Influenced by Tim Buckley (whose 1970 album gave the band their name), Van Morrison, and Neil Young, they played their first London show at the Heavenly Social in April 2000. At the same time, a demo tape containing the tracks "Fever," "Coming Down," and "Love Is Here" began circulating rapidly around the music industry. By the summer there was a queue of record companies to sign the nascent band. EMI won the race for their signature. After spending January 2001 on an NME-sponsored tour with JJ72 and Amen, Starsailor released their debut single, "Fever," to unanimous critical praise.
A sold-out headline U.K. tour at the end of March preceded the release of their second single, "Good Souls," in April. Once again it was ecstatically received and reached the Top 20. As the single was released, the band went to Wales to record their debut album. They re-emerged in June to begin a summer of festival appearances sandwiched between an American tour supporting Doves and a couple of headline dates of their own.
After achieving their first U.K. Top Ten hit with the single "Alcoholic," Starsailor's debut album, Love Is Here, was released in September 2001 to much critical fanfare, and a European tour closed out a highly successful year. The following year kicked off with the American release of Love Is Here in January, and a few weeks on the road for a brief North American tour, ending with a performance at the SXSW festival in March. Their sophomore album, Silence Is Easy, followed in 2004.
Starsailor released their third album, On The Outside, in the UK on 17 October 2005 along with the first single from the album, "In The Crossfire".
Their song, "Way To Fall" was featured (during the ending sequence) in the blockbuster Playstation 2 video game, Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
"All The Plans" was released March 9, 2009, in the UK.
Lead singer, James Walsh began to work on a solo project at the end of 2009. In November 13, 2009 it was officially announced by Lancashire Evening Post that Starsailor was on hold and that James Walsh was concentrating on his solo career. In an interview with VirtualFestivals.com he stated that at this moment he was working on his first solo album and that he was writing the lyrics with American songwriter and singer Suzanne Vega.
Starsailor announced their reunion on 23 May 2014 and began performing worldwide. Good Souls: The Greatest Hits was released in September 2015, and featured two new songs. A fifth studio album All This Life was released in 2017.
More can be found on their official website: http://www.starsailorband.co.uk/
In The Crossfire
Starsailor Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I look in the mirror
I see who I should be
I don't see myself when
I look in your eyes
Thank god for that
I don't see myself when
I see where I should be
I don't see myself when
I look from the sky
Thank god for that
I hear them screaming
On the radio, its getting louder
In the crossfire trying to
Find some hope from
The ashes of their broken home
I don't see myself when
They fail to deliver
I see what I should be
I don't see myself when
I look at the flag
Thank god for that
I hear them screaming
On the radio, its getting louder
In the crossfire trying to
Find some hope
Our day will come
We'll find the sun
We'll find the fire
We'll sanctify the love we
Give our one desire
I hear them screaming
On the radio, its getting louder
In the crossfire trying to
Find some hope
I hear them screaming
On the radio, its getting louder
In the crossfire trying to
Find some hope from the ashes of
Their broken home
I don't see myself when
I look in the mirror
The lyrics to Starsailor's song "In The Crossfire" are a poignant reflection on the struggle to find one's place in the world amidst the chaos and turmoil of contemporary society. The first verse speaks to a sense of disassociation from oneself and a deep longing to be something other than what one sees in the mirror. The repetition of the phrase "Thank god for that" suggests that the singer is relieved to not see themselves in the eyes of another person, or in the broader context of the world. In this sense, the song is exploring the difficulties that one might face in coming to terms with their identity and finding a sense of purpose in life.
The second verse continues this theme of searching for meaning and purpose, with the singer looking out at the world and seeing a vision of where they could be, rather than where they currently are. The repetition of the phrase "I don't see myself" reinforces the sense of disassociation and disconnection that the singer is feeling, and the focus on the idea of "where I should be" adds a sense of urgency and desperation to the lyrics. The chorus introduces the idea of being caught in the crossfire, a metaphor that suggests being surrounded by conflicting forces and struggling to find a way out. The reference to "the ashes of their broken home" is a powerful image that underscores the sense of loss and devastation that the singer is witnessing.
The final verse introduces a note of hope, with the singer imagining a future in which they and others like them will find their way out of the crossfire and into the light. The repetition of the phrase "I hear them screaming" reinforces the sense of urgency and desperation that has been building throughout the song, while the final line "I don't see myself when I look in the mirror" brings the narrative full circle. Ultimately, the message of the song is one of resilience and hope in the face of adversity, as the singer and others like them struggle to find their place in a world that is constantly in flux.
Line by Line Meaning
I don't see myself when
I look in the mirror
When I examine myself in a reflective surface, I don't see the true version of me that exists within.
I see who I should be
Instead of perceiving my current self, I envision the person I have the potential to become.
I don't see myself when
I look in your eyes
When I gaze into your eyes, I don't see my own reflection staring back at me.
Thank god for that
I express gratitude that I'm not reminded of myself when I look at you.
I don't see myself when
I look cross the river
Upon viewing a body of water, I envision where I could be instead of focusing on my present self.
I see where I should be
My thoughts shift to the ideal version of myself that I'm striving to become rather than my current state.
I don't see myself when
I look from the sky
When I survey the world from above, I don't see a reflection of myself down below.
I hear them screaming
On the radio, its getting louder
In the crossfire trying to
Find some hope from
The ashes of their broken home
The sound of people suffering and struggling to overcome their traumatic past grows more audible on the radio, as they search for a way to cope and move forward from the tragedy that occurred in their household.
I don't see myself when
They fail to deliver
I see what I should be
When others fall short of expectations, I don't see my own shortcomings reflected back at me. Rather, I see what I have the potential to achieve.
I don't see myself when
I look at the flag
Upon seeing the flag, I don't focus on my personal identity, but rather the collective identity and aspirations of my country.
Our day will come
We'll find the sun
We'll find the fire
We'll sanctify the love we
Give our one desire
There will be a day when our ambitions and desires are realized, and we'll bask in the warmth and passion of the sun and flames as we sanctify our love for each other and bring our dreams to life.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: BARRY WESTHEAD, BENJAMIN BYRNE, JAMES STELFOX, JAMES WALSH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Jesús Warner
I don't see myself when I look in the mirror
I see who I should be
I don't see myself when I look in your eyes
Thank God for that
I don't see myself when I look cross the river
I see where I should be
I don't see myself when I look from the sky
Thank God for that
I hear them scream, woooo
On the radio
It's getting louder in the crossfire
Tryin' to find some hope
From the ashes of their broken home
I don't see myself when they fail to deliver
I see what I should be
I don't see myself when I look when I look at the flag
Thank God for that
I hear them scream, woooo
On the radio
It's getting louder in the crossfire
Tryin' to find some hope
Our day will come
Well find the sun
Well find the fire
Well set a fire the love we give
Our one desire
I hear them scream, woooo
On the radio
It's getting louder in the crossfire
Tryin' to find some hope
I hear them scream, woooo
On the radio
It's getting louder in the crossfire
Tryin' to find some hope
From the ashes of their broken home
I don't see myself when I look in the mirror
Leila W
Tenía esta canción metida en la cabeza por AÑOS, pero nunca me acordaba de la letra, me resonaba el "on the radio" y lo demás lo tarareaba. En serio, AÑOS con esta canción metida en la cabeza, a veces la recordaba en momentos randoms cuando estaba aburrida. Hoy la volví a recordar y me puse a buscarla jaja, con solo el "on the radio" por google, me salían muchas canciones pero no esta, pero lo logré jajaja por fín encontré la canción!
Matias Jonathan
La verdad que tiene muy poco reconocimiento éste pedazo de Temaikén
CAROLINA SEPULVEDA MONCADA
Yo soy igual cuando se me mete una canción en la cabeza, no descanso hasta encontrarla!!! Este es un temazo, recién conozco a esta banda y me han encantado
Ema Heiwa
Debería tener millones de vistas. Un clásico poco apreciado 🇦🇷
Wuicho Angelo
Concuerdo , debería de ser más reconocida hoy en día , su propuesta musical siempre ha sido refrescante
xevissimo
TOTAL!
doctor socolinsky
Realmente si, lo escuchaba cuando tenia 14-15 años y tiene muchas vibras de Keane
Mein Herz schlägt für dich
@Hernan Cantero es dificil encontrar este grupo yo de causalidad oniendo gruo e los 90's lo encontre y me gusto mucho sus tema ahora esucho sus album y ahora la moderna (Y)
Hernan Cantero
La verdad que no entiendo el por qué no tiene mas visitas si es un tema espectscular!!
The Pathfinder
I agree. This song should deserve more. Great vocal, great song by an excellent band.