After years playing violin as a session musician with the likes of John Mellencamp, Indigo Girls and Bob Dylan, Germano embarked on a solo career in 1991 with the understated but occasionally brilliant On The Way Down From The Moon Palace on her own label, which led to a deal with Capitol, who released her second album. Although Happiness was a massive step up in terms of confidence and songwriting, troubles at the label led to her buying back the rights. In 1994 4AD released a re-sequenced and remixed version of Happiness with a new sleeve and a few different tracks (including a gloomy version of the formerly scintillating ‘... Dresses’).
She turned out to be not just a great musician (she plays most of the instruments: piano, guitar, percussion and tape effects, as well as her trademark violin) and a wittily melancholy if kooky songwriter (‘I Love A Snot’, indeed), but a phenomenal arranger whose innovation and breadth of expression is comparable to PJ Harvey at her tape-mangling best.
As her style developed, so the music’s potential commercial appeal increased without compromising its uniqueness. Bright kaleidoscopes during an otherwise dark time in 4AD’s history, the following three albums, Geek The Girl, Excerpts From A Love Circus and Slide all won critical acclaim, but sadly failed to reach the wide audience they deserved; Germano was dropped in 1998, and announced her retirement from the music business.
(In 1997, she also released a collaboration with Giant Sand and future members of Calexico under the name OP8 Featuring The Ilk Of Lisa Germano).
Retirement didn’t suit her, and she was soon out on tour again, sessioning for David Bowie and Neil Finn, before, in 2003, releasing the self-funded Lullaby For Liquid Pig on ArtistDIRECT imprint Ineffable. A return to the woozy, after-the-carnival soundworld of ...Love Circus, the album was made with help from collaborators Finn, Johnny Marr and Wendy Melvoin.
Label-less again after Ineffable dissolved, Swans mainstay and longtime Germano fan Michael Gira snapped her up for his Young God label, which in 2007 released In The Maybe World, a stripped-down but ultimately hopeful reflection on mortality inspired by the death of, well, a cat, but also the imagined death of her Father. Young God subsequently reissued Liquid Pig with an extra CD of live recordings and demos, whose between-song banter highlighted Germano’s unique and cat-slanted take on life and death.
In September 2009 the album Magic Neighbor was released, again on Young God Records.
She also works with Maynard James Keenan's Puscifer
Official site: www.lisagermano.com
Starfish
Lisa Germano Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Then there was five
She thought she did good
Coming from arkansas
Militant pro-lifer
Killing a soul
Who just wanted
To her grandma
To her father
To her cousin
And her best friend
To her mother
You are bad, you are bad, you are bad
Were the words she heard
Those were the words she'll remember
About their trip to jamaica
So, what you gonna do
With that pro-lifer
There was a starfish
Then there was five
You were right, you were right, you were right
We all know you were so right, you were so right
It doesn't matter
'Cause she doesn't know why not
Kill more starfish
Kill more starfish
Kill more starfish
Kill more starfish
Kill more starfish
The song "Starfish" by Lisa Germano is a poignant tale about the consequences of extremist ideologies and the impact they can have on people's lives. The song's overall message is one of despair about the divisive nature of politics and how it affects everyday people. The narrative follows a protagonist who is initially inspired by the notion of saving a starfish. However, when she tries to share the same desire with her family, she is met with resistance due to their political beliefs.
The song's opening lines describe the singer's desire to save a starfish, but then it quickly veers into a darker tone. The lyrics suggest that her actions are met with disapproval from her conservative family members, who believe that her actions are misguided. The lyrics "Militant pro-lifer, killing a soul/ who just wanted to give a starfish" equate the singer's pro-life stance to the act of killing another life. The subsequent lines point out the many people who the starfish was meant for - the grandmother, the father, the mother, and the best friend.
The rest of the song ponders the consequences of this action and encourages us to question our own beliefs. The repetition of "Kill more starfish" at the end of the song is a call to action that is meant to shock and provoke thought. The song's overall message is that we need to be open-minded and empathetic towards those with differing beliefs to find common ground and move forward.
Line by Line Meaning
There was a starfish
The story starts with a starfish, which is a symbol of hope and beauty in the vastness of the sea.
Then there was five
Suddenly, the starfish multiplies, reminding us of the miracle of life and how things can change rapidly.
She thought she did good
Someone did something they thought was good, maybe by saving the starfish or helping others.
Coming from arkansas
The artist comes from a rural background, which may imply certain values or beliefs.
Militant pro-lifer
In contrast to the starfish, a militant pro-lifer shows up, someone who takes an uncompromising stance on the issue of abortion.
Killing a soul
The pro-lifer believes that abortion is equivalent to killing a soul, which is a deeply held belief for some.
Who just wanted
The singer may have had a simple desire, like sharing the starfish with loved ones, which is opposed by the pro-lifer.
To give a starfish
The starfish is a symbol of something precious and fragile, which could represent a person's dreams or aspirations.
To her grandma
The artist wants to share the starfish with her grandma, who could represent a wise and nurturing figure in her life.
To her father
The artist also wants to share the starfish with her father, who could represent a protective and authoritative figure in her life.
To her cousin
The singer also wants to share the starfish with her cousin, who could represent a fellow dreamer or confidant in her life.
And her best friend
The artist also wants to share the starfish with her best friend, who could represent a source of support or camaraderie in her life.
To her mother
The singer also wants to share the starfish with her mother, who could represent a nurturing and supportive figure in her life.
You are bad, you are bad, you are bad
The singer is judged and condemned by the pro-lifer, who calls her 'bad' repeatedly.
Were the words she heard
The singer hears the pro-lifer's judgmental words, which could impact her self-esteem or sense of worth.
Those were the words she'll remember
The artist may remember the hurtful words for a long time, especially if they came from someone she respected or looked up to.
About their trip to jamaica
The story takes place in Jamaica, which is a place of beauty and wonder, but also a place of complex social issues and cultural clashes.
So, what you gonna do
The singer is challenged to respond to the pro-lifer's aggression, and may be thinking of taking action.
With that pro-lifer
The pro-lifer may represent a source of conflict or tension in the singer's life, which needs to be addressed or resolved.
You were right, you were right, you were right
The artist may acknowledge that the pro-lifer has a point, or may feel defeated and give up on her dreams.
We all know you were so right, you were so right
The artist may feel outnumbered or overwhelmed by the pro-lifer's supporters, who validate her position and marginalize the artist's views.
It doesn't matter
The artist may feel that her voice or agencies don't matter in the grand scheme of things, or that her efforts are futile.
'Cause she doesn't know why not
The singer may be confused or uncertain about why she can't pursue her dreams or share the starfish with others, especially if she doesn't understand the pro-lifer's reasoning or principles.
Kill more starfish
The story ends with an ominous message that advocates for the destruction of more starfish, which could represent the destruction of hope, beauty, or goodness in the world.
Kill more starfish
The repetition of the phrase intensifies the feeling of despair or nihilism in the story, which could reflect the singer's state of mind or the general sense of hopelessness in society.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ANDREW COPELAND, JEFF BERES, KEN BLOCK, MARK E. TROJANOWSKI, RYAN CARTER NEWELL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind