Returning to helm the project is producer Ian Eskelin (All Star United), who also shepherded Stellar Kart’s breakthrough sophomore album, We Can’t Stand Sitting Down. That CD yielded the No. 1 hit, “Me And Jesus,” which also earned the band its first Dove Award for Rock/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year. “Content, content, content,” Eskelin declares. “The music is awesome, the energy is off the charts, but what sets Stellar Kart head and shoulders above the vast majority of its contemporaries is content. These guys are not afraid to say what they believe, straight up, without trying to couch it in some namby-pamby metaphor.”
“We are all fans of different kinds of music, and a lot of times we find ourselves listening to songs that we love, but the message is just terrible,” frontman Agee explains. “We talk with kids after concerts and are always hearing from youth leaders about the issues facing teens today. We wanted to write songs that would address such topics and encourage kids to expect God to work in their daily lives. That is what we have been about from day one. That is what we are still about.”
When Adam, along with bandmates Cody Pellerin (guitar), Jordan Messer (drums), and Brian Calcara (bass) hit the studio, Eskelin’s frenetic energy ignited Stellar Kart’s powder keg of creativity. The result is an explosion of new music chock full of pop melodies, catchy choruses, and singable lyrics.
If it is true that first impressions are the most important, Stellar Kart goes for broke on its first radio single: the blazing, no-holds-barred confessional, “Jesus Loves You.” An impassioned song about conviction and redemption, it cuts through the comfortable shades of gray with an unabashed declaration that “Jesus Loves You,” whether you believe it or not.
“The reason I do what I do now is because of what I didn’t do when I was younger,” Adam explains of the song’s bold lyrics. “I grew up in church; my dad was a pastor. I accepted the Truth at an early age, but I was a kid just trying to get by. I didn’t really do anything with my faith until I got to college. That was when I started to realize there was more to life than just getting by.”
“The bottom line is, we are not doing this just to make music. We want people’s lives to be changed,” Brian interjects.
Stellar Kart proves it can thrive in a broad range of musical realms as Expect the Impossible sustains its momentum with tracks like the classic rock anthem, “Shine Like The Stars” and genre-defying, fist-pumping, “Eyes,” with its synth-laden 80’s groove and Beach Boys-esque, feel-good, summertime melody.
“‘I Give Up’ is hands down my favorite song on the album,” the band’s classically trained guitarist, Cody Pellerin adds. “It’s the kind of song that got me into playing music in the first place. It’s rock ‘n’ roll. It’s Judas Priest meets Van Halen meets Motley Crew. I got to just rip it up on the guitar, which is what I really love to do. I know some people may listen to it and think, ‘Wow, that doesn’t sound like Stellar Kart,’ But this is where we are musically. And I think it is a good progression for us and our fans.”
“Sonically, we wanted to shoot for a broader sound,” Eskelin says. “Stellar Kart has never been afraid to challenge the current trend, so we decided to incorporate some new elements. This album will please the band’s die-hard punk fans while offering something to straight-up pop and rock lovers as well. The goal is to meet listeners where they are, driving an emotional connection to the music.”
Stellar Kart puts an exclamation point on Eskelin’s statement with such diverse tunes as the tender-and-tough pop ballad, “Pray,” in which Adam encourages listeners to ‘Pray...Even if you think you are not good enough.’ The bouncy, infectious, “The Right One,” evokes strains of such pop/rock legends as The Beach Boys, The Cyrkle, and their more contemporary offspring like Weezer and Jimmy Eat World. The happy-go-lucky anthem “Sunshine” boldly asserts that Stellar Kart is as much a bona fide pop band and serious chart contender as it is a punk quartet.
Which is not to say the band has abandoned its punk roots. “Automatic” has enough head-nodding hooks and frantic drum kicks to satisfy punk purists. And frontman Adam Agee even manages a couple of authentic rawk screams on “Eyes” and “Innocent.”
But as satisfying as Stellar Kart’s expanding musical repertoire is, it’s the lyrical honesty coupled with the band’s personal growth that most radically informs Expect the Impossible. “We are a pop band,” Adam explains. “When we made our first record we were young, and it reflected who we were at the time. The next record reflected a natural progression. Expect the Impossible is the next step. It is casting a wider net. It gets more people involved.”
“I love seeing kids attach themselves to something bigger than just school or work or friends or the latest fad,” Brian adds.
Spirit in the Sky
Stellar Kart Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
They lay me to rest
Gonna go to the place
That's the best
When I lay me down to die
Goin' up to the spirit in the sky
Goin' up to the spirit in the sky
When I die
When I die and they
Lay me to rest
I'm gonna go to the place
That's the best
Prepare yourself
You know it's a must
Gotta have a friend in Jesus
So you know that
When you die
You're gonna go to
The spirit in the sky
Gonna go to the spirit in the sky
That's where you're gonna go
When you die
When you die and
They lay you to rest
You're gonna go to
The place that's the best
Never been a sinner
He never sinned
I got a friend in Jesus
So you know that
When I die
He's gonna set me up
With the spirit in the sky
Set me up with
The spirit in the sky
That's where I'm gonna
Go when I die
When I die and they
Lay me to rest
I'm gonna go to the place
That's the best
I'm gonna go to the place
That's the best
I'm gonna go to the place
That's the best
The song Spirit in the Sky by Stellar Kart is a cover of Norman Greenbaum's classic hit from the late 60s. The lyrics refer to the afterlife and the belief in going to heaven when one dies. The song speaks to the importance of having a relationship with Jesus so that the listener can be sure they will go to heaven when they die. One verse suggests that the singer has never been a sinner, implying a belief in the concept of salvation through faith. The lyrics also suggest that death is not the end and that there is another world beyond it.
Additionally, the song highlights the idea that there is an ultimate destination after one dies, suggesting that the afterlife is something to look forward to. The repetition of the phrase 'never been a sinner' in the third verse of the song creates a sense of comfort and safety.
Overall, Spirit in the Sky speaks to the human desire to believe in something beyond this life and the comfort that faith can bring.
Line by Line Meaning
When I die and They lay me to rest
My physical body will be buried when I die
Gonna go to the place That's the best
My soul will ascend to heaven after my death
When I lay me down to die Goin' up to the spirit in the sky
When my time comes for me to pass away, my spirit will rise up to heaven
Goin' up to the spirit in the sky That's where I'm gonna go When I die
Heaven is where I will be going when I die
Prepare yourself You know it's a must Gotta have a friend in Jesus So you know that When you die You're gonna go to The spirit in the sky
It's important to have a relationship with Jesus to ensure that your soul will go to heaven after you die
Gonna go to the spirit in the sky That's where you're gonna go When you die
Heaven is where you will be going when you pass away
Never been a sinner He never sinned I got a friend in Jesus So you know that When I die He's gonna set me up With the spirit in the sky
Jesus never committed a sin and can help me get to heaven when I die
Set me up with The spirit in the sky That's where I'm gonna Go when I die
Jesus will guide me to heaven after I die
When I die and they Lay me to rest I'm gonna go to the place That's the best
My soul will go to heaven, which is considered the best place to be, after my physical body is buried
I'm gonna go to the place That's the best
Heaven is the ultimate destination and considered the best place to go after death
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Norman Greenbaum
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind