Taylor started her musical career at the age of fifteen in the band Little Red Rocket with Orenda Fink which released two albums on Geffen, Who Did You Pay (1997) and It's in the Sound (2000). The group disbanded during the merging of Geffen with Universal Music Group.
Taylor later moved to Athens, Georgia along with her musical collaborator, Fink where they formed the band Azure Ray.
Taylor released her first solo album 11:11 on Saddle Creek Records on May 24, 2005. The album features Conor Oberst of Bright Eyes, Gretta Cohn of Cursive, Andy LeMaster and Mike Mogis as both musicians and producers. Grey's Anatomy named its March 31, 2011 episode Song Beneath the Song after a track from the album and also featured the song on the original soundtrack. Taylor later recorded a new song for Grey's Anatomy's 2005 Christmas episode entitled Christmas After All. Her second solo album, Lynn Teeter Flower, was released on March 6, 2007, also on Saddle Creek. A Good Start, the first track, was subsequently named one of NPR's 10 best songs of the year for 2007. The Ballad of Sean Foley was co-written with Conor Oberst. The following year she released an acoustic album titled Savannah Drive with Andy LeMaster which includes stripped-down versions of songs from her first two albums, plus one new track, Tell Me. On March 31, 2009 she released her third full length, LadyLuck via Nettwerk Music Group featuring the song Cartoons and Forever Plans, co-written by and including guest vocals from Michael Stipe of R.E.M.. LadyLuck reached number 48 on Billboard's "Heatseakers" charts.
Overlook, Maria's 4th solo album, was released August 16, 2011. After moving back to her hometown of Birmingham, Taylor was unable to write for nearly a year, eventually composing the entire album over two weeks during a break in touring with Azure Ray. This release marks the first time Taylor produced her own album. Paste called Overlook "her best, most animated collection in years." [19]
Maria Taylor released her fifth solo record, Something About Knowing on October 29, 2013 on Saddle Creek Records.
After moving back to Los Angeles, Taylor wrote and recorded In the Next Life, released December 9, 2016 on her own label, Flower Moon Records. The album features guest appearances from familiar collaborators Joshua Radin, Conor Oberst, among others. If Only (featuring Conor Oberst) was prominently featured in NBC's This Is Us. NPR, who premiered the full album stream, called it "her warmest and most affecting album... filled with gorgeous, touching songs about family, legacy, fear and the pursuit of contentment."
In November 2017, Taylor joined Ben Lee and an all star band of other musicians as Daniel Johnston's back band during the Los Angeles stop of his final tour.
In April 2018, Paste premiered Real Life (Trump Era) from the Friends and Family Vol. 1 compilation, put out on her label, Flower Moon Records. Released May 11, 2018, other contributors included Azure Ray bandmate Orenda Fink, Nik Freitas, Louis Schefano, Jake Bellows[/artist, and more. Flower Moon Records has since re-released Taylor's earlier albums, 11:11 and LadyLuck. On November 11, 2019, Taylor released her self-titled album, Maria Taylor.
No Stars
Maria Taylor Lyrics
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He wore a three-piece suit and was smiling.
He promised every living thing to me.
And when the land was all despair.
He made water spring from everywhere.
Until the black hills turned back to green.
They poured out into the street.
And I was frightened by my fearlessness to be Engulfed by everything.
And what I knew, was left behind.
There were no stars, or a wish, to find.
And there was nothing in my clenching fist,
And I just can't wait for tomorrow,
Cause I will let go-
Just ask me.
I saw the devil in a dream.
He wore faded jeans, and was smiling.
He promised every living thing to me.
And when a soul was in despair,
He made confetti fall from everywhere,
Until the restless eyes go back to sleep.
And then minds were tipping and thoughts were Spilling,
They poured out into the street.
And I was frightened by my fearlessness to be Drowned by everything.
And what I knew, was left behind.
There were no stars, or a wish, to find.
And there was nothing in my clenching fist,
And I just can't wait for tomorrow,
Cause I will let go-
Just ask me.
And what I knew, was left behind.
There were no stars, or a wish, to find.
And there was nothing in my clenching fist,
And I just can't wait for tomorrow,
Cause I will let go-
Just ask me.
The lyrics of "No Stars" by Maria Taylor presents an enigmatic story about encountering the devil in a dream. The devil appeared in two different forms - first in a three-piece suit and then in faded jeans. In both instances, he made a promise to the singer, which seems to have been kept by the supernatural powers of the devil. The first promise was fulfilled by making water spring out of nowhere and bringing back the lushness of nature. Similarly, the second promise was fulfilled by showering confetti from everywhere, which gave comfort to the restless souls.
However, the second half of the song portrays the aftermath of the devil's promises. The verses describe how every element of nature starts to tip and spill. The singer herself gets scared of being drowned by everything engulfing her. This could mean that the devil's promise brought temporary relief to the people but eventually led to destruction. The chorus conveys the loss of hope and the emptiness that the singer feels, as there are no stars or wish to find. She eagerly awaits the future to let go of everything.
The song's lyrics leave a lot of room for interpretation, about the devil's intentions and the effects of his promises. The vivid imagery of the song, portrayed by the elements of nature and the devil's different forms, brings an ethereal and surreal quality to the song.
Line by Line Meaning
I saw the devil in a dream.
I had a vision of an ominous figure, dressed in formal attire, who was grinning at me.
He wore a three-piece suit and was smiling.
He was decked up in a formal suit and had a smirk on his face.
He promised every living thing to me.
He pledged to grant me access to all living beings.
And when the land was all despair.
In times of darkness and gloom over the world,
He made water spring from everywhere.
He caused water to emerge from any possible source.
Until the black hills turned back to green.
All the barren and lifeless mountains turned into lush green meadows.
And then heat was tipping and smoke was spilling
The situation became very hot and suffocating with smoke coming out.
They poured out into the street.
The smoke and heat took over the entire area.
And I was frightened by my fearlessness to be Engulfed by everything.
I got scared of my audacity to face the danger head-on without any hesitation.
And what I knew, was left behind.
My past and previous knowledge became irrelevant.
There were no stars, or a wish, to find.
I couldn't find any source of hope or aspiration.
And there was nothing in my clenching fist,
I didn't have any tangible thing in my grasp.
And I just can't wait for tomorrow,
I'm eagerly waiting for the future to arrive.
Cause I will let go-
I will willingly surrender everything.
Just ask me.
You can enquire about it from me.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind