The Shy Retirer
Arab Strap Lyrics

Another bloated disco, another sniff of romance I'll forget.
I have been to too many of these crowded and overhyped parties, where they play loud disco music and people are trying hard to find love in hopeless places. I know that even if I do find someone, it wouldn't last long, and soon, I would forget it all.

We promised to ourselves before we came out we'd do something we regret.
We knew this was a bad idea and yet we came anyway, and we've almost made a pact to do something stupid tonight that we'd regret later.

These people are your friends, this cunted circus never ends.
You might consider these people your friends, but this party scene is nothing but a terrible circus show that never ends.

I won't remember anything you say.
I have already blocked my ears to any conversation that might lead nowhere tonight, and I know whatever you're going to say won't stick around.

I lost my social skills a while ago but now I feel them coming back.
I am not much of a social person and have lost touch with people over time, but tonight I am slowly getting them back, preparing myself to be more social and outwardly attractive.

My eyes were rolling when we met and now they are preparing for attack.
When I first saw you, I was not impressed, and I didn't think we could connect. But now, my eyes are wide open, and my defenses are ready to charge forward, ready to fall in love.

I want to fall in love tonight and form the perfect unbreakable bond.
I am looking for someone with whom I can share a perfect connection, someone who would stick with me through thick and thin, someone who can establish an unbreakable bond.

You can be my teenage Jenny Agutter, swimming naked in a pond.
You remind me of Jenny Agutter, who starred in Logan's Run, where she can be seen swimming naked in a pond. It's an unspoken invitation to engage in a beautiful experience with me.

You know I'm always moaning but you jump-start my serotonin.
I can be a bit of a downer and complain often, but when I'm with you, my mood instantly lifts, and I feel happier due to the release of chemicals in my brain.

But how do you know you've ever really loved?
I am uncertain whether I know what love is or how to express it truly. This question lingers, and I am not sure if I'll ever have an answer for it.

But when I feel like this, I know it doesn't matter.
Still, when I feel this overwhelming feeling of love or infatuation, I forget all the questions and doubts, and everything seems to fall into place. What matters then is the moment and not so much the answer.

When I eat when I'm not hungry, I'm sure I feel my face get fatter.
Sometimes, when my emotions are running high, I eat compulsively and try to fill the void in my life. But this only makes things worse, and I dread that I'm gaining weight, but I can't help myself.

Then I thin out every weekend and I think that she might want me.
On weekends, I try to slim down and get in shape, and sometimes, I think that you might notice and appreciate my effort, that you might be interested in me.

But I always slip off on my own ‘cause I let those feelings haunt me, they control me but tonight I'm letting go.
But then the fear and self-doubt grip me, and I eventually retreat and go off to be by myself. But tonight, I'm abandoning that old pattern, not letting myself be controlled by these feelings any longer.

You're more than just a photo album, you're more than what some people let you know and if we ever make it home, I'll tell you all the things that shaped me thus.
I know I am not the same person I was before, and I also know that you have a dimension beyond your surface appearance or the usual gossip circulating about you. If we have the chance, I want to share my story with you, and I hope that you'll do the same.

Something forged in a phonebox but lost in a restaurant, we've got so much to discuss.
We have this special connection that started in an unexpected place, yet we couldn't explore it further. Still, we know that we have a lot in common, and we've been looking forward to having a proper conversation about it.

Here, have you tried the blue ones? I hear he's got some new ones. Sleep is not an option tonight.
Here, try these blue pills; I heard they're fresh and they'll keep you awake all night. I want to stay up with you, exploring these profound thoughts and feelings, and I hope that you are on board.

Look at us just stand and stare, look at them just pose and pout, and we'll all be standing here until the pigs chuck us out.
We look so out of place, standing still while others are dancing, or posing for selfies, but we know that this is where we belong, and we'll keep standing here until the party ends, or we're kicked out.