Mother Love Bone was established in 1988 by former Green River members Jeff Ament, Bruce Fairweather and Stone Gossard, former Malfunkshun frontman Andrew Wood and former Ten Minute Warning and Skin Yard drummer Greg Gilmore. Initially, the group was formed in 1987 out of the cover band Lords of the Wasteland which featured Wood, Gossard, Ament and Malfunkshun drummer Regan Hagar. By early 1988 the band had added Fairweather, replaced Hagar with drummer Greg Gilmore and changed its name to Mother Love Bone.
This new line-up quickly set about recording and playing area shows and by late 1988 had become one of Seattle's more promising bands. Wood's exuberant on-stage personality, outlandish clothes and dreamy lyrics helped bring attention to the band. In the 1996 grunge documentary, Hype!, Seattle engineer Jack Endino called Wood "the only stand-up comedian frontman in Seattle," a reference to Wood's playful style of interacting with Mother Love Bone fans.
In early 1989, the band signed to PolyGram subsidiary Mercury Records. As part of its contract PolyGram also created the Stardog Records imprint exclusively for the band. In March 1989, the group issued its debut EP, Shine, becoming the first of the new crop of Seattle bands to have a release on a major label. The record sold well and rapidly increased the hype surrounding the band. John Book of Allmusic said the "record contributed to the buzz about the Seattle music scene."
In late 1989, the group returned to the studio (this time in San Francisco, California) to record its debut album, Apple. Despite some initial difficulties, the record was on-time for its projected March 1990 release. By this point interest in the band had hit a fever pitch and it seemed destined that the band were going to make it big. Only days before Apple was slated to be released, however, frontman Andrew Wood, who had a long history with drug problems, overdosed on heroin. After spending a few days in the hospital in a coma, Wood died, effectively bringing the group to an end. The album would see release later that year on July 19, 1990. Kim Neely of Rolling Stone said that the album "succeeds where countless other hard rock albums have failed, capturing the essence of what made Zep immortal – dynamics, kids! – and giving it a unique Nineties spin."
Stardog Champion
Mother Love Bone Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
fade to winter, and see what disease brings
augustiono, with his eyes once a shining sea
he's half a shadow, god don't let that be me
i'm a stardog champion
west virginia, thats where myu father lies
wartime hero, the kind that money buys
a diamond bracelet, for my mommy memory
i'm a stardog champion
i'm a stardog champion
and the children use ta sing of love
with grace from the lord above
and the children use ta sing out loud
etc repeat chorus etc....
The lyrics to Mother Love Bone's song Stardog Champion tell a story of a man reflecting on his life and the people who have shaped it. The opening line references San Francisco and the blooming flowers of spring, but also alludes to the inevitable fading of beauty and the approach of death. The character of Augustiono is mentioned, a man who was once vibrant but has now become a mere shadow of himself, serving as a warning to the singer to not meet the same fate.
The second verse takes us to West Virginia, where the singer's father is buried. He was a "wartime hero" but one whose valor was bought by money. The singer's memory of his mother is limited to a diamond bracelet, and apparently, she did not have much else to offer him. Despite these hardships, however, the singer proclaims himself to be a "stardog champion" at the end of each verse, indicating his legacy and position of power.
The chorus speaks of the joy and love that children sing of, seemingly juxtaposed with the heavy themes of death and sacrifice in the verses. Perhaps this speaks to the singer's longing for a simpler, more innocent time, or the belief that their legacy will continue through future generations.
Line by Line Meaning
san francisco, where the flowers bloom in spring
San Francisco, a city where flowers bloom in spring, representing new beginnings and hope.
fade to winter, and see what disease brings
However, as time progresses, winter comes, and so does disease, representing the harsh reality of life.
augustiono, with his eyes once a shining sea
The singer references a person named Augustiono, who used to have bright, beautiful eyes that reminded the singer of the shining sea, but something has changed.
he's half a shadow, god don't let that be me
Augustiono has changed and become only half of what he used to be, and the artist fears that he will suffer the same fate.
i'm a stardog champion
Despite this fear, the artist asserts that they are a champion, someone who has overcome challenges and risen to the top.
west virginia, thats where myu father lies
The singer's father has passed away and is buried in West Virginia.
wartime hero, the kind that money buys
The singer describes their father as a wartime hero, who was likely rewarded monetarily for his service.
a diamond bracelet, for my mommy memory
The artist's mother was given a diamond bracelet, perhaps in memory of the artist's father.
thats all she wrote, all she wrote for me...
This is all the information the artist has about their parents, and it is a reminder of the impermanence of life.
and the children use ta sing of love
The artist reflects on a time when they were younger and sang songs of love and hope.
with grace from the lord above
The singer believes that their hope and love came from a higher power, something greater than themselves.
and the children use ta sing out loud
The children used to express themselves freely and openly.
i'm a stardog champion
The singer again asserts their status as a champion, despite the hardships and uncertainty of life.
i'm a stardog champion
Repeats the previous line, emphasizing the singer's confidence and strength.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ANDREW WOOD, BRUCE IAN FAIRWEATHER, GREG A. GILMORE, JEFFREY ALLEN AMENT, STONE C. GOSSARD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@felfer
Stardog Champion
San Francisco
Where the flowers bloom in spring
I said fade to winter
And see what disease brings
Augustino
With his eyes like a shinning sea
I said he's half a shadow
God don't let that be me
I'm a stardog champion
West Virginia
That where my father lies
He was a war time hero
The kind that money buys
Diamond bracelet
For my mommy's memory
I said that's all she wrote for
That's all she wrote for me
I'm just a stardog champion
I'm a stardog champion
I'm a stardog
That's right
And the children they used to sing of love
With the grace from the lord above
I said the children
They used to sing out loud
Sing it loud, good god
I'm a stardog champion
I'm a stardog champion
I'm a stardog, baby
And I ain't gonna let you down
Ain't gonna let you down
I'll never let you down
Let the children sing
@Musicmanohio247
I envy anyone hearing this for the first time. I was 21 when I first heard it and now I am 51 and my arm hairs still stand for Andrew.
@itisI1205
Kevin Baker just did
@cliffordototivo
Kevin Baker 20 here. We're all star dog champions yellow vest are coming soon. No more to greed here in America our leaders aren't leaders. The only thing I take comfort in is a nice drink and loud guitars and drums. It's coming again. Good music will come back soon stay safe!
@ceccavara
same here
@jermaineguillory2694
I salute you, sir
@vanessafaulkner4531
Same!! Such a great Band and Song! RIP~ Andrew. 💖
@justinmdominiak
This is like a step from the '80's to the 90's. That solo is awesome!
@Quinn37
Great point. You can hear the transition happening
@mkeptrangli
This song is the bridge from glam metal to grunge. I can definitely hear a mix of both genres.
@waynetables6414
you can hear it on Facelift by Alice in Chains as well (Put You Down, Sea of Sorrow, Bleed the Freak, I Know Something About You, etc).. Kurt Cobain made that style of music very uncool in 1991 and the other bands had to adapt to that or die