The songwriter quickly becomes a national icon in Belgium, staying at the top of the national album charts for seven weeks. The album easily reaches the platinum status in Belgium and is backed by shows on big music festivals like Werchter, Pinkpop and a sold out club tour. Joost moves to New York to live and work on his second album. In 2004, Another Lonely Soul sees daylight. With Never back down receiving major airplay in Italy, Spain and Portugal, this time the ‘new star’ is rising in other parts of Europe as well.
In 2005 tragedy strikes. During a show in the biggest concert hall of Brussels he stumbles off stage and crushes his heel bone. Total rehabilitation will take two years. Joost struggling with his physical and mental health takes off to Bangor, an isle near the French coast of Brittany. The trip has a healing effect on him and Novastar’s third album Almost Bangor is born. The first singles of the album are Mars needs woman (in Belgium) and Because (in The Netherlands). Since the release of Almost Bangor in 2008, the album achieved a platinum status in Belgium and golden status in The Netherlands.
Joost’s voice has matured beautifully with the years, solid and fragile when needed, taking you by the hand and the heart, floating on clever and inventive arrangements - prominently present but always serving the song. The result is a truly personal sound.
Joost Zweegers is currently working on the next Novastar album.
Miles
Novastar Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's filling up my ears
I am nearly
Quiet almost
Miles and miles away
From your ghost
Sometimes I will sing
Like a beggar blind I stole
Miles and miles away
From your goal
Be an eagle for me
And my far and utter eye
That tracks and maps infinite
past the border sky
Sometimes I will sing
that what a fool begins
implodes upon himself
and all his dreams
are shadows
grief is his
and everybody here
is kind as they can be
I am nearly
Quiet almost
Miles and miles away
From your ghost
Be an eagle for me
And my far and utter eye
That tracks and maps infinite
Past the border sky
All I ever wanted
Be my far and utter eye
That tracks and maps infinite
Across the border sky
The opening lines of the song describe a blizzard coming down and filling up the singer's ears. The weather serves as a metaphor for the emotional state the singer is in, feeling isolated and distant from somebody who is no longer present. The distance between them is emphasized through the repetition of "Miles and miles away from your ghost", which could suggest that the person they are missing is someone who has died. The theme of distance is also reflected in the repeated refrain of "be my far and utter eye that tracks and maps infinite across the border sky", which speaks to the singer's longing for a connection to something beyond themselves.
The singer's symbolic "far and utter eye" is described as that of an eagle, which would have a higher perspective and be able to fly over great distances, mapping out previously unknown territories. This bird imagery ties into the idea of distance and roaming, echoing the sense of wanderlust expressed by the singer.
The song's chorus reinforces the idea that "nothing really ends", perhaps suggesting that even though something may be physically out of reach or behind them, memory and emotion continue on. The final lines grounding the song in the singer's request to have someone or something serve as their "far and utter eye" help to provide a sense of hope and the potential for change, as the hardship of separation is tempered by the possibility of connection.
Line by Line Meaning
Blizzard coming down
A blizzard is falling and filling the surroundings with its sound.
It's filling up my ears
The blizzard is making a lot of noise and taking up most of the sound space.
I am nearly
The singer is close to something.
Quiet almost
The singer is nearly silent.
Miles and miles away
The singer is far away from something.
From your ghost
The thing the singer is far away from is the ghost of someone.
Sometimes I will sing
Occasionally, the singer will sing.
Nothing really ends
Things may change or disappear, but ultimately nothing truly ends.
Like a beggar blind I stole
The singer stole something while they were helpless and ignorant.
Miles and miles away
The singer is far away from something.
From your goal
The thing the singer is far away from is someone's objective.
Be an eagle for me
The singer wants someone to become an eagle for them.
And my far and utter eye
The singer wants someone to use their vision on their behalf.
That tracks and maps infinite
The singer wants someone's vision to track and record infinite space.
past the border sky
The singer wants someone to record things beyond the horizon.
Sometimes I will sing
Occasionally, the singer will sing.
that what a fool begins
What a foolish person starts
implodes upon himself
Ultimately leads to his downfall.
and all his dreams
Every dream he had
are shadows
Are only illusions that will fade away.
grief is his
It is a sad and unpleasant experience for him.
and everybody here
The people in the present setting
is kind as they can be
Are being as nice and gentle as possible.
All I ever wanted
The singer's ultimate desire is
Be my far and utter eye
To have someone's vision track and record infinite space.
That tracks and maps infinite
To have someone's vision record an endless expanse.
Across the border sky
Recoding things beyond what is visible.
Contributed by Ryan N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.