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.
Soft Revolution
Stars Lyrics
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The fool, the drunk, the child and his wife
We won't let the sun go down
We gonna chase the demons out of town
Singing when you feel alone
Backwards through the megaphone
Singing to the ones you love
And the ones you'd like to be rid of
We are here to take the blame
To take the taunts and if the shame
We are here to make you feel
It terrifies you, but it's real
It will keep you up all night
And in the flood of the morning light
Spilling out across your room
You say the words will get there soon
The revolution wasn't bad
We hit the streets with all we had
A tape recording with the sound
Of the Velvet Underground
A K-Way jacket torn to shreds
And a dream inside our heads
And after changing everything
They couldn't tell we couldn't sing
After changing everything
They couldn't tell we couldn't sing
They couldn't tell we couldn't sing
And that changes everything
The lyrics of Stars' song Soft Revolution seem to be an encouragement to stand up for what you believe in, to stand up for change, and to not let fear hold you back. The opening lines, "We are here to save your life, the fool, the drunk, the child and his wife, we won't let the sun go down," suggest that the singers are here to help those who may say or do foolish things, who may feel lost or alone, and who may be in need of guidance or protection. They promise to chase the demons out of town, implying that they will help people overcome their fears and doubts.
The chorus encourages singing when you feel alone, backwards through the megaphone, singing to both those you love and those you'd like to be rid of. This suggests that speaking up and singing out, even if it feels uncomfortable, is an important part of effecting change. The second verse makes clear that the singers are here to take the blame, to accept taunts and shame in order to make others feel something real, something that will keep them up all night.
The third verse is a reflection on the soft revolution that has taken place. It seems to celebrate the idea that change can come from the smallest, simplest things: a tape recording of the Velvet Underground, a torn jacket, a dream inside your head. But it also suggests that even after changing everything, people still could not be silenced. They could not be told they couldn't sing, and that changed everything.
Overall, the song seems to be about hope, about the power of collective action, about the importance of speaking up and speaking out, and about not being afraid to take risks or face criticism if it means making a difference.
Line by Line Meaning
We are here to save your life
We're here to help you, no matter what it takes.
The fool, the drunk, the child and his wife
We're here for everyone, no matter who they are or what their circumstances.
We won't let the sun go down
We won't stop until we've succeeded in our mission.
We gonna chase the demons out of town
We're going to fight against the negative influences that are causing problems in this place.
Singing when you feel alone
We'll be here to support you, no matter how alone you may be feeling.
Backwards through the megaphone
We're using unconventional means to get our message across.
Singing to the ones you love
We're here to help you celebrate and cherish the people in your life.
And the ones you'd like to be rid of
We're here to help you face your problems and overcome the obstacles in your life.
We are here to take the blame
We're here to bear the burden of our mistakes and take responsibility for our actions.
To take the taunts and if the shame
We're willing to face the criticism and humiliation that may come along with our actions.
We are here to make you feel
We want you to experience all the emotions that come with life, even the difficult ones.
It terrifies you, but it's real
We know that facing reality can be scary, but it's important to do so in order to grow and change.
It will keep you up all night
The realization of reality can be so shocking that it keeps you from sleeping.
And in the flood of the morning light
When dawn breaks and the sun rises, reality hits you even harder.
Spilling out across your room
Reality permeates every aspect of your life.
You say the words will get there soon
Even if it takes time, we're confident that our message will eventually reach its intended audience.
The revolution wasn't bad
Our efforts to bring about change were positive and worthwhile.
We hit the streets with all we had
We put all our effort into this cause, not holding back in any way.
A tape recording with the sound
We used unconventional means to spread our message, like recording it on tape instead of using traditional methods.
Of the Velvet Underground
We drew inspiration from unconventional sources, like the experimental rock band from the 1960s.
A K-Way jacket torn to shreds
We don't need fancy clothes or possessions to make change. We use what we have, even if it's not much.
And a dream inside our heads
Our conviction to make a difference was fueled by our dreams and aspirations.
And after changing everything
After making significant strides in our efforts to bring change.
They couldn't tell we couldn't sing
Our detractors couldn't discredit the positive impact we had, despite any shortcomings we may have had.
And that changes everything
Having made a tangible difference, our perspective on the world and our role in it has changed forever.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Amy E Millan, Christopher Allen Seligman, Evan Whitney Cranley, Patrick McGee, Torquil John Campbell
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind