There are several artists which use this name:
1. A popular indie pop ba… Read Full Bio ↴There are several artists which use this name:
1. A popular indie pop band from Canada
2. A rock band from the United Kingdom featuring Syd Barrett
3. A rock band from Australia
4. A country rock band from Australia
For the Japanese psychedelic group, please see The Stars

1. Stars is a Canadian indie pop band signed to the Arts & Crafts label. Originally formed in Toronto in 1998 by vocalist Torquil Campbell and keyboardist Chris Seligman, the band relocated to New York City and then subsequently to Montreal. The band also includes singer-guitarist Amy Millan and bassist Evan Cranley. Drummer Pat McGee has toured with the band for years, despite not appearing on their albums until the release of Set Yourself On Fire.

The band’s breakthrough single was Ageless Beauty, from their 2004 album Set Yourself on Fire. While released to minimal fanfare in Canada in October of 2004, Set Yourself on Fire slowly gained a strong following and critical praise soon after its 8 March 2005 U.S. release.

Millan, Campbell and Cranley are also members of the indie band Broken Social Scene; Seligman, although uncredited, has contributed to past Broken Social Scene albums. Millan has since embarked on a solo career, releasing a record entitled Honey From the Tombs in July 2006. Campbell has a side-project with friend Chris Dumont entitled Memphis; their latest album, A Little Place In the Wilderness, was released in August 2006.

On their website, they have noted that their name was chosen, by coincidence, without prior knowledge of the short-lived project by Syd Barrett. They have cited a wide variety of musical likes and influences ranging from Berlioz to Outkast, citing among others Barrett, Paddy McAloon, New Order, The Smiths, Brian Wilson and Momus. They covered The Smiths’ This Charming Man on 2001’s Nightsongs and The Pogues’ Fairytale of New York in 2005. Other indie artists have been guest collaborators on many of their tracks, especially for an early period including the release of their first LP.

2. The Stars is a Japanese psychedelic rock band. It consists of ex-members of the legendary band White Heaven including Michio Kurihara (Ghost, Boris, Ai Aso) on guitar and You Ishihara on vocals. For more information see The Stars.

3. Stars, a short-lived British band in 1972. Its members were Syd Barrett on guitar, Twink on drums, and Jack Monck (of Delivery) on bass. They played three live concerts in Cambridge before Barrett left the group, thus (essentially) ending it. Shortly thereafter Syd Barrett left music altogether and began a life in seclusion, and this project is sometimes seen as the so called 'straw that broke the camel's back'. Recordings of their performances remain lost, though it has been attested that all three performances contained early Pink Floyd songs and different versions of tracks from Barrett's 1970 solo album The Madcap Laughs. It has also been stated in multiple accounts that in each show Barrett entered one of his somewhat trademark catatonic trances, the worst coming in their second concert, where Barrett became almost completely frozen and had to be carried off stage. This was not unusual, having happened many times while Syd was still a member of Pink Floyd.

According to Twink, the band ended when Barrett approached him in the street, carrying a scathing review of their third concert. He waved the paper in Twink's face and said, essentially, "That's it."

4. Stars, an Australian country rock band from the late 1970s, most noted for the songs 'Mighty Rock' and 'Look After Yourself'. The band's main songwriter, Andy Durant, died tragically from cancer at age 25, marking the demise of the band. Fellow band members and many other luminaries in the Australian music scene at the time including Jimmy Barnes and Renee Geyer played a memorial concert, the Andy Durant Memorial Concert, to raise money for cancer research in mid-1980.

05. big fight
Stars Lyrics

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How could you do it
I couldn't say
Years built on sand
June until May
Second to second
Lied even while you held my hand

It's death for the living

Yes, I am a ghost
The mirror is cloudy
I loved you the most
You threw out the pieces
Did things we didn't understand

He doesn't want her but he just won't let her go
He doesn't want her but he just won't let her go
She started breaking but she still won't let it show
He doesn't want her but he just won't let her go

The clothes in the wardrobe
Just send them to me
There are bills here for you
That's cause nothing is free
We build up with things
To make us who we want to be

Is she in the background
I just wouldn't know
Did I build you a prison
Please don't let me go
I've unlocked the door
But you can't walk away from me

He doesn't want her but he just won't let her go
He doesn't want her but he just won't let her go
She started breaking but she still won't let it show
He doesn't want her but he just won't let her go

He doesn't want her but he just won't let her go
He doesn't want her but he just won't let her go

She started breaking but she still won't let it show
He doesn't want her but he just won't let her go

Overall Meaning

The song "05. big fight" by Stars is a hauntingly beautiful ballad that explores the complexities of a toxic relationship. The lyrics describe a love that is built on a shaky foundation of lies and insecurity, and the struggle to let go even when it's clear that the relationship is not healthy. The singer laments the fact that she loved her partner more than he ever loved her, and that despite her efforts to break free, she is trapped in a cycle of pain and hurt.

The opening lines, "how could you do it, I couldn't say," set the tone for the rest of the song, which is filled with confusion and despair. The singer questions why her partner would hurt her in such a way, but realizes that there are no easy answers. She feels like a ghost, trapped in a world that no longer holds any meaning for her. She is unable to move on, even though she knows that she should.

The chorus of the song is particularly poignant, as it encapsulates the central theme of the song. The repeated refrain, "he doesn't want her but he just won't let her go," speaks to the power dynamics at play in the relationship. The singer's partner is not interested in being with her, but he is also unwilling to let her break away. She is stuck in a difficult situation, unable to escape from the emotional chains that bind her.

Line by Line Meaning

How could you do it
The singer questions how their partner could have acted in such a way.

I couldn't say
The singer admits to being unsure of how they would have acted in the same situation.

Years built on sand
The foundation of their relationship was weak and unstable.

June until May
Their relationship lasted for a year, spanning from June to May.

Second to second
Their relationship was built on lies and deceit, even in the moments they were physically close.

Lied even while you held my hand
Their partner was dishonest and untrustworthy, even in moments of intimacy.

It's death for the living
The relationship is destructive and harmful to the singer's emotional well-being.

Yes, I am a ghost
The artist feels emotionally dead and detached from their partner.

The mirror is cloudy
The artist's perception of themselves and their relationship is distorted and unclear.

I loved you the most
The artist cared deeply about their partner, despite their toxic behavior.

You threw out the pieces
Their partner disregarded and destroyed their relationship, leaving the singer to pick up the broken pieces.

Did things we didn't understand
Their partner acted in ways that were confusing and incomprehensible to the artist.

He doesn't want her but he just won't let her go
The singer observes their partner's desire to end the relationship, but their inability to actually let go of the singer.

She started breaking but she still won't let it show
Despite the emotional toll the relationship is taking on the singer, they continue to pretend that everything is okay.

The clothes in the wardrobe
The singer requests that their partner return their belongings.

Just send them to me
The artist wants their partner to take action and return their belongings.

There are bills here for you
The artist reminds their partner of their financial obligations and responsibilities.

That's cause nothing is free
The singer emphasizes that everything has a cost or consequence.

We build up with things
People often use material possessions and external factors to create their sense of identity and self-worth.

To make us who we want to be
These possessions and factors are used to shape and define our sense of self and desired identity.

Is she in the background
The artist wonders if there is another person involved in their partner's decision to end the relationship.

I just wouldn't know
The artist is uncertain about their partner's true motivations and intentions.

Did I build you a prison
The singer questions whether they unintentionally caused their partner to feel trapped or confined in the relationship.

Please don't let me go
The artist is fearful of being alone and losing their partner.

I've unlocked the door
The singer has made the decision to end the relationship and move on.

But you can't walk away from me
Despite their decision to end the relationship, the singer's partner is struggling to let go and move on.

Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., PRINCE BUSTER MUSIC
Written by: Amy E Millan, Christopher Allen Seligman, Evan Whitney Cranley, Patrick McGee, Torquil John Campbell

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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