She went with him to the train's compartment for sleeping, calling him Saint Christopher
That'll get you all the way to Thunder Bay. Wait outside the Finlandia.
The train will take her to Thunder Bay and then wait outside a hotel named Finlandia
I know a man who'll give you a room. You don't have to work for him.
He knows someone who'll provide her with accommodation and work isn't required
Train kept a-chuggin on through St. Paul, her face in the window, drinking black coffee and cutting her hair on the white linoleum.
The train continued on its journey through St. Paul while she looked out the window, drank coffee and trimmed her hair on the white flooring
Star light, star bright, you're the only star I've got tonight. Starlight
Again, he emphasizes that there's only one star that shines tonight
Contributed by Jayce C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.