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.
On Peak Hill
Stars Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You telephone from far away
I see the ocean from my room
All I could say was, "Are you coming home soon?"
The static whisper in my ear
But in a moment your voice was clear
"I need some time," you said to me
You were gonna make me wish for the time right before I was born
When every living breath was another new dawn
Like the time I was five at the top of Peak Hill
And the wind almost took me away
You're gonna make me wish for the time right before I was born
When every living breath was another new dawn
Like the time I was five at the top of Peak Hill
And the wind almost took me away
I walk awhile before I sleep, count the secrets that I keep
I hope for more, I know for sure I fall apart before I weep
I disconnect the telephone 'cause I can choose to be alone
I'll get more done, I'll have some fun, pretend you're not the only one
And I'm never gonna wish for the time right before I was born
When every living breath was another new dawn
Like the time I was five at the top of Peak Hill
And the wind almost took me away
You're gonna make me wish for a time right before I was born
When every living breath was another new dawn
Like the time I was five at the top of Peak Hill
And the wind almost took me away
In this song, Stars reflect on a relationship that has hit a rough patch. The singer shares how they received a call from their partner who is far away; the rain is falling, and they can see the ocean from their room. The words "Are you coming home soon?" reveal the singer's longing for their partner and desire for things to go back to how they were. However, the partner delivers the news that they need some time, and this is when the singer feels lonely, believing that their partner is going to leave them.
The phrase "you were gonna make me wish for the time right before I was born" indicates that the singer felt content in their life before this relationship, where every day was a new dawn, and they were carefree like when they were five at the top of Peak Hill. The 'wind' trying to take them away could be symbolic of the struggles they are facing in this relationship, which the singer remembers as a pivotal moment. The singer is worried their longing for how things once were will return, and they will once again wish to be at the top of the hill with no worries, but now they will feel the wind trying to take them away, as the memory is now tainted.
The singer ends the song stating that they choose to disconnect the telephone and be alone, hoping for more and pretending their partner is not the only one, a sign of moving on. The song overall is a reminder that some relationships are cyclical, and while they can begin on a high, they can also end just as quickly, leaving the other feeling like the wind and rain, trying to sweep them away from their happiest memories.
Line by Line Meaning
The rain fell hard on the roofs that day
It was a rainy day and the rain was falling hard on the roofs.
You telephone from far away
You called from a distant place or location.
I see the ocean from my room
The singer has a view of the ocean from their room.
All I could say was, "Are you coming home soon?"
The artist asked if the person on the phone is coming back home soon.
The static whisper in my ear
There was some static on the phone causing a whispering sound.
But in a moment your voice was clear
After the static cleared up, the person's voice was clear.
"I need some time," you said to me
The person on the phone said they needed some time.
That's when I knew you were gonna make me lonely
The artist realized that the person on the phone would make them feel lonely.
You were gonna make me wish for the time right before I was born
The artist would long for a time before they were born that was better than the present.
When every living breath was another new dawn
A time when every breath felt fresh and new like a new day.
Like the time I was five at the top of Peak Hill
A memory of a time when the singer was five years old and on top of Peak Hill.
And the wind almost took me away
The wind was strong enough to almost take the artist away at that time.
I walk awhile before I sleep, count the secrets that I keep
The singer takes a walk before sleeping and thinks about the secrets they are keeping.
I hope for more, I know for sure I fall apart before I weep
The singer hopes for more but knows that they will fall apart emotionally before crying.
I disconnect the telephone 'cause I can choose to be alone
The singer disconnects the phone because they want to be alone.
I'll get more done, I'll have some fun, pretend you're not the only one
The artist will focus on getting things done and having fun, pretending they are not the only one missing the person on the phone.
And I'm never gonna wish for the time right before I was born
The artist will never wish for a time before they were born again.
When every living breath was another new dawn
A time when every breath felt fresh and new like a new day.
Like the time I was five at the top of Peak Hill
A memory of a time when the singer was five years old and on top of Peak Hill.
And the wind almost took me away
The wind was strong enough to almost take the artist away at that time.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Christopher Allen Seligman, Torquil John Campbell
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Where's Waldo
Star are simply not meant to be mainstream. People don't want true emotion, they want sex and a catchy beat. But that's why I love Stars...they are so different. Poetry in musical form.
Princessgem22
My new favorite band! They have many wonderful tunes during a time when music is dreadful!
PennyProud2004
This song is so beautiful!! Does anyone know the tabs or the chords? D: I really wanna learn to play it on the guitar.
kfig
really lovely song and great pictures :) Its all so mellow and beautiful.. STARS are one of my fav bands. They're amazing.
Lisa D
This is the song I always sing to myself when I can't sleep.. <3
mad4umaddy
Nice one - one of my favorites from Nightsongs
橋本藍子
とても素敵な曲！
allthatishere
breathtakingly amazing! <333
teepeemaniac
my new favorite song by Stars. :) such a great song.
Bryan Haynsworth
Wow this video is sooooo good I love the pictures you put they go perfect with this song because I love cats too!