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/
Music Was Saved
Starsailor Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Can I stay here a while?
And I feel I'm about to go down
About to down
If love is a Ferris wheel
Can I see how I feel?
She's taking me up
Care to go down
[Chorus]
Oh my friends, we landed in December
It is something for you to remember
Rushes were made and music was saved
One, two, three, she's riding up to heaven
Four, five, six, and right up to eleven
Rushes were made, and music was saved
Back on the ground again
Excuses are wearing thin
They came with the band
But they're out with the winter for now
Losing it now
Remember when I was young
Trying to be someone
Boy on his heels
I was never the toast of the town
Look at me now
[Chorus: x2]
The lyrics of Starsailor's "Music Was Saved" evoke a sense of nostalgia and longing for the past. The singer ponders if life is a carnival and wishes to stay there for a while, as they feel like they are about to go down. Similarly, if love is a Ferris wheel, they want to see how they feel, but their love interest is taking them up without wanting to come down. The chorus speaks of landing in December and having rushes made while music was saved. The singer reminisces about their past when they were trying to be someone, but they were never the toast of the town. The song appears to be about the fleeting nature of youth, love, and music.
Line by Line Meaning
If life is a carnival
Life is uncertain and full of ups and downs, like a carnival.
Can I stay here a while?
Can I take a break from the chaos of life?
And I feel I'm about to go down
I feel like I'm about to hit rock bottom.
About to down
About to hit rock bottom.
If love is a Ferris wheel
Love is like a Ferris wheel, with its own ups and downs.
Can I see how I feel?
Can I understand my emotions?
She's taking me up
Love is making me happy and excited.
But she don't even care to go down
Love is not worried about the eventual fall that comes with the rise.
Oh my friends, we landed in December
We have ended up at the end of the year, looking back on our experiences.
It is something for you to remember
This moment is worth remembering.
Rushes were made and music was saved
We had exciting experiences and music saved us in our hard times.
One, two, three, she's riding up to heaven
Someone is experiencing great happiness and success.
Four, five, six, and right up to eleven
The happiness and success is growing stronger and stronger.
Back on the ground again
After a period of success, things have returned to normal.
Excuses are wearing thin
People are getting tired of hearing excuses.
They came with the band
People are here to enjoy the music.
But they're out with the winter for now
But now they have moved on from the music and are waiting for winter to end.
Losing it now
I am starting to lose control and feel overwhelmed.
Remember when I was young
Remembering the past when things were simpler.
Trying to be someone
Trying to find one's identity and purpose.
Boy on his heels
A young and naive boy who is unsure of himself.
I was never the toast of the town
I was never popular or successful.
Look at me now
Reflecting on how far one has come since the past.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: BARRY WESTHEAD, BENJAMIN BYRNE, JAMES STELFOX, JAMES WALSH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind