In early December 2002, Brisbane five-piece Speedstar played to a few hundr… Read Full Bio ↴In early December 2002, Brisbane five-piece Speedstar played to a few hundred people squeezed comfortably in to an observatory at the back of the Australian Homebake festival site. The show was pure class - a beautifully acoustic affair ending with their drummer throwing roses in to the crowd and one that quickly became the most talked about set of the day. It capped off a brilliant year for the band after the release of their critically acclaimed debut album 'Bruises You Can Touch' - and it's about to be repeated tenfold with the arrival of their brand new album 'Forget The Sun, Just Hold On'.

Speedstar's return to the fray isn't only what they've become famous for - creating songs that deal with the delicate nature of love and hate and every emotion in between - for while the title of 'Bruises You Can Touch' was a barely disguised nod to the dark hurt of the songs held within, this time round Speedstar have a new message - it's time to look for the positive, no matter what kind of situation you've found yourself in, and having spent most of 2003 writing and recording their second album with that in mind, Speedstar are about to present 14 of the most life-affirming tracks you're likely to hear from any band this year.

Working with revered Scottish producer Tony Doogan (whose credits include albums from artists such as Belle and Sebastian, The Super Furry Animals and The Reindeer Section) and infamous LA music identity Mixerman, 'Forget The Sun, Just Hold On' was set down over three weeks in the cathartic surrounds of New South Wales' Byron Bay. The album was recorded with no less than seven people in the studio at once, with a revolving cast of glockenspiels, maracas, string and horn sections, gospel singers - and the list goes on - in the studio at any one time, which meant if someone wasn't playing something, they'd be called upon to pick up something else. What resulted is an album not only bursting with lush instrumentation, but also one with an experimental edge not found on the band's debut - the kind of thing that this time round led to tea-towels on the drumskins, an odd assortment of very un-rock instrumentation and all tracks being laid down in the studio as live as possible.

You'll find the results in the poppy keyboard blips of tracks like 'Crying' or the warped Sgt. Pepper-esque 'The Saddest Summer on Record (reprise)', but it's also hinted at on more 'traditional' Speedstar tunes like the piano led 'Sky Blue' and heartbreaking acoustic of 'Gospel ..27'. Not that there's not still the occasional dark undertone that symbolised 'Bruises You Can Touch' sneaking through - while the tunes on 'Forget The Sun Just Hold On' are bursting with an almost illegal amount of optimism, you'll still find tracks like the summer joy of 'One Sunny Day', which, despite it's cheery acoustic camouflage, opens with the lyrics 'You were one sunny day/ In a year I wish would fade away/When you left me lying on the pavement…'. Rest assured it's still very much the Speedstar you know and love - the same band who, with a handful of EP's released during 2001 and 'Bruises You Can Touch' (with renowned Sex Pistols/ The Jam producer Steve James) gained a passionately devoted legion of fans buoyed on by a relentless touring schedule across Australia that included nationwide supports with bands like Doves and Starsailor and appearances at the Big Day Out, Livid and Homebake festivals - but this time, there's one essential difference - the hearts are mended, the love is ultimate and the sun is shining.

'Forget The Sun, Just Hold On' is not only an album about holding on, but also letting go. The first time you fell in love - this time prepare to fall even harder.

They broke up in June 2006.

Crying
Speedstar Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I've seen it al before, but I'm not cynical
No I'm not anything at all
The bluest eyes I've seen are slowly reddening
And it hurts me to think

Cause I'm a man who just can't stand to see you crying for yourself

I listen to my heart, it's incredible

If it makes sense at all
the coolest eyes I've seen are slowly melting
And it hurts me to sleep

Cause I'm a man who just can't stand to see you crying for yourself

Can I make you smile?
Is that ok?
Just don't waste your tears on me
If I make you smile is that ok?
Cause I'm a man who just can't stand to see you crying

I'm a man who just can't stand to see you crying for yourself

I'm a man
I'm a man

Overall Meaning

In Speedstar's song, "Crying," the singer laments the pain they feel in seeing someone they care about cry. The singer is not jaded or cynical, despite having seen pain before, and is able to empathize with the person crying. The "bluest eyes" they've seen are turning red from tears, and the "coolest eyes" they've seen are melting from sadness. This causes an emotional reaction in the singer, causing them pain to think about and to lose sleep over. The repetition of the line "I'm a man who just can't stand to see you crying for yourself" emphasizes the singer's strong feelings on the matter.

The singer then asks if they can make the person smile, and reassures them not to "waste [their] tears" on him. The repetition of the line "if I make you smile is that okay?" shows the singer's desire to bring happiness and comfort to the person crying, and their need for reassurance that they are doing the right thing.

Overall, the song portrays a person who is deeply empathetic and caring, and who can't bear to see someone they care about in pain. The repetition of the phrase "I'm a man" emphasizes a sense of responsibility and strength, as well as the need to be emotionally supportive.

Line by Line Meaning

I've seen it all before, but I'm not cynical
Even though I have experienced this before, I still have hope and positivity

No, I'm not anything at all
I don't want any labels or expectations on me, I just want to be myself

The bluest eyes I've seen are slowly reddening
I can see you are hurting and it's affecting you deeply

And it hurts me to think
I feel your pain and it's also causing me pain

Cause I'm a man who just can't stand to see you crying for yourself
I care about you so much that I can't bear to see you in tears, especially for your own sake

I listen to my heart, it's incredible
I trust my intuition and it always leads me towards something wonderful

If it makes sense at all
Sometimes it's hard to explain, but my heart knows what it wants

the coolest eyes I've seen are slowly melting
Even the most composed and confident people can eventually break down and show their vulnerability

And it hurts me to sleep
I can't even find peace in my dreams knowing you are struggling

Can I make you smile?
Is there anything I can do to bring some happiness back into your life?

Is that ok?
I don't want to overstep any boundaries or make you uncomfortable

Just don't waste your tears on me
I don't want to be the cause of your sadness or pain

Cause I'm a man who just can't stand to see you crying
I value our relationship too much to watch you suffer

I'm a man who just can't stand to see you crying for yourself
I want to be there for you and help in any way I can when you are feeling down

I'm a man
I may not have all the answers, but I am committed to supporting you through your pain

Contributed by Brody T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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