The group formed in March 2000 from the ashes of a previous musical effort - Ghistor - formed by Shawn, Amanda, and Arthur while studying art and design at the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn. A few years later, after a chance meeting with Michael, who had recently relocated to Brooklyn from his hometown Philadelphia, the former classmates reunited, this time with Shawn on vocals.
Stellastarr* played their first gig at the Luna Lounge on the Lower East Side of Manhattan in July 2000 and began releasing a limited series of independent/homemade CDEPs shortly after. To date, they have toured with Jane's Addiction, The Raveonettes, Placebo, The Killers and The Subways, among others.
Stellastarr*'s second album, entitled Harmonies for the Haunted, was released in America on September 13, 2005. Their third album Civlized was released in 2009 and proved to be their last.
Robot
stellastarr* Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You're gonna hurt yourself
Ooh, by design (by design)
You're gonna hurt yourself
Ooh, by design (by design)
You're gonna hurt yourself
Ooh, by design (by design)
You're gonna hurt yourself
Ooh, by design
You're gonna hurt yourself
Ooh, by design
You're gonna hurt yourself
Ooh, by design
You're gonna hurt yourself
Ooh, by design
By the road
By the road
By the road
By the road
Ooh
By the road, ooh
By the road, ooh
By the road, ooh
By the road, ooh
The lyrics to stellastarr*'s song "Robot" can be interpreted as a warning against self-destruction. The repetition of "by design" suggests that the subject is aware of the harmful consequences of their actions, yet continues to make choices that will inevitably lead to their own pain. The lyrics "you're gonna hurt yourself" serve as a reminder of the ultimate outcome of these choices. The line "by the road" could symbolize a metaphorical crossroads, where the subject must decide whether to continue down a destructive path or take a different route.
Additionally, the word "Robot" itself could represent a sense of detachment and lack of control over one's actions, as if the subject is being controlled by some outside force. The repetition of the phrase "Ooh, by design" also gives a sense of resignation and acceptance, as if the subject believes they have no power to change the path they are on.
Overall, "Robot" serves as a cautionary tale about the consequences of self-destructive behavior and the importance of taking responsibility for one's own actions.
Line by Line Meaning
Ooh, by design (by design)
You're gonna hurt yourself
Intentionally, you're paving the way to cause harm to yourself.
Ooh, by design
You're gonna hurt yourself
It's your deliberate doing, and the consequence will be your own suffering.
By the road
By the road
By the road
By the road
You're following along the path you've chosen, without any diversion.
Ooh
By the road, ooh
By the road, ooh
By the road, ooh
By the road, ooh
There's a hint of agony within you, having realized the troubles that lie ahead due to your own decision to stick by the same route.
Contributed by Arianna L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Lazlo King
found this song on my old ipod from when i was 13. wtf happened man this was such a bop i wish this blew up
Patrick Cuthill
get this album on spotify!
Karl Cepeda
Right?????!!!!!! Please spotify!!
Schmeldwick smith
aaaagh! why does this video end before the end of the song?! Blue balls! aaargh!