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 Big Fight
Stars Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
-i couldn't say.
years built on sand.
-june until may.
second to second,
not even while you held my hand.
it's death for living.
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 is 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 filled 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 is show.
he doesn't want her but he just won't let her go.
"The Big Fight" by Stars is a complex and emotional song that touches upon issues like attachment, control, and the difficulty of letting go. The lyrics hint at a strained relationship between two people who are struggling to move on from each other. The first verse suggests that the relationship had been built on fragile foundations and was always destined to fail: "years built on sand, June until May." The singer seems to be grappling with their emotions, unable to explain why things didn't work out. The line "second to second, not even while you held my hand" is particularly poignant, indicating that even when they were physically close, the emotional distance between them was too great.
The second verse is even more somber, with the singer declaring themselves a ghost and mourning the loss of the person they loved most. They recognize that they have been broken by the relationship, but they still can't find a way to let go. The chorus repeats the same line: "he doesn't want her but he just won't let her go." This line suggests a sense of possession and control, with the singer recognizing that they are the one holding on, even though they know they shouldn't. The final verse hints at a potential confrontation, with the singer asking if their partner is still trapped in the prison of the relationship. They confess that they have unlocked the door, but acknowledge that their partner may still be unable to walk away.
Overall, "The Big Fight" is a powerful song that explores the complex emotions of a failing relationship. The lyrics are open to interpretation, but the sense of sadness and frustration is palpable. The repeating chorus adds to the sense of being trapped, with the same line being repeated over and over again like a broken record.
Line by Line Meaning
how could you do it?
I don't understand how you could have done this to us
-i couldn't say.
I am unable to provide an explanation
years built on sand.
Our past is inherently unstable and uncertain
-june until may.
Our relationship defied the conventional trajectory of time
second to second,
Our time together was always fleeting and impermanent
not even while you held my hand.
Even in moments of physical intimacy, there was emotional distance
it's death for living.
Our relationship is the cause of our emotional demise
-yes i am a ghost.
I am a mere shadow of my former self
the mirror is cloudy.
I cannot see myself clearly anymore
-i loved you the most.
Out of everyone else, my love for you was the strongest
you threw out the pieces,
You discarded the remnants of our past together
did things we didn't understand.
Our actions towards each other were inexplicable
he doesn't want her but he just won't let her go.
He is still holding onto her even though he no longer has any desire for her
she started breaking but she still won't let it show.
Her emotional distress is becoming more apparent, but she is refusing to reveal it
the clothes in the wardrobe...
The physical items we accumulated have no real significance
-just send them to me.
I don't care about them; you can keep them
there are bills here for you.
You owe payment for our shared expenses
-that's 'cause nothing is free.
Everything in life has a cost, including our relationship
we filled up with things
Material possessions have come to define our sense of self
to make us who we want to be.
We are trying to construct a version of ourselves that we aspire to become
is she in the background?
Are you still thinking about her even when you're with me?
-i just wouldn't know.
I am uncertain about the presence of another person in your thoughts
did i build you a prison?
Did my love for you become suffocating and confining?
-please don't let me go.
I am afraid of losing you, even though our relationship is not healthy
i've unlocked the door
I am granting you the freedom to leave
but you can't walk away from me.
You are still emotionally attached to our relationship and cannot leave
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Nico93106
This drum break at 3:03 is amazing. It is coming at the perfect time. So chilling!
@savage0
one of the best on the album... off one of the best albums... 0 dislikes... amazing band. Thanks for posting it
@Michelle11011
I love this song (: It's pretty unique to all that other mainstream pop :)
@electronicexposure
This song is way ahead of it's time in many, many ways. Lyrically, being one. The flip to a drumnbass breakdown (with what feels like a mic'd acoustic drum kit with a compressor/limiter) being another. And the deep filter LFO + compression on the synth bass adding a very deep liquid drumn'bass sound (which also became known as a 'wobble' for some reason.)
@NomDatCookie
Just discovered this song, already in love. ♥
@jacel987
my friend finally showed me a good song from this band. cheers to him!
@MrFeyerwire
I got the absolute treat of seeing Stars live at the Showbox in Seattle. Torguill Campbell is such a stud live so was Amy and she was pregnant at the time. I am a hetro, but if I was not i would hit on Torq just because he is awesome. Not many people are that hip past 40.
@tasrocksful
love this song
@m.aanderson8050
Totally forgot this was even a thing. Good album.
@rawcoyote
how cool can you get? I woke up this morning hearing this. It rubs me right.