Lyrics

Caterpillar crawling up the big phone pole
Is there somebody that you want to talk to?
You know that pretty soon, you'll be able to fly
How is this going to affect you?

Do you think it might wreck you?
Your friends might reject you
Say you took it too far
You say you want to be, want to be, want to be, want to be

Hooked on glossy pictures and drugs I've never seen
Treat you with advice from a fashion magazine
One day she just walked into that magazine
I wonder if she'll ever come back

And they all said she would crack
They said her mind was one-track
Said she took it too far
You say you want to be, want to be, want to be, want to be

Closer to the stars

(Ahhhhhhh, ahhhhhhhhhh, ahhhhhhhh)

Every time you move your lips
Let me give you a few tips
Yesterday you were too young
Tomorrow you will be too old to regret all the things you've done

Who're you trying to hustle?
Somebody you wanna show your muscle
Second-hand excuses never went too far
What's this scene you're making?

Your ideas have been taken
We'll seek when you awaken, alone in someone's car
You just stood there shaking, you stood there shaking
They said you were faking

You say you want to be, want to be, want to be, want to be

Closer to the stars
Closer to the stars

Trivia

• Has been played live mostly as an acoustic version since circa 1993 because the band, according to Dan, “discovered it sounds better without a bunch of stuff going on”.

Appearances

• On the compilation Black Gold: The Best of Soul Asylum.
• On Candy From A Stranger & Live At the Palais Royale.
• On the compilation Closer To the Stars: Best of the Twin/Tone Years.
• On the compilation Welcome To the Minority: The A&M Years 1988–1991.
• On the album While You Were Out.
• On the Without A Trace single.