Banjo, acoustic guitar, and violin accompaniment swirl around three-piece harmonies while the lyrics suggest we stay healthy and happy: “In the backdrop of the night / I meld into the starry light / The moon pushes and pulls the tides / It tempts the soul to stay alive.” My favorite band from a FairFest (Iowa) concert a few years ago, this Nederland, Colorado, group crafts what they call “transcendental folk” music. “Birds and Stars” by Elephant Revival (2013). This downtempo song begins with banjo and piano and moves through a relationship: “It’s been a while honey won’t you take your time / And I see the question mark atop your spine / I’ve got a ladder honey won’t you let me climb / Oh my my / Oh my stars.”
Chicago resident Andrew Belle is an alternative/indie folk musician. As a midtempo rock ballad, “Stars” tells the anguish of love lost as a fond memory of looking at the stars. Ever since running into the Potters in Vermont while visiting one of my daughters, I have been a fan of Grace, whose band continues to tour widely. “Stars” by Grace Potter and the Nocturnals (2012). “I thought i could make it better, better on my own … / But the road was longer / The night was darker and i fell falling like a star / I guess that’s all we really ever are, falling stars.” This extra-special track will charm your heart. The North Carolina singer-songwriter has penned many songs for well-known artists.
Her lyrics seem so relevant to our current situation: “Evening light, on a gravel path / I could be scared but I’ve had enough of that / Oh, big old moon, rising up / Even in this light you might see scars / But me, yeah me I’m only seeing stars.” Sarah Siskind
Known for powerful yet gentle acoustic songs, Boston-based Meg Hutchinson has won numerous songwriting awards, including those at MerleFest and Telluride Bluegrass Festival. From the beginning, the scene is set: “Tangerines are hanging heavy, glowing marigolden hues / Teasing a half-pale moon / And I feel a pull to the blue-velvet dark and stars.” The Iowa City-based husband-and-wife duo Deb Talan and Steve Tannen are known for their beautiful harmonies and distinctively uplifting lyrics. The list unfolds as it might have in the days of my former radio show on KRUU-FM. The selected tracks, from 1970 to 2019, include a diverse array of artists including Grace Potter, the Weepies, Elephant Revival, Desert Dwellers, and even Jefferson Starship. With this in mind, I searched my archives for songs containing the word “stars” that also stimulate a warm glow in the heart. In these times of COVID-19, our spirits need a boost to resonate in the light of life.
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