Gately made his sexuality known in 1999 and came out in a blaze of publicity. He wed Andrew Cowles, first in a commitment ceremony in Las Vegas in 2003 and more formally in a civil partnership ceremony in London in 2006. Upon Boyzone's reformation, Gately featured as part of the first gay couple in the music video for "Better", in what was to be his last with the band.
Gately died of a congenital heart defect on 10 October 2009, in a flat that he and Cowles owned in Mallorca, Spain. Brian Boyd in The Irish Times stated: "Stephen Gately’s death represents the first time that the boyband genre has had to deal with such a tragic situation". Tim Teeman of The Times (UK) heralded Gately as a hero of gay rights for his response to being "smoked out of the closet".
Shooting Star
Stephen Gately Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
No one seems to think too much of me here,
and they're glad to tell it to my face,
And they're right I'm not supposed to be here,
I'm completely out of place.
Somehow there has got to be a reason,
evenings as I try to think it through,
And I see a shooting star (And I see a star)
Set apart from all the rest
While the other stars are standing still
He's on a quest
Every night this shooting star (Every night this star)
Dancing across the twilight sky
Cause he knows he doesn't quite fit in (ooh)
and he's longing to know why, why (longing to know why)
I feel so much better when it's night-time
That's when I can sort of disappear
When the sun is setting it's the right time
for pretending I'm not here
Sometimes I just stare into the heavens
Wondering if the answer is inside
That's when I see the light
Of my sent that shooting star
On his way to who know's where (On his way to who know's where)
He's the one like all the stars (ooh)
But he outshines up there (shines out there)
And the solitary star (solitary star)
Is an awful lot like me (ooh)
On an endless search through time and space
For a place that won't seem wrong (place that won't seem wrong)
If we both hang on for long enough
we both somehow are strong enough
We'll find out were we belong
Every night this shooting star (every night this star)
dancing across the twilight sky
Cause he knows he doesn't quit fit in (ooh)
and he's longing to know why (why)
Know why (why)
Why (why)
Why (why)
Know why (why) (to fade)
The lyrics of Stephen Gately's song "Shooting Star" describe the feeling of being out of place and not belonging. The singer acknowledges the fact that people around him don't think highly of him and that he feels like he doesn't fit in. He reflects on his search for the reason behind his existence and why he feels different from others. However, the song takes a hopeful turn as the singer finds solace in the shooting star, which stands apart from all the other stars and is on a quest of its own. The shooting star becomes a metaphor for the singer's own journey of self-discovery, where he hopes to find a place where he belongs and feels right.
The song's lyrics delve deep into the human psyche and address the universal feeling of not belonging. It celebrates the journey of self-discovery and the hopefulness that comes with it, while acknowledging the pain of feeling like an outsider. The metaphor of the shooting star is a powerful one, as it represents the strength and resilience needed to undertake a journey of self-discovery.
Line by Line Meaning
No one seems to think too much of me here,
People around me don't hold me in high regard
and they're glad to tell it to my face,
They don't hesitate to let me know what they think about me
And they're right I'm not supposed to be here,
Their perception of me is correct because I feel out of place
I'm completely out of place.
I don't belong to this place
Somehow there has got to be a reason,
I hope there's a purpose for me being in this situation
evenings as I try to think it through,
I contemplate what could be the reason for my existence
There's a bolt from the blue,
Suddenly, something unexpected happens
And I see a shooting star (And I see a star)
I observe a celestial body moving across the sky
Set apart from all the rest
It's different from all the other stars
While the other stars are standing still
While other stars seem stationary
He's on a quest
It's traveling on a mission.
Every night this shooting star (Every night this star)
It appears every night and moves across the sky.
Dancing across the twilight sky
It moves gracefully in the sky at dusk
Cause he knows he doesn't quite fit in (ooh)
It seems to have a sense of not belonging here.
and he's longing to know why, why (longing to know why)
It's curious to know the reason for its existence.
I feel so much better when it's night-time
I feel more comfortable in darkness
That's when I can sort of disappear
I have this sense of vanishing in the darkness
When the sun is setting it's the right time
Sunset marks the beginning of a comfortable time for me
for pretending I'm not here
I can detach myself from my surroundings and pretend to be invisible
Sometimes I just stare into the heavens
I gaze at the sky above me
Wondering if the answer is inside
I wonder if the answers to my life's questions are within me
That's when I see the light
Suddenly there's enlightenment
Of my sent that shooting star
I receive a message from the moving star
On his way to who know's where (On his way to who know's where)
It is on a journey to an unknown destination
He's the one like all the stars (ooh)
It's like all the other stars but with a purpose
But he outshines up there (shines out there)
It shines more brightly than the other stars
And the solitary star (solitary star)
It's a star moving by itself
Is an awful lot like me (ooh)
It shares many similarities with me
On an endless search through time and space
It's constantly searching for its place in the universe
For a place that won't seem wrong (place that won't seem wrong)
It seeks a place where it'll finally belong.
If we both hang on for long enough
If we both be persistent enough
we both somehow are strong enough
We will find the strength to endure
We'll find out were we belong
We'll eventually find where we fit in
Every night this shooting star (every night this star)
Every night it appears in the sky on its mission
dancing across the twilight sky
It moves gracefully across the sky at dusk
Cause he knows he doesn't quit fit in (ooh)
It knows it's not the same as the static stars.
and he's longing to know why (why)
It's curious to know why it's different.
Know why (why)
The star seeks an understanding of its existence
Why (why)
It's curious about the reason for its unique nature
Why (why)
It's curious to know why it's different from others
Know why (why) (to fade)
The star seeks the answers to its questions
Contributed by Thomas W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@user-nn3pz8ks1y
by Stephen Gately
on Shooting Stars (2019)
Oooh
No one seems to think too much of me here
And they're glad to tell it to my face
Even though I'm not suppose to be here
I'm completely out of place
Somehow there has got to be a reason
Even as I try to think it through
There's a bolt from the blue
And I see a shooting star (and I see a star)
Set apart from all the rest
While the other stars are standing still (ooh)
He's on a quest
Every night this shooting star (every night this star)
Dancing across the twilight sky
Cause he knows he doesn't quit fit in (ooh)
And he's longing to know why, why (longing to know why)
I feel so much better when it's night-time
That's when I can sort of disappear
When the sun is set and it's the right time
For pretending I'm not here
Sometimes I just start into the heavens
Wondering if the answer is inside
That's when I see the light
Of myself that shooting star
On it's way to who knows where (on his way to who knows where)
He's a one like all the stars (ooh) but he outshines out there (shines out there)
And that solitary star (solitary star)
Is an awful lot like me (ooh)
On an endless search through time and space
Far a place that won't seem wrong (place that won't seem wrong)
If we both hang on for long enough
We both somehow are strong enough
We'll find out were we belong
Every night this shooting star (every night this star)
Dancing across the twilight sky
Cause he knows he doesn't quit fit in (ooh)
And he's longing to know why (why)
Know why (why)
Why (why)
Why (why)
Know why (why) (to fade)
Song Comments
On Shooting Star by Stephen Gately
@misskimberleyj
I do miss him. Forever my favourite member of Boyzone
@remyparaskovia5499
Gorgeous boy.
@sarahfrench4712
He is beautiful.
@The8Doctor
Stephen is missed
@josevich
still watching him in 2021
@matriksist
So boyishly good looking lad.
@nancyromero1967
Estephen es uno de los rostros mas bellos. que hayan existido con una voz angelical y un carisma unico solo de verlo un minuto te crea algo muy lindo
@deniseanderson8798
My angel 🙁
@kwfgooner
love this song, incredible voice , miss you loads steo you beautiful angel <3 xx
@nathaliehuck7444
Tu me manques stephen je t'aime 💜