Harvey began her career in 1988 when she joined local band Automatic Dlamini as a vocalist, guitarist and saxophonist. The band's frontman, John Parish, became her long-term collaborator. In 1991, she formed an eponymous trio called PJ Harvey and subsequently began her career as PJ Harvey. The trio released two studio albums called Dry (1992) and Rid of Me (1993) before disbanding, after which Harvey continued as a solo artist. Since 1995, she has released a further nine studio albums with collaborations from various musicians including Parish, former bandmate Rob Ellis, Mick Harvey and Eric Drew Feldman, and has also worked extensively with record producer Flood.
Among the accolades Harvey has received are both the 2001 and 2011 Mercury Prize for Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea (2000) and Let England Shake (2011), respectively, making her the only artist to have been awarded the prize twice. She has also garnered eight Brit Award nominations, seven Grammy Award nominations and two further Mercury Prize nominations. Rolling Stone awarded her three accolades: 1992's Best New Artist and Best Singer Songwriter, and 1995's Artist of the Year. Rolling Stone also listed Rid of Me, To Bring You My Love and Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea on its list of their 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. In 2011, she was awarded for Outstanding Contribution To Music at the NME Awards. In the 2013 Birthday Honours, she was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for services to music.
O Stella
PJ Harvey Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Stella Marie you're my star
Stand on ground look up at her
Just hanging in gold stone
Just hanging there, face froze
But I think I see her smiling
Think I see her smiling
Think I see her smiling
Go
Go
Go
Go, go
Stella Marie you're my star
In your blue blue tavern, you light my lantern
O Stella's large
Pink on her face
It's glowing this place
A place for heroes only
Place for heroes only
Place for heroes only
Place for heroes only
Go
Go
Go
Go, go, go, go
Stella Marie you're my star
I pin you to my chest
Sell you to the rest
I kiss her gown
Send those angels down to woo me now
I think I see her smiling
Think I see her smiling
Think I see her smiling
Think I see her smiling
Go
Go
Go
Go, go
Go
Go
Go
Go, go
Go
Go
Go
Go, go
In the song "O Stella," PJ Harvey sings about her admiration for a woman named Stella Marie. The first stanza speaks about how she sees Stella Marie as her star and how, when she looks up at her, she appears to be just hanging in gold stone with a frozen face. However, she imagines seeing her smiling, and the repetition of this line emphasizes PJ Harvey's desire to see a positive, joyful side to Stella Marie. In the second stanza, PJ Harvey continues to praise Stella Marie, saying that she lights up her lantern and that her face glows with a pink hue. She references a "blue blue tavern," which could be a metaphor for a place of safety and happiness, where Stella Marie is the center of attention. The third stanza speaks of her desire to hold onto Stella Marie and sell her to others, to make her a commodity that everyone can admire. She kisses her gown and speaks of how the angels must be sent down to woo her. Overall, "O Stella" seems to be a love letter to this person, expressing PJ Harvey's admiration and desire for her.
Line by Line Meaning
Stella Marie you're my star
Addressing Stella Marie as her personal star
Stand on ground look up at her
Looking up at Stella Marie who is hanging in gold stone
Just hanging in gold stone
Depicting the scene where Stella Marie is hanging in gold stone
Just hanging there, face froze
Illustrating Stella Marie's face which is froze while she is hanging there
But I think I see her smiling
Assuming that Stella Marie is smiling
Go
Encouraging someone to go ahead
Stella Marie you're my star
Reiterating that Stella is her star
In your blue blue tavern, you light my lantern
Depicting Stella's blue tavern and how she lights her lantern
O Stella's large
Referring to the size of Stella
Pink on her face
Describing the color pink on Stella's face
It's glowing this place
Stating that Stella's presence is glowing this place
A place for heroes only
Calling the location only for heroes
Place for heroes only
Reiterating that the location is only for heroes
Go
Encouraging someone to go ahead
Stella Marie you're my star
Reiterating that Stella is her star
I pin you to my chest
Expressing that she pins Stella to her chest
Sell you to the rest
Selling her admiration of Stella to others
I kiss her gown
Expressing admiration by kissing Stella's gown
Send those angels down to woo me now
Requesting angels come and charm her right now
Think I see her smiling
Believing that Stella is smiling
Go
Encouraging someone to go ahead
Go
Encouraging someone to go ahead
Go
Encouraging someone to go ahead
Go
Encouraging someone to go ahead
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: POLLY HARVEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Roiy Benkel
Stella Marie you're my star
Stella Marie you're my star
Stand on ground look up at her
Just hanging in gold stone
Just hanging there face froze
But I think I see her smiling
Think I see her smiling
Think I see her smiling
Think I see her smiling
Go
Go
Go
Go go
Stella Marie you're my star
In your blue blue tavern
You light my lantern
O Stella's large
Pink on her face
It's glowing this place
A place for heroes only
Place for heroes only
Place for heroes only
Place for heroes only
Go
Go
Go
Go go go go
Stella Marie you're my star
I pin you to my chest
Sell you to the rest
I kiss her gown
Send those angels down to woo me now
I think I see her smiling
Think I see her smiling
Think I see her smiling
Think I see her smiling
Go
Go
Go
Go go
Time Traveler
I still love this song..such a great rift and bass line
TheKInnarelli
I remember sitting in my college dorm room when this album first came out and being just blown away listening to it. Brings back so many memories! Thanks for posting.
Roiy Benkel
Stella Marie you're my star
Stella Marie you're my star
Stand on ground look up at her
Just hanging in gold stone
Just hanging there face froze
But I think I see her smiling
Think I see her smiling
Think I see her smiling
Think I see her smiling
Go
Go
Go
Go go
Stella Marie you're my star
In your blue blue tavern
You light my lantern
O Stella's large
Pink on her face
It's glowing this place
A place for heroes only
Place for heroes only
Place for heroes only
Place for heroes only
Go
Go
Go
Go go go go
Stella Marie you're my star
I pin you to my chest
Sell you to the rest
I kiss her gown
Send those angels down to woo me now
I think I see her smiling
Think I see her smiling
Think I see her smiling
Think I see her smiling
Go
Go
Go
Go go
Montex
Bought this when it came out, and that was raw and unexpectedly perfect for me, couldn't get bored of those rolling trance vibes and never found this again in her next albums. Raw power is often...what's best :))
miss gilda
Once i was in love with a woman named Stella and she loved PJ Harvey and got me to listen to her. I still love her but we rarely speak now :-(
Jeff G
I think I"m starting to hear this one more clearly. Originally, I was tending to think exploitation in an adult context, but after listening more, my mind anyways tends to navigate towards a mother living vicariously through her young daughter (who likes to perform - pageant, for instance). Originally I thought she was saying "Baseball heroes on the way", but it's "Place for heroes only" (like winners - you know how some of these mothers can be). You know, I "think" I see her smiling - parent isn't really concerned - it's their own happiness they are after, not their child's. Update: It's so funny how the context of this song and the total meaning changes based on that one set of words that everyone tends to hear differently. Think we have an artist at work? Oh, btw, they call me the great updater. My updates are typically better than my original posts. I usually bomb first time around. she really likes to twist your mind around, and also to challenge your thinking.
Grandma Mustaine
@Jaxx G As far as I know, PJ wrote this song about her grandmother
Jaxx G
i’m not sure if you know this but stella marie or stella maris is a nickname for the virgin mary.
Aliyah Pissos
Dedicated to all the badass women we've lost. Shinin bright just hanging stars in the big night sky.
Vinyl Diary666
Badass Album!