Monsters In The Stars

Album: Tiny Televisions (2020)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • "Monsters In The Stars" is about the ghosts left over from the Trail of Tears, which was one of the darkest events in American history. We're talking literal ghosts here, not metaphorical ones.

    "Both of us absolutely believe in ghosts and have had numerous ghost experiences before the band, and several while touring," Elizabeth Elkins (along with Vanessa Olivarez, one half of the Granville Automatic songwriting duo) told American Songwriter: "I personally have heard ghosts and enjoy trying to figure out their stories. And if a song can keep somebody's memory, or an action or feeling, alive - that's important."
  • The Trail of Tears is referred to as a singular historical event, but really it encompassed several events spread out over years. It started with the 1830 Indian Removal Act. After that, the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Muscogee, and Seminole Indian tribes (along with their approximately 4,000 African slaves) were forced out of their homelands and moved westward across the Mississippi and into the then-wild region called Indian Territory.

    Approximately 60,000 Native Americans in all were forced on the bitter trek. Of those, about 4,000 died on the march.

    The Trail of Tears was not a singular route but rather an umbrella term given to the multiple routes used for "Indian removal." With "Monsters In The Stars," Granville Automatic sing about the perilous marches made along those various routes.
  • This was the first single released off of Tiny Televisions. Every song on the album is about the history of Nashville, Tennessee.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Andrew Farriss of INXS

Andrew Farriss of INXSSongwriter Interviews

Andrew Farriss on writing with Michael Hutchence, the stories behind "Mystify" and other INXS hits, and his country-flavored debut solo album.

Jethro Tull

Jethro TullFact or Fiction

Stage urinals, flute devices, and the real Aqualung in this Fact or Fiction.

Songs in Famous Movie Scenes: Tarantino Edition

Songs in Famous Movie Scenes: Tarantino EditionMusic Quiz

Whether he's splitting ears or burning Nazis, Quentin Tarantino uses memorable music in his films. See if you can match the song to the scene.

Mike Rutherford (Genesis, Mike + The Mechanics)

Mike Rutherford (Genesis, Mike + The Mechanics)Songwriter Interviews

Mike Rutherford talks about the "Silent Running" storyline and "Land Of Confusion" in the age of Trump.

Donald Fagen

Donald FagenSongwriter Interviews

Fagen talks about how the Steely Dan songwriting strategy has changed over the years, and explains why you don't hear many covers of their songs.

Soul Train Stories with Stephen McMillian

Soul Train Stories with Stephen McMillianSong Writing

A Soul Train dancer takes us through a day on the show, and explains what you had to do to get camera time.