STARSHIP SPAT:

Breaking up is hard to do, but cashing in on the break-up can ease the pain.

The title song of Starship’s upcoming album, “Love Among the Cannibals,” is a bitter attack by Starship mainstay Mickey Thomas on former group members Grace Slick and Paul Kantner, who have left to re-form the Jefferson Airplane.

Sample lyrics from the song, which recalls the bitter tone of John Lennon’s “How Do You Sleep,” a 1971 attack on Paul McCartney:

“Heard you sing about love

“That was a long time ago

“I was one of the ones who believed your lies

“Now your true colors show.”

Then the song really gets down ‘n’ dirty, with Thomas referring to his former colleagues as “two-faced animals.”

“The song is about disillusionment and disappointment in general, though I guess it would be safe to say that Paul and Grace are the immediate inspiration,” Thomas told Pop Eye. “Sometimes I get the feeling that even though we all profess to love each other and want to make the world a better place, we go around stabbing each other in the back and devouring each other. And at this particular point in time, I can’t think of two more better examples of that than two of my ex-cohorts.”

Thomas said he was especially angered by negative remarks Slick has made about Starship since she left the group. “Grace said she was really glad to be out of the Starship because she was tired of singing Rosemary Clooney songs. Well, Grace selected practically every song she ever sang. It’s not like we held a gun to her head and said, ‘Sing this song or else.’ She’s a big girl and it’s just copping out for her to say that she was led astray by others.”

Through a spokesman, Slick declined to comment until she has heard the song.

“I realize it’s sort of soap opera-ish,” said Thomas about the open feuding. “But we’ve gone a long time without saying much in the press about our relationship and we felt it was time to write a song and get our feelings out that way. Someone said the two groups should tour together and they could promote it like big-time wrestling.”