Satellite

I agree about the "it's about a girl he likes but can't have" think, but the title lyric has a bit more meaning for me. I don't think about it like a heavenly body, but as a man-made satellite around the earth.

I can't be the only one who, when stargazing, was disappointed to find out that the brightest stars were satellites. I always felt like they were imposters who managed to be more brilliant than the genuine thing. I feel like it's very much like a line from a different song, "We know who we should love, but we're never certain."

Much like satellites, he is attracted to this girl he isn't supposed to be. (Your favorite star CAN'T be a satellite, it loses the romance of stargazing) The same way, she's someone in his life that he isn't SUPPOSED to love, someone that others would see as an 'imposter,' like a friend's girlfriend/sister, a teacher, someone much older/younger, etc. This also could be taken as a homosexual reference (The one he loves the most is a boy amongst the girls that he is SUPPOSED to like) but that may be taking it too far.

I hope I gave someone food for thought!

I think you're right but I still think it's more than that. I think it's about finding someone who you think is perfect and everything you've ever looked for, and then not being able to have that for some reason or another. And maybe it's better that way, because then they'll always be on that perfect pedestal and you'll always have something to reach after. But who knows. It's kind of a bittersweet song, except upbeat and amazing.

I sing it to my son as a lullaby. Except we change the out of reach bit to Maybe you will always be, just a little bit like me. He will orbit me for a little while! ;)

I believe it's actually "Whistling our favorite tune" not "Just a little favorite tune"

I think that you have the right idea, but you aren't quite right.

I agree that "you" is a girl who is unattainable, but I don't think she actually exists. I think that she is just the image of a "perfect" girl (shining like a work of art?) who the singer always feels like he almost sees in many girls, but she only exists in the sky.

He is always "trying to get a closer view" and finding out if she is "who I think you are" but she is always out of reach.

I love this song so much. I grew up with guster and never before have i connected with a song so much. I mean i think we all can relate that theres a dream girl out there that is as close as perfection that we can ever reach... yet she is always a little bit out of reach.

I lost my virginity to this song

This song is about the Sputnik program. The following supports:

• It caught the US by surprise ("Are you what I think you are?")
• it reflects Western Cold War paranoia ("Always the first star that I find", i.e, cannot think of anything else)
• it spurred the US space program ("Elevator to the moon")
• it scaled the arms race ("Maybe you will always be / Just a little out of reach")
• it encouraged the formation of ARPA [now DARPA] ("Passenger side, lighting the sky")
• it indirectly led to the rule of Vladimir Putin ("Shining like a work of art", also "Just a little favorite tune")

Brilliant song. Brilliant lyrics. Can't get enough of it.

First time I heard this was on Pandora, with exactly the girl I thought the song described. We've been together, but I can never really get to her. We separate, see other people, then she just keeps popping up, and it seems so perfect at the time that I can't figure out why we're not just always together. I truly can't figure out what's really in her head. And maybe it's better that way.