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.
What I`m trying to say
Stars Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And when you smiled all the kids fell apart here
I know a place where it's warm and it's dry, dear
Let me take you there
North of the river all the streets are the same
We can pretend that they don't know our name
And the heat is turned all the way to full
I am trying to say
What I want to say
Without having to say, "I love you"
You look so good in the shoes of an outcast
I kissed your throat every time they said it wouldn't last
But then I knew you, I knew you, I knew you
I really knew you
We fell apart in the parties of the empty heart
We danced the junkies in the shadows of bad modern art
We clicked our heels and we wished we were home
One more tab and your silk hits the chrome
I am trying to say
What I want to say
Without having to say, "I love you"
I am trying to say
What I want to say
Without having to say, "I love you"
Springs comes in when I'm rolling up another one
I draw the curtains in the glare of the same old sun
We are collapsed in the act of just being here
Three blues, two greens and a beer
We are collapsed in the act of just being here
Three blues, two greens and a beer
I am trying to say
What I want to say
Without having to say, "I love you"
I am trying to say
What I want to say
Without having to say, "I love you"
The song "What I'm Trying to Say" by Stars is a poignant portrayal of a relationship that is defined by its inadequacies in communication. The opening verse sets the tone for this theme, with the lyric "I am trying to say, what I want to say, without having to say 'I love you'". The singer is struggling to articulate their feelings and resorting to indirect means of communication. This is further reinforced through the second verse, which references the couple's attempts to escape their reality through drug use and partying.
The chorus acts as a refrain to the song, with the singer repeating their desire to express themselves without resorting to direct language. The third verse delves deeper into the complexities of the relationship, with the singer acknowledging the negative experiences they have endured together. However, they also state that despite these struggles, they have come to truly know and understand their partner.
The song's final verse returns to the couple's drug use, with the singer describing their hazy existence as they simply "collapse in the act of just being here". This is a fitting ending to the song's thematic exploration of trying to communicate in the face of overwhelming emotional and physical barriers.
Line by Line Meaning
You look so good in the clothes of a poser
You have a great sense of style and can pull off any look, even those that aren't authentic to you.
And when you smiled all the kids fell apart here
Your smile is so dazzling and infectious that it has the power to make people lose their composure and become overwhelmed.
I know a place where it's warm and it's dry, dear
I have a special place in mind that is comfortable and safe, where we can relax and feel at ease.
Let me take you there
Trust me to guide you to this special place and take care of you.
North of the river all the streets are the same
There is a monotonous and predictable quality to the streets in this part of town that can feel suffocating and limiting.
We can pretend that they don't know our name
Let's try to create a sense of anonymity and escape the constraints of a known identity.
And the heat is turned all the way to full
The intensity of the moment and our connection is reaching its peak, and we can't deny it.
So don't pretend that you don't feel the pull
Let's acknowledge the undeniable attraction we feel for each other and give in to it without resistance.
I am trying to say
I am attempting to communicate
What I want to say
The message I really want to convey
Without having to say, "I love you"
But without explicitly using the words "I love you," which can feel weighty and overwhelming.
You look so good in the shoes of an outcast
You have a unique and unconventional style that sets you apart and makes you stand out in a positive way.
I kissed your throat every time they said it wouldn't last
Despite others doubting our relationship and its longevity, I expressed my affection for you by kissing your neck repeatedly.
But then I knew you, I knew you, I knew you
As I got to know you more deeply and intimately over time, I realized just how special and unique you are.
I really knew you
And I felt a genuine connection and understanding with you that was unlike anything I had experienced before.
We fell apart in the parties of the empty heart
Our relationship couldn't survive in the superficial and meaningless social settings that we found ourselves in.
We danced the junkies in the shadows of bad modern art
We found ourselves engaging in reckless and desperate behavior in the midst of uninspiring and depressing artistic environments.
We clicked our heels and we wished we were home
We longed for a sense of safety and belonging, and wished we could escape the bleakness of our current surroundings.
One more tab and your silk hits the chrome
We turned to drugs and other temporary escapes to numb our pain and distract ourselves from our problems.
Springs comes in when I'm rolling up another one
As I engage in unhealthy coping mechanisms like drug use, I lose track of time and seasons, and time blurs together.
I draw the curtains in the glare of the same old sun
Even as the world around me stays the same and carries on normally, I retreat into a world of my own creation and shut out the light.
We are collapsed in the act of just being here
We find ourselves paralyzed and unable to move or take action, even when we know we need to change our circumstances.
Three blues, two greens and a beer
We continue to turn to substances as a way of coping and numbing ourselves against our problems, even when we know it's not healthy or sustainable.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Amy Millan, Christopher Seligman, Evan Cranley, Torquil Campbell, Patrick McGee
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Kikyo-sama
one of my favorite albums by Stars
Bertha Boyd
I should
COVID-19 Up
I just listened for the first time and like this song a lot. No one is going to kill you.
Adam C. Sieracki
Aside from yard sales, this was probably the last album of new music that I physically purchased, nearly eighteen years ago. I'm actually not sure how I feel about that.
desisunrae
One of my favorite songs from them 3
Lyn S.
Sweet!! Love it!!
Phil Futer
One of the best shows I ever went to.
Kikyo-sama
Beautiful melody
kstar1739
How can ANYONE dislike this??? x)
Jenny wolf Matte
Favorite band with smashing pumpkins :) I'm a 25 years old girl and even though I look badass....I'm still a little girl for stuff like this :3 We won't kill you !!!