Nina Simone ⋅ Stars (1976)

I was never one for singing what I really feel 

Except tonight I'm bringing everything I know that's real 

Stars, they come and go, they come fast or slow 

They go like the last light of the sun, all in a blaze 

And all you see is glory 

Hey but it gets lonely there when there's no one here to share 

We can shake it away, if you'll hear a story 

People lust for fame like athletes in a game, 

we break our collarbones and come up swinging, 

some of us are downed 

some of us are crowned, and some are lost and never found 

But most have seen it all, 

they live their lives in sad cafes and music halls 

They always come up singing 

Some make it when they're young, 

before the world has done its dirty job 

and later on someone will say 

"You've had your day, now you must make way" 

But they'll never know the pain of living with a name you never owned 

or the many years forgetting what you know too well 

That the ones who gave the crown have been let down 

You try to make amends without defending 

Perhaps pretending you never saw the eyes of grown men of twenty-five 

that follow as you walk and ask for autographs 

Or kiss you on the cheek and you never can believe they really loved you 

Some make it when they're old 

(Perhaps they have a soul they're not afraid to bare 

or perhaps there's nothing there) 

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