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.
The Aspidistra Flies
Stars Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
All the rain on tentside couldn't stop you shining through
I dreamt of you last night, lying next to me in blue
All the umbrellas in London couldn't hide my love for you
Run to the window and call out my name
We'll meet where the sun goes to hide from the rain
from the rain
All the umbrellas in London couldn't hide my love for you
When everyone else is hiding, rain is sometimes drunk at two
You whisper sweet lies to me, and one of them will be true
All the umbrellas in London couldn't hide my love for you
The boom of the city at evening is still
You whisper come to me and I always will
always will
always will
All the rain in this town and still the sky was blue
St. James Square was teeming with doves and at sunset they flew
Across the darkened city to an attic room for two
All the umbrellas in London couldn't hide my love for you
Why do you hide your love from me
I counted all the lights, they don't shine as bright
They don't pierce the night like you do
like you do
like you do
like you do
The lyrics to Stars' song The Aspidistra Flies are an expression of deep, passionate love that can't be obscured by anything, not even rain or the many umbrellas people use in London. The first stanza describes how the rain couldn't stop the person's lover from shining through even on a cloudy day. The singer recalls dreaming of their lover lying next to them in blue, a color that conveys a melancholic mood. However, the umbrella metaphor suggests that the singer is trying to hide their feelings, but it's impossible because their love is too strong.
In the second stanza, the singer pleads with their lover to call out their name and meet them where the sun goes to hide from the rain. This imagery emphasizes the idea of seeking refuge from the world and finding comfort in each other's arms. Despite the rainy weather, their love will always shine through. The third stanza describes how the city becomes quiet in the evening, and the singer can hear their lover whispering words of love to them. The singer will always respond to these calls, despite whatever obstacles they may face.
The last stanza speaks about how nothing can hide the singer's love for their partner, not even the countless lights of the city. Their love shines brighter and penetrates the night more than anything else. The lyrics convey the message that nothing can obscure the singer's love, not even the rain or the many umbrellas in London.
Line by Line Meaning
All the umbrellas in London couldn't hide my love for you
Despite the rain in London, my love for you shines through and cannot be hidden.
All the rain on tentside couldn't stop you shining through
Even in the midst of rain, you still shine brightly in my life.
I dreamt of you last night, lying next to me in blue
I dreamt of being with you last night, and the color blue was a presence in my dream.
Run to the window and call out my name
If you miss me or need me, call out my name and I will come to you.
We'll meet where the sun goes to hide from the rain
Let's meet where the sun sets to avoid the rain and be together.
When everyone else is hiding, rain is sometimes drunk at two
When others are avoiding the rain, sometimes I find myself embracing it at two in the morning.
You whisper sweet lies to me, and one of them will be true
You tell me sweet lies, but I believe that at least one of them is actually true.
The boom of the city at evening is still
Even in the evening, when the city is noisy and loud, you bring a sense of stillness and calm to my life.
You whisper come to me and I always will
Whenever you call me, I will come to you without hesitation.
All the rain in this town and still the sky was blue
Even with all the rain in town, the sky remains blue and reminds me of your presence.
St. James Square was teeming with doves and at sunset they flew
St. James Square was filled with doves, and at sunset they took flight, creating a beautiful and peaceful scene.
Across the darkened city to an attic room for two
We travel across the dark city to a small, cozy attic room that we can share together.
I counted all the lights, they don't shine as bright
I compared all the lights in the city to you, but none of them shine as brightly as you do.
They don't pierce the night like you do
None of the lights in the city can light up the night like you do.
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
John Sweeney
All the umbrellas in London Couldn't hide my love for you All the rain on Thamesside Couldn't stop shining through I dreamt of you last nightLying next to me in blue All the umbrellas in LondonCouldn't hide my love for you
Run to the window and call out my name
We'll meet where the sun goes to hide from the rain
From the rain, from the rain
All the umbrellas in London
Couldn't hide my love for you
When everyone else is hiding
Rainy Sundays drunk at two
You'll whisper sweet lies to me
And one of them will be true
All the umbrellas in London
Couldn't hide my love for you
The gloom of the city at evening is still
You whisper come to me
And I always will
Always will, always will
All the rain in this town
And still the sky is blue
Saint James Square is teeming with doves
And that sunset they flew
Across the darkening city
To an attic room for two
All the umbrellas in London
Couldn't hide my love for you
I counted all the lights
They don't shine as bright
They don't pierce the night like you do
Like you do, like you do
Like you do, like you do
John Sweeney
All the umbrellas in London Couldn't hide my love for you All the rain on Thamesside Couldn't stop shining through I dreamt of you last nightLying next to me in blue All the umbrellas in LondonCouldn't hide my love for you
Run to the window and call out my name
We'll meet where the sun goes to hide from the rain
From the rain, from the rain
All the umbrellas in London
Couldn't hide my love for you
When everyone else is hiding
Rainy Sundays drunk at two
You'll whisper sweet lies to me
And one of them will be true
All the umbrellas in London
Couldn't hide my love for you
The gloom of the city at evening is still
You whisper come to me
And I always will
Always will, always will
All the rain in this town
And still the sky is blue
Saint James Square is teeming with doves
And that sunset they flew
Across the darkening city
To an attic room for two
All the umbrellas in London
Couldn't hide my love for you
I counted all the lights
They don't shine as bright
They don't pierce the night like you do
Like you do, like you do
Like you do, like you do
Kristin Kittle
this was my baby song, still brings back love.
Doctor Rafa
Thanks for posting this awesome Song ☹️😍 good memories 🙌🏼 Thank you very much
mothertheresalovesan
Le Grande Magistry?
RabidRaccoonDogs
yes! that's the record label it was released on. ouo
Cecil Palmer
Jaywalking
justanothernobody
just discovered that fic like last month. genuinely life-changing, has literally been stuck in my head eve since hahaha
Grace Quail
@Cecil Palmer I have literally been trying to find that playlist since I was 12 😂, did you take it off??
Cecil Palmer
michelle21617 ayyye thanks pal! Glad you like it, feel free to follow me on there lol (shameless self-promo haha)
明萱YEE
Cecil Palmer Can't believe I'd find you here! :D
I came exactly from your playlist lol ! XD (I'm the 'micpasta9898' haha XD)
Thanks for the nice playlist~