The Frames have been together since 1990 and are a survivor of Dublin's prolific early 90's rock and roll scene. They have also been essential in the development of the current crop of emerging Irish rock bands, such as Turn. The Frames have toured with various other Irish artists, including Damien Rice and Bell X1. In December 2004, Hansard appeared on stage in a collaboration with singer songwriter Paddy Casey.
The name The Frames reportedly arose from Hansard's habit, at a young age, of fixing the bicycles of many of his friends. The large number of bicycle frames lying around his house led neighbours to dub it the "house with the frames".
Their new, 6th studio album, The Cost, is available in Ireland since 22 September 2006 and worldwide since 20 February 2007.
Lead singer Hansard recently collaborated with Czech musician Markéta Irglová, which led to the solo album "The Swell Season". Glen and Markéta also star and perform in the John Carney movie Once (www.oncethemovie.com). The movie received several awards including the World Cinema Audience Award - Dramatic at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival as well as an Oscar for best Song for the track "Falling Slowly".
On several occasions the members of The frames appear on stage during the Swell season gigs.
www.theframes.ie
The Stars Are Underground
The Frames Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And the proof is flying overhead
So kick me when I'm down
And I'll be the one you're laughing about now
I don't know if its real
Or how I'm supposed to feel now
That I'm out of your life
And into the darkness
When I'm out of your sight
And into the blackness
I drag myself along
Not sure of how I got in here
Well I must have done you wrong
Cause you always insist on telling me
Now how it feels
That I'm out of your life and into the darkness
And out of the darkness I'm coming now
When I'm out of your sight
And into the blackness
Tell Mairéad that you saw me
And see how they follow
When the piper plays the song
The lyrics of The Frames' song "The Stars Are Underground" are about a person who is struggling with their emotions after a breakup. The opening line "The stars are underground" suggests that life is no longer as bright and uplifting as it used to be. The next line "And the proof is flying overhead" refers to the airplanes that fly through the skies, which the person sees as an evidence of their dismal state of mind. The singer acknowledges that they have been brought down and that others are laughing at them, but they are not entirely sure how to process these emotions. They feel lost and unsure and are struggling to find their way out of the darkness.
As the song progresses, the singer continues to struggle with their emotions. They mention that they feel like they have done something wrong, hence why they are in this dark place. The chorus repeats and highlights the idea that the singer is trying to come out of the darkness and into the light, but they are not entirely sure how to do so. The lyric "Tell Mairéad that you saw me" is a plea to someone the singer knows, possibly a mutual friend, to let their ex know that they are doing okay. The song ends with "When the piper plays the song," a possible reference to a traditional Irish musician who plays songs that convey emotion and uplift the spirit.
Line by Line Meaning
The stars are underground
The hidden beauty of life is often ignored; people don't see the true value of things in life.
And the proof is flying overhead
People's ignorance towards the beauty of life leads to them missing out on the wonders of nature that can be seen just by looking up at the sky.
So kick me when I'm down
People often take pleasure in seeing others suffer and want to kick them when they're already struggling.
And I'll be the one you're laughing about now
Those who are struggling become the target of others' jokes, making their situation even worse.
I don't know if its real
Doubts arise in one's mind, whether the situation they're facing is actually happening or not.
Or how I'm supposed to feel now
It is difficult to figure out the right way to feel when one is in a difficult situation.
That I'm out of your life
Being disconnected from someone who was once important in one's life can be painful.
And into the darkness
Moving on from someone can sometimes feel like going into the unknown.
And out of the darkness I'm coming now
Despite the difficulties of moving on, the person is now coming out of the darkness, ready to face a new phase of their life.
When I'm out of your sight
After being out of someone's life, it's important to move on and let them be out of sight and out of mind.
And into the blackness
The person moves on and enters a new, unknown phase of their life.
I drag myself along
Moving on from someone can be difficult and exhausting, often requiring a lot of effort and willpower.
Not sure of how I got in here
It's often difficult to understand how one ended up in a difficult situation in life.
Well I must have done you wrong
One cannot help but blame oneself for the failure of an important relationship.
Cause you always insist on telling me
One's faults in the relationship are often pointed out by the other person, causing more pain and guilt.
Now how it feels that I'm out of your life and into the darkness
The pain of moving on from someone can be overwhelming, as it feels like being in the dark and not knowing what comes next.
And out of the darkness I'm coming now
Despite the difficult journey, there is hope for a new beginning.
When I'm out of your sight
One needs to let go of the past and the people associated with it to move on and start anew.
And into the blackness
Entering a new phase of life can be scary, but it's important to take that leap of faith.
Tell Mairéad that you saw me
A message to a common friend who can pass on information about the person who has moved on.
And see how they follow
How people react to a person who has moved on can be interesting and sometimes surprising.
When the piper plays the song
Music has a way of bringing people together and can often have a cathartic effect on those who listen, reminding them of memories and feelings of the past.
Contributed by Addison J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Maria Diaz
The stars are underground
And the proof is flying overhead
So kick me when I'm down
And I'll be the one you're laughing about now
I don't know if its real
Or how I'm supposed to feel now
That I'm out of your life
And into the darkness
And out of the darkness I'm coming now
When I'm out of your sight
And into the blackness
I drag myself along
Not sure of how I got in here
Well I must have done you wrong
Cause you always insist on telling me
Now how it feels
That I'm out of your life and into the darkness
And out of the darkness I'm coming now
When I'm out of your sight
And into the blackness
Tell Mairéad that you saw me
And see how they follow
When the piper plays the song
tarantino05
one of my favorits, sad that just a few realy like this. the version of the album set list is realy fantastic.
RinnaGuy
songs real tight, sounds like tool at 1:22