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.
Going Going Gone
Stars Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Gone
Still hooked on cellophane
Hanging 'round the mall and all
Each penny numbs the pain
Sends you gently for the fall
I followed you last night
I knew it wasn't right
I watched in fear and doubt
It's gotten to be that way
(Going, going, gone)
What did you do today
(Going, going, gone)
Look good in that red dress
I bet the boyfriend's happy
Your face is scarred with age
You're twenty three
But how can that be
You're still hooked on cellophane
Killing time with gin and lime
Each second numbs the pain
Love's just another rhyme
It's gotten to be that way
(Going, going, gone)
I'm scared but I'm okay
(Going, going, gone)
There's nowhere to move on
There's nowhere to move on
All I see again
All I see
All I see again
All I see
All I see again
All I see
All I see again
Is me everywhere
It's me
Dah-da-dah-da-do-dut-dah
Dah-da-dah-da-do-dut-dah
Dah-da-dah-da-do-dut-dah
Dah-da-dah-da-do-dut-dah
Dah-da-dah-da-do-dut-dah
Dah-da-dah-da-do-dut-dah
The song "Going Going Gone" by Stars is a melancholic reflection on the struggles of addiction, loneliness and the deteriorating effects of time. The repeated phrase "going, going, gone" seems to signify a sense of inevitability and the passing of time. The lyrics speak of being "hooked on cellophane" and "killing time with gin and lime" which could be interpreted as references to drug and alcohol abuse. The singer of the song is clearly struggling with addiction and possibly turning to substances to numb emotional pain. These sentiments are reinforced with the line "each penny numbs the pain."
However, the singer is not alone in their struggles, as the lyrics suggest that others close to them are also affected. The line "I followed you last night, I saw you turn your lights out" could be interpreted as someone close to the singer monitoring their behavior or worrying about their safety. Additionally, the lyrics suggest that the singer is "scarred with age" even though they are only twenty-three years old. This could suggest that the substance abuse and resultant lifestyle have begun to take a physical toll on them.
Despite the dark subject matter, the song ends on a somewhat hopeful note with the line "I'm scared but I'm okay." This could be interpreted as the singer acknowledging the difficulties they are facing but also recognizing that there is still hope for recovery and a better life.
Line by Line Meaning
Going, going, going, going
Gone
Slowly slipping away from a better life, and finally letting go of all that one once had.
Still hooked on cellophane
Addicted to temporary pleasures and cheap thrills despite knowing the consequences.
Hanging 'round the mall and all
Spending time in meaningless pursuits and avoiding the harsh realities of life.
Each penny numbs the pain
Even the smallest of pleasures provide temporary relief from the overwhelming pain of life.
Sends you gently for the fall
Helps you fall deeper into the trap of complacency and addiction.
I followed you last night
I saw you turn your lights out
I knew it wasn't right
I watched in fear and doubt
Watching a loved one suffer and slowly slip away, but feeling helpless to do anything about it.
It's gotten to be that way
(Going, going, gone)
Life has become a never-ending cycle of addiction, pain, and despair, with no real hope of escape or redemption.
What did you do today
(Going, going, gone)
A rhetorical question, as the answer is always the same: nothing meaningful or productive.
Look good in that red dress
I bet the boyfriend's happy
Your face is scarred with age
You're twenty three
But how can that be
Focusing more on outward appearances and pleasing others than on dealing with internal struggles and confronting the harsh realities of life.
Killing time with gin and lime
Each second numbs the pain
Love's just another rhyme
Using alcohol and other fleeting pleasures to pass the time and dull the pain of life, but realizing that true love and happiness are nothing but empty promises.
I'm scared but I'm okay
(Going, going, gone)
Being both frightened and numb to the realities of life, unsure of how to escape the cycle of addiction and despair.
There's nowhere to move on
All I see again
Is me everywhere
It's me
Feeling trapped and lost, unable to break free from the cycle of addiction and realizing that the only way out is to confront oneself and take responsibility for one's actions.
Dah-da-dah-da-do-dut-dah
Dah-da-dah-da-do-dut-dah
Dah-da-dah-da-do-dut-dah
Dah-da-dah-da-do-dut-dah
Dah-da-dah-da-do-dut-dah
Dah-da-dah-da-do-dut-dah
A repetitive, hypnotic rhythm that mirrors the cyclical, on-going nature of addiction and despair.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Emily Haines, Torquil John Campbell, Christopher Allen Seligman
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@amandabentes0
Whys isn’t this version on Spotify? This is so powerful! I keep coming back to it after so many years. The vibe, there’s something so mysterious about it, I cant quite put my finger on it. This will linger with me forever
@alejandrahinojosa7331
thats literally me everydayyyyyy,, they. just have the live version :(
@AliciaEvery
They don't own the album. They signed a really bad contract and it would cost a lot for them to buy out the contract. They can't re-release it either.
@amandabentes0
@Alicia Every that’s so sad ):
@InMediasResIII
There are songs that make you feel, and then there are songs that give a voice to how you feel.
@transp0rter1
i played this at my college radio station a lot, in 2004..
@MrLisaNrichard
This song never gets old....
@missanarchy13
My favorite Stars song still
@zampinib5285
I was 20 when I got into this and now I'm 31. fucking timeless
@chupaxf
I remember being 19 and thinking that the “you’re 23” lyric didn’t fit me. Now I’m 35 and wondering where the fuck my life went.