The seeds of Starcrawler were sown at Grand Arts High School when Arrow de Wilde met Henri Cash and he asked her to join the fledgling music project he'd started with Austin Smith. As the daughter of musician Aaron Sperske (Beachwood Sparks, Ariel Pink) and photographer Autumn de Wilde -- along with her experience as a model for Teen Vogue and a spot in a Lena Dunham-directed Bleachers video -- her popular culture credentials were already established. Taking up lead vocal duties, she, along with Cash (guitar) and Smith (drums), swiftly recorded the first Starcrawler single, "Ants." Tim Franco was enlisted on bass shortly thereafter, and the single was picked up by Elton John for his Beats 1 radio show.
Cash and de Wilde became the band's primary songwriters, and they gigged extensively across L.A. with psych-rock revivalists the Lemon Twigs. Starcrawler rapidly built a reputation for their wildly campy and theatrical performances. De Wilde made prolific use of fake blood on-stage -- no doubt a nod to her hero Ozzy Osbourne -- and often donned a hospital gown or a straitjacket for shows. At an in-store set at Amoeba Music, the band was introduced to Beck's ten-year-old daughter Tuesday, who would later appear in the cover art for Starcrawler's debut record in a blood-stained dress. They spent 2017 touring hard, appearing at the Foo Fighters' Cal Jam in San Bernardino, Echo Park Rising in L.A., and the Joshua Tree Happening Desert Daze. Their live performances caught the eyes and ears of Ryan Adams, who went on to record the band's first album to analog tape at his own Pax-Am Studio. Their self-titled debut long-player was released by the independent label Rough Trade in January of 2018. After a long round of touring in North America, Europe, and the United Kingdom, Starcrawler headed back to the studio to cut their second album. Produced by Nick Launay, Devour You was issued in October 2019 and featured a bigger and more robust sound that matched the bombast of their songs.
Home Alone
Starcrawler Lyrics
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I woke up late, started thinkin′ of you
Saying a phone call ripping me dead
Blood rushing to the top of my head
I feel it coming and I can't sit straight
′Cause my eyes are sweat and shame
I can't, I can't, but I know I will
Dirty socks got dirty minds
Almost there, hope I finish on time
Devil's handshake is what I need
Get on the places, one, two, three
I feel it coming and I can′t sit straight
'Cause my eyes are sweat and shame
I can′t, I can't, but I know I will
I can′t stop 'til I get my fill
When you're not home and I′m alone
I get the feeling that we all know
My thoughts undress you really slow
Can′t stop 'til I get my...
I feel it coming and I can′t sit straight
'Cause my eyes are sweat and shame
I can′t, I can't, but I know I will
I can′t stop 'til I get my fill
The lyrics to Starcrawler's song "Home Alone" are filled with raw, sexual energy and longing. The opening lines set the scene of a lazy day spent in bed with nothing to do, but the singer's thoughts quickly turn to a specific someone, whom they desperately want to reach out to. The urgency of the feeling is conveyed through the image of a phone call "ripping" the singer "dead" and the sensation of blood rushing to the top of their head.
As the song continues, the sexual energy builds with each line, culminating in the chorus where the singer admits that they can't stop until they "get [their] fill." The verses are filled with suggestive and slightly taboo phrases, such as "dirty socks got dirty minds" and "devil's handshake is what I need," hinting at a desire for something beyond the mundane. Even when the object of the singer's affection is not physically present, their thoughts are consumed by them, undressing them slowly in their mind. The repetition of the chorus drives home the idea that the singer is consumed by their sexual desire for this person and won't stop until they satisfy it.
Line by Line Meaning
In my bed, got nothing to do
The singer is lying in bed without anything to occupy their time.
I woke up late, started thinkin' of you
After waking up late, the singer's thoughts immediately turn to the person they have feelings for.
Saying a phone call ripping me dead
An incoming phone call is causing the singer significant distress.
Blood rushing to the top of my head
The artist's anxiety is causing physical symptoms, such as the sensation of blood rushing to their head.
I feel it coming and I can't sit straight
The artist is aware of the intense emotions building up inside them and is struggling to control their body's physiological response to them.
'Cause my eyes are sweat and shame
The singer is feeling such intense emotions that they have begun to cry.
I can't, I can't, but I know I will
Despite being overwhelmed by their emotions, the singer is determined to act on them.
I can't stop 'til I get my fill
The artist feels a compulsion to satisfy their emotional needs by pursuing the person they desire.
Dirty socks got dirty minds
The artist's thoughts have turned to sexual desire.
Almost there, hope I finish on time
The artist is sexually aroused and hoping to reach orgasm soon.
Devil's handshake is what I need
The singer is using a metaphor to describe their desire for sexual release.
Get on the places, one, two, three
The artist is mentally preparing themselves to engage in sexual activity.
When you're not home and I'm alone
The singer experiences intense feelings of loneliness when away from the person they desire.
I get the feeling that we all know
The singer believes that their feelings for the other person are obvious to everyone.
My thoughts undress you really slow
The singer is engaging in sexual fantasies involving the other person.
Can't stop 'til I get my...
The artist is driven by their intense emotional and sexual desires.
Writer(s): Arrow Sperske De Wilde, Timothy Franco, Austin Smith, Hendrik Kachoeff
Contributed by Micah I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.