The Keeper of the Stars
Encyclopedia
"The Keeper of the Stars" is the title of a song recorded by American country music
artist Tracy Byrd. Released in early 1995 (see 1995 in country music
) as the last single from his 1994 album No Ordinary Man
, it went on to reach a peak of #2 on the Billboard
Hot Country Singles & Tracks (now Hot Country Songs
) charts. A year after its release, it was named Song of the Year by the Country Music Association
.
in which the singer addresses his lover, telling her that a third party must have been responsible for bringing them together. Specifically, that third party is defined as being "the keeper of the stars" (i.e., God
).
lower than the album version, was released as the radio edit. This re-recording was made because Byrd felt that he sang it better in a lower key, and he sang it in the lower key while performing in concert. The radio edit was also used in the song's music video
, which aired on Country Music Television
and The Nashville Network
(now Spike TV
).
Byrd re-recorded the song again in 2001 for his album Ten Rounds, and this re-recording was reprised on his 2005 Greatest Hits
package.
Hot Country Singles & Tracks (now Hot Country Songs
) charts, reaching a peak position of #2.
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
artist Tracy Byrd. Released in early 1995 (see 1995 in country music
1995 in country music
This is a list of notable events in country music that took place in the year 1995.-Top hits of the year:-Singles released by American artists:-Singles released by Canadian artists:-Top new album releases:-Other top albums:-Deaths:...
) as the last single from his 1994 album No Ordinary Man
No Ordinary Man
No Ordinary Man is the second studio album by American country music artist Tracy Byrd. It features the singles "The First Step", "Lifestyles of the Not So Rich and Famous", "Watermelon Crawl" and "The Keeper of the Stars", all of which reached Top Five on the Hot Country Songs charts...
, it went on to reach a peak of #2 on the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Hot Country Singles & Tracks (now Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales...
) charts. A year after its release, it was named Song of the Year by the Country Music Association
Country Music Association
The Country Music Association was founded in 1958 in Nashville, Tennessee. It originally consisted of only 233 members and was the first trade organization formed to promote a music genre...
.
Concept
The song is a balladBallad
A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of British and Irish popular poetry and song from the later medieval period until the 19th century and used extensively across Europe and later the Americas, Australia and North Africa. Many...
in which the singer addresses his lover, telling her that a third party must have been responsible for bringing them together. Specifically, that third party is defined as being "the keeper of the stars" (i.e., God
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
).
Re-recordings
A different recording of the song, one semitoneSemitone
A semitone, also called a half step or a half tone, is the smallest musical interval commonly used in Western tonal music, and it is considered the most dissonant when sounded harmonically....
lower than the album version, was released as the radio edit. This re-recording was made because Byrd felt that he sang it better in a lower key, and he sang it in the lower key while performing in concert. The radio edit was also used in the song's music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
, which aired on Country Music Television
Country Music Television
Country Music Television, or CMT, is an American country music-oriented cable television network. Programming includes music videos, taped concerts, movies, biographies of country music stars, game shows, and reality programs...
and The Nashville Network
The Nashville Network
The Nashville Network, usually referred to as TNN, was an American country music-oriented cable television network. Programming included music videos, taped concerts, movies, syndicated programs, and numerous talk shows...
(now Spike TV
Spike TV
Spike is an American cable television channel. It launched on March 7, 1983 as The Nashville Network , a joint venture of WSM, Inc...
).
Byrd re-recorded the song again in 2001 for his album Ten Rounds, and this re-recording was reprised on his 2005 Greatest Hits
Greatest Hits (Tracy Byrd album)
Greatest Hits is the second greatest hits compilation released by American country music artist Tracy Byrd. It was released in 2005 as his only album for BNA Records. The tracks "Revenge of a Middle-Aged Woman" and "Johnny Cash" were previously unreleased; only the former was released as a single...
package.
Chart performance
Initially, Byrd's label (MCA Records) had not planned for "The Keeper of the Stars" to be a single, until Byrd's publicist realized that the song had been receiving positive feedback when the singer performed it in concert. The fourth single from Byrd's No Ordinary Man album, "The Keeper of the Stars" spent twenty weeks on the BillboardBillboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Hot Country Singles & Tracks (now Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales...
) charts, reaching a peak position of #2.
| Chart (1995) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks | 2 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 68 |
| Canadian RPM Top Country Tracks | 5 |
External links
- Song lyrics at Yahoo! MusicYahoo! MusicYahoo! Music, owned by Yahoo!, is the provider of a variety of music services, including Internet radio, music videos, news, artist information, and original programming...