Please could you stay awhile to share my grief
For its such a lovely day
To have to always feel this way
And the time that I will suffer less
Is when I never have to wake
Wandering stars, for whom it is reserved
The blackness of darkness forever
Wandering stars, for whom it is reserved
The blackness of darkness forever
Those who have seen the needles eye, now tread
Like a husk, from which all that was, now has fled
And the masks, that the monsters wear
To feed, upon their prey
Wandering stars, for whom it is reserved
The blackness of darkness forever
Wandering stars, for whom it is reserved
The blackness of darkness forever

(Always) doubled up inside
Take awhile to shed my grief
(Always) doubled up inside
Taunted, cruel...
Wandering stars, for whom it is reserved
The blackness of darkness forever
Wandering stars, for whom it is reserved
The blackness of darkness forever



Lyrics submitted by Ice

Track duration: 04:54

"Wandering Star" as written by Sylvester Allen, Harold Ray I. Brown, Morris Dewayne Dickerson, Le Roy L. Jordan, Charles Miller, Lee Oskar, Howard E. Scott, Jerry Goldstein, Beth Gibbons, Geoffrey Paul Barrow

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, CHRYSALIS MUSIC GROUP

Lyrics powered by LyricFind


Wandering Star song meanings
Add your thoughts

43 Comments

sort form View by:
  • 0
    Song Meaning:The biblical reference is to the fallen angels specifically. Cross reference:

    Jude 1:6

    And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their proper dwelling--these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day.

    Jude 1:13

    They are wild waves of the sea, foaming up their shame; wandering stars, for whom blackest darkness has been reserved forever.
    Flag amthornon April 28, 2013   Link
  • 0
    My Interpretation:Everyone's interpretation is interesting to read. I'm giving a heads up that my opinion includes religion. I'm not trying to be preachy though.

    My two cents on this is that the song is about how the person is profoundly depressed. It creates such a graphic imagry that I find astounding. The author says they are in grief even though it's a lovely day (I picture someone laying in bed, even though it's a nice spring morning with birds chirping). They dream of death as the release when they won't suffer as much. Then it goes on to wandering stars. In Jude it explains that wandering stars are those who have to Balaam for their reward. If you look up in Peter, it tells the traits of those who choose Balaam if you want further explaination. I think the author says that they went after the things of the world (it's easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than a rich man to get into heaven, or it could be referring to drugs). They went then from having a full life to nothing (like a husk, from which all that was, now has fled). And there were all these things that looked greae=t (again, maybe drugs, maybe riches, whatever vice you want) were really monsters in masks.

    Basically, I think this song is about the deception of getting caught up in the things that in the end the author found to not bring true happiness. They are now tormented by their choices and feel empty inside and like a star floating alone in space.
    They see no way out, and that's the end of the song. Sad sad sad but a gorgeous song.
    Flag ohcrapon November 27, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I mean where she's coming from!
    Flag jady3000on November 05, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:For me this about the darkness of addiction. "the needles I now tread". I've been at that place where your stuck in bed like she said. it's such a lovely day to have to feel this way and suffering less when I never have to wake is like being dope sick wakeing up feeling like that makes you feel so hopeless. I don't know I wasn't in the girls head when she wrote this though thats just what I got from it.
    Flag aaronh8318on November 05, 2011   Link
  • 0
    Song Meaning:To my mind this song was always about fighter/bomber pilots dropping bombs on people.
    The 'wandering star' was the airplace seen from the ground.
    The 'needles eye' was the bomb sight for aiming.
    The 'masks that the monsters wear' were the pilots facemasks.

    The song was by a survivor of the bombing grieving for someone lost in a bombing, cursing the pilots.

    The song was written around the time of the first gulf war.
    Flag needle_tooon August 18, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Great thread.

    The biblical reference blows my mind. I've had this song in my soul for 15 years and never knew about this.

    Now my interpretation of the whole album is about losing faith. The lyrics about a close relationship could easily be about the divine.
    Flag ParanoidAndrewon December 18, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Beth Gibbons' voice makes me want to make sultry, passionate love in a gritty foreign country inn to a bawdry lass waitress. It is just sooo sexy. Her voice is a combination of Annie Lennox, Eddie Vedder, Tracy Chapman, and Lisa Loeb. Plays through my head every time I spend a gentle moment.
    Flag Jordo013on April 03, 2010   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:The opening verse clearly indicates someone who is miserable, the only cure for which seems to be death ("when I never have to wake."). The next verse states, "Those who have seen the needle's eye," but who are those who have seen the needle's eye? To answer this we would need to look at the Bible... again. Now, I may be wrong, but I believe the only passage in the Bible that has any reference to a needle's eye is in the synoptic gospel, which says, "it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." Thus, it would seem that those who have seen the needle's eye are the wealthy. Beth goes on to say, "now tread like a husk, from which all that was, now has fled." This statement suggests that those who have acquired wealth and maybe even fame are left empty, even soulless. Perhaps Beth is saying that with the wealth and fame she may gain through her music, may come an emptiness or loss of artistic soul. "And the masks that the monsters wear to feed upon their prey," indicates that those who have seen the needle's eye, the wealthy and famous, are monsters presenting themselves falsely in order to victimize others. Again, this can be seen as an internal struggle Beth is experiencing between the perils of success in the music industry and maintaining loyalty and truthfulness to one's fanbase (prey). Finally, the chorus, which as has been pointed out, is taken directly from a biblical passage referring to the emptiness and agony experienced by fallen angels who have separated from God, seems to have a double meaning. Through the chorus Beth explains that the pain she feels is akin to the ultimate torment of the fallen angels, but she is also warning that for stars who wander and musicians that sellout comes this torment.
    So, it seems to me that the real meaning of the song is that Beth was a bit apprehensive about the release of Dummy, possibly fearing that the bands first big album would spell their demise as true artists.



    Flag casieisprettyon December 28, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:the beat...her voice...her words...taunts me...one of my ultimate favorites... whatever the meaning...its such an easy listening song to jam too.
    Flag ShirlzCurlz85on October 07, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Here is the King James translation (i.e. the Authentic Version) of Jude 13:

    Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever.

    So, it's not just biblical imagery, it's actually a slight variation on a biblical passage.
    Flag povmanon March 22, 2008   Link

Add your thoughts

Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.

Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!

Back to top
explain