Although my brother didn’t professionally record many of his tunes, he did
release a few songs on vinyl, CD, and MP3. His best-known song would probably
be “Orange Kid,” which goes back to his Industrial Soldier days,
mid- to late-1980s. In the early 1990s, he recorded it and released it as an
orange vinyl 45 rpm record, with a superb tune on side B called “A Smash” (the
lyrics to which I shall endeavor to transcribe when I can). In more recent
years, he recorded and most frequently performed “Last Night, the Stars Fell
All Apart,” another moody, melodic ballad that speaks of his personal
experiences and feelings. His vocals on this one are particularly
heart-rending.
You can listen to the audio file of “Last Night, the Stars Fell All Apart” here.
Last Night, the Stars Fell All Apart
©Phred Rainey/Joe the Fireman
Honeysuckle came and went
Faraway evenings spent
In my castle
without a moat
Smelled just like May-times do
And midnight lovers
do
When they’re lucky enough to have and hold
Couldn't send a message far enough
Just waiting around for you to call my
bluff
Last night, the stars fell all apart
It means a man don’t dream
It
means man will cry
For stars to fill an evening sky
If only just to
break your heart
Back then when pigs could fly
I rose above that other guy
I was
willing to flash and burn
Like Red River fireworks fly
I stole a
kiss and let it ride
Before I lost my nerve and lost my turn
There’s no better time to feel like a winning man
Could it be to cheat
myself was part of my plan?
That night, the stars fell all apart
It means a man don’t dream
It
means man will cry
For stars to fill an evening sky
If only just to
break your heart
Then on the beach your pleasant hand
Told me that I’m the man
To
make or break or take you home
Then I sang a September song
But the
names and dates were wrong
Too much, too soon, and all alone
There’s no more waiting now, my cover’s blown
Twelve hundred miles away,
I guess you're on your own
Last night, the stars fell all apart
It means a man don’t dream
It
means man will cry
For stars to fill an evening sky
If only just to
break your heart
