1) an American pop/rock ba… Read Full Bio ↴Starship is the name of more than one artist:
1) an American pop/rock band
2) trance act
3) UK powerpop
4) tech house group
5) 70s rock band with Micky Dolenz
1) Starship is an American pop/rock band best known for their hits "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now" and "We Built This City" that operated from 1985 to 1989, reforming in 1992 although featuring just vocalist Mickey Thomas. In 1984, singer-songwriter Paul Kantner left the San Francisco, California group Jefferson Starship. His former bandmates wanted to continue with that name, but Kantner, as the last founding member of Jefferson Airplane, took legal action over the "Jefferson" name. Kantner settled out of court and signed an agreement that neither party would use the names "Jefferson" or "Airplane" unless all members of Jefferson Airplane, Inc. (made up of Bill Thompson, Paul Kantner, Grace Slick, Jorma Kaukonen, and Jack Casady) agreed. The band then took the name "Starship". Keyboard player David Freiberg, who had been increasingly marginalized, left as well.
In contrast to Paul Kantner's more experimental and progressive rock direction, Starship moved towards a sleek arena rock direction reminiscent of contemporaries Foreigner and Journey. In 1985, the band, based primarily around dual vocalists Mickey Thomas and Grace Slick, released 'Knee Deep in the Hoopla' and immediately scored two #1 hits. The first was "We Built This City", written by the team of Bernie Taupin, Martin Page, Dennis Lambert, and Peter Wolf (producer), which was inspired by Bay Area rock n roll station KSAN-FM.
That song was trashed at the time by Kantner and later criticized by co-singer Grace Slick, and it was later declared to be the "worst song of all time" by Blender magazine. VH1 also named it the number-one "Most Awesomely Bad Song" on a top-50 countdown co-sponsored with Blender. However, it became something like a 'signature song' for Starship and has continued to receive major airplay. The band's second #1 was "Sara"; no previous incarnation of Jefferson Airplane/Starship had had a #1 hit. 'Knee Deep in the Hoopla' itself reached #7, went platinum, and spawned two more singles: "Tomorrow Doesn't Matter Tonight" (#26), and "Before I Go" (#68).
In 1987, "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now" was featured in the film 'Mannequin' and hit #1, although only Slick and Thomas (plus Craig Chaquico's guitar solo) appeared on it. This song made Slick the oldest female vocalist to sing on a number-one Billboard Hot 100 hit, at the age of 47 (a record that she held until Cher broke it at age 53 in 1999 with "Believe".) The following year, with the new members Mark Morgan (keyboard) and Brett Bloomfield (bass) added. the band's song "Wild Again" (which reached #78 on the Billboard singles chart) was used in the movie 'Cocktail'.
By the time 'No Protection' was released, bassist Pete Sears had left. The album went gold and featured the hits "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now" (#1), "It's Not Over ('Til It's Over)" (#9), and "Beat Patrol" (#46). In addition, the last song on the album, "Set the Night to Music", would later become a huge hit when re-recorded as a duet between Roberta Flack and Maxi Priest.
Grace Slick left Starship in 1988, having become disillusioned with the band's drift towards a strongly commercial pop image and swearing never to perform with them again. The revamped Starship lineup, featuring Mark Morgan (keyboards) and Brett Bloomfield (bass), released 'Love Among the Cannibals' in 1989. Finding their commercial prospects waning, the group finally disbanded the following year.
In 1992, vocalist Mickey Thomas revived the band, originally using the name "Mickey Thomas' Starship". Gaining some praise for his live performances, he changed the name to "Starship featuring Mickey Thomas". Lately, the band often refers to itself simply as "Starship", though with Thomas being its only consistent member. In September 2013, the group released their first new studio material in over two decades, putting out the tune "It's Not the Same as Love".
Their official website can be found at www.starshipcontrol.com.
The Burn
Starship Lyrics
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Some people never learn
Bad is better than the burn
I'll take the blame it's my mistake
One heart goes free one heart just aches
It's an easy kill within my range
I made the break honey you kept the pain
And yesterday means nothin' to me now (Doesn't matter)
I'll keep it hid you'll live somehow
Bad is better than the burn
Truth is better than a lie
Some people never learn
Bad is better than the burn
I fished love's kiss from the wishing well
Wound up in heaven stayed around for hell
It's a common crime to live this lie
I see no point after love has died
I'll be the one who said good-bye (Oh yeah)
And I'll take the heat for the tears you cry
Bad is better than the burn
Truth is better than a lie
Some people never learn
Bad is better than the burn
Bad is better than the burn
Or the hurt that's hidden in the heart
They say you pay with what you earn
Bad is better than the burn
Cold is the shoulder that turns away
Curses the man on judgment day
Damned by the brand done too soon
Crawled out of this house and howled at the moon
And yesterday means nothing to me now
I'll keep it hid, you'll live somehow
Bad is better than the burn
Some people never learn
Bad is better than the burn
Bad is better than the burn
Truth is better than a lie
Some people never learn
Bad is better than the burn
Bad is better than the burn
The song "The Burn" by Starship is a mournful ballad about a failed love that leads to emotional pain. The lyricist is trying to justify the bad decisions that they made in their past relationship, admitting to choosing the easier path even though it was not necessarily the right one. In the chorus, the phrase "Bad is better than the burn" reflects this sentiment. The pain of letting love go is compared to the pain of bad mistakes.
The first verse suggests that the singer acknowledges their mistake in breaking up with their partner because one heart "goes free" while the other "just aches." They were quick to end the relationship and escape the emotional pain, but the other person was left behind to suffer. The second verse goes back in time to describe how the relationship became a lie. The person tried to revive the love that was lost but to no avail. The decision to leave and move on was taken, but it carried a price. The person who was left behind feels the burn, while the other person opts for the pain of bad decisions instead.
Overall, the song speaks to the relatable feelings of pain, regret, and guilt that are associated with love and loss. The message that bad can be better than the pain that comes with lost love may not be the best message to take away, but it's a reminder that we need to make thoughtful choices when navigating relationships.
Line by Line Meaning
Bad is better than the burn
It's better to do something bad than to experience the excruciating pain of a burn.
Some people never learn
Some people fail to learn from their mistakes and continue to make the same bad choices.
I'll take the blame it's my mistake
I caused the problem and will accept responsibility for the consequences.
One heart goes free one heart just aches
Sometimes when a relationship ends, one person moves on easily while the other person feels the pain of heartbreak.
It's an easy kill within my range
It's effortless to hurt someone when they're vulnerable and within your reach.
I made the break honey you kept the pain
I ended the relationship, but you're the one who's suffering the emotional pain.
And yesterday means nothin' to me now (Doesn't matter)
The past is irrelevant to me now; I'm moving on with my life.
I'll keep it hid you'll live somehow
I'll keep my feelings hidden from you so you can move on and live your life.
Truth is better than a lie
It's always better to tell the truth rather than deceive someone with a lie.
I fished love's kiss from the wishing well
I hoped for love and found it.
Wound up in heaven stayed around for hell
Initially, the relationship was amazing, but it eventually turned into a nightmare.
It's a common crime to live this lie
It's not unusual to pretend that things are okay and to lie to yourself and others.
I see no point after love has died
Once love is gone, there's no reason to continue the relationship.
I'll be the one who said good-bye (Oh yeah)
I'll take the initiative and end the relationship.
And I'll take the heat for the tears you cry
I'll accept responsibility for the pain you're feeling.
Or the hurt that's hidden in the heart
Emotional pain can be just as intense, if not more so, when concealed within the heart.
They say you pay with what you earn
They say that the consequences of your actions determine your fate.
Cold is the shoulder that turns away
It's heartless to turn your back on someone in need and ignore their pain.
Curses the man on judgment day
The person who causes harm to others will be punished in the end.
Damned by the brand done too soon
The consequences of bad choices can come back to haunt you, even years later.
Crawled out of this house and howled at the moon
I left that relationship behind and let out a primal scream to express my relief and freedom.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: PAGE, TAUPIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind