"Stars" is the first single released from American rock band Switchfoot's fifth album ''

Nothing Is Sound ''Nothing Is Sound'' is the fifth studio album by American alternative rock band Switchfoot. It was released on September 13, 2005 and debuted at number three on the ''Billboard'' 200. The first single from the album was "Stars," which was the n ...

''. "Stars" was released to radio on June 28, 2005, and again on July 5. It was the most-added song on Modern Rock Radio in its first week of release and peaked at number sixteen on the US Modern Rock chart. The song was certified gold as a digital single on December 13, 2005.RIAA Gold & Platinum Searchable Database - Switchfoot singles
It is the band's third most successful song, behind previous hits "

Meant to Live "Meant to Live" is a single by alternative rock band Switchfoot. "Meant to Live" was released to radio on January 27, 2003. The song peaked at number five on the US Modern Rock chart and U.S. Adult Top 40 chart, number six on U.S. Top 40 radio, ...

" and "

Dare You to Move "Dare You to Move" is a single by American alternative rock band Switchfoot from their fourth studio album, ''The Beautiful Letdown'' (2003). The song was originally called "I Dare You to Move", and was on the album '' Learning to Breathe'', but ...

". On iTunes, an acoustic mix of the track is available.

Lyrical themes

In an August 2011 interview with ''Songfacts'', lead singer

Jon Foreman Jonathan Mark Foreman (born October 22, 1976) is an American musician, the lead singer, guitarist, main songwriter and co-founder of the alternative rock band Switchfoot. He started Switchfoot in 1996 with drummer Chad Butler and his brother Tim ...

explained the inspiration for "Stars": In another interview, Foreman said that "Stars" is about perspective, a song about stepping back in the midst of chaos and looking at the stars; the idea of anti-

entropy Entropy is a scientific concept, as well as a measurable physical property, that is most commonly associated with a state of disorder, randomness, or uncertainty. The term and the concept are used in diverse fields, from classical thermodynam ...

, implying there must be something keeping the world together. "The first verse looks at things from Descartes perspective, pinning the center of the universe on the individual. 'Maybe I've been the problem,' maybe I'm overcast, falling apart, etc... The second verse talks about our world from the perspective of the stars looking down on earth from the eternal dance of gravity and motion." The song is a fan favorite for its introspective lyrics and reverberant, aggressive sound.

Music videos

The music video for this song was filmed at

Universal Studios Universal Pictures (legally Universal City Studios LLC, also known as Universal Studios, or simply Universal; common metonym: Uni, and formerly named Universal Film Manufacturing Company and Universal-International Pictures Inc.) is an Americ ...

, mostly underwater. The video features the band playing in an outdoor setting, but as the video progresses, they can be seen "floating" in a watery environment. At the apex of the song, right before the bridge of the song, this environment bursts, and the band plays in the rain until the end of the video. The video was directed by

Scott Speer Scott Speer (born June 5, 1982) is an American filmmaker, music video director, television director and novelist. Life and career Speer was born in San Diego, California. At age 23, he was signed with ''HSI Productions'', and in 2006 Speer rece ...

and produced by Coleen Haynes. A music video based on a shortened version of this song was used for ''

American Idol ''American Idol'' is an American singing competition television series created by Simon Fuller, produced by Fremantle North America and 19 Entertainment, and distributed by Fremantle North America. It aired on Fox from June 11, 2002, to Ap ...

'', in partnership with

Ford Ford commonly refers to: * Ford Motor Company, an automobile manufacturer founded by Henry Ford * Ford (crossing), a shallow crossing on a river Ford may also refer to: Ford Motor Company * Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Company * Ford F ...

, in a

Mustang The mustang is a free-roaming horse of the Western United States, descended from horses brought to the Americas by the Spanish. Mustangs are often referred to as wild horses, but because they are descended from once- domesticated animals, the ...

commercial.

Track listings

;UK CD single # Stars (Album Version) # Stars (Acoustic Version) # Dare You To Move (Acoustic Version) # Stars (Video)

Charts

Certifications

Awards

In 2006, the song won a Dove Award for Short Form Music Video of the Year at the 37th GMA Dove Awards. It was also nominated for Rock/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year.37th Annual GMA Dove Awards Nominations & Winners
on About.com; Jones, Kim

References

External links

Official music video
{{Switchfoot 2005 singles Switchfoot songs Music videos directed by Scott Speer Songs written by Jon Foreman Post-grunge songs Song recordings produced by John Fields (record producer) 2005 songs