Vocalist Aidan Moffat and multi-instrumentalist Malcolm Middleton met in Falkirk, bonded over their mutual love for Drag City recording artists such as Smog and Will Oldham, and began a collaboration in 1995. The band is completed by violinist Jenny Reeve and cellist Stacey Sievewright. Arab Strap's marked characteristics include frank and forthright lyrics delivered in a Scottish brogue.
Aidan Moffat and Malcolm Middleton confirmed the rumours about the end of Arab Strap on 8th September 2006. They celebrated their Ten Years of Tears with a tour through the UK and the rest of Europe. After UK/Europe, they made a short secret tour in Japan as the last of Arab Strap. In 2016, however, they have reunited a decade after their breakup and will be touring throughout the year 2017.
Aries the Ram
Arab Strap Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But we never even did it, we never really did anything.
We shared a birthday so we we shared a do
And they cooked my/your clothes when I was upstairs with you.
I/you did the sheet trick, you/I did a yawn
So I/you went out with the boys, stealing the milk at dawn.
I was a virgin, you were on holiday.
I'd had seven glasses when she asked me to stay.
At least I was careful
I remember it was blue.
The lyrics to Arab Strap's "Aries the Ram" are imbued with themes of lost youth, unfulfilled promise, and sexual regret. The song paints a bleak picture of two former lovers who shared a special connection in the past but have since drifted apart. The first stanza is a reflection of that lost bond. The couple had once discussed starting a family, but they never followed through, which suggests a failure to commit. This could be metaphorical for the larger issues that exist between the two. They don't even seem to have had a sexual relationship, at least not a successful one. The singer recalls a time when they were at a party together but couldn't consummate things because someone had burned their clothes downstairs. The singer ("I") or the subject of the song ("you") pretends to be tired to avoid the awkwardness, and they go to bed. But ultimately, one of them sneaks off with friends to steal milk, leaving the other alone.
The second stanza brims with more assertiveness and candor about their sexual history. The singer admits to being a virgin, and the other person was on holiday at the time. This suggests they may have been strangers or long-distance lovers. When the other person returns, the singer is drunk, and they have sex. The singer says they "let the wine decide," implying that they were too intoxicated to consent properly. The final line is a cryptic reveal: "At least I was careful / I remember it was blue." This could be a reference to a condom or birth control, indicating that the encounter was not entirely spur-of-the-moment. Or it could be a way of pretending that the act wasn't really a big deal, just a drunken fling.
Line by Line Meaning
When we were last here we named our offspring
The singer and their partner talked about having children during their last visit, but never followed through with it.
But we never even did it, we never really did anything.
The singer and their partner never took any real action towards starting a family or achieving their goals.
We shared a birthday so we we shared a do
The singer and their partner had the same birth date and celebrated together.
And they cooked my/your clothes when I was upstairs with you.
While the artist was spending time with their partner, someone else accidentally or intentionally ruined their clothing.
I/you did the sheet trick, you/I did a yawn
One partner faked being asleep under the sheets while the other pretended not to notice or played it off with a yawn.
So I/you went out with the boys, stealing the milk at dawn.
The partner who was not pretending to sleep left to hang out with friends, and they stole milk in the early morning.
I was a virgin, you were on holiday.
The singer was a virgin when they first had sex with their partner, who was on vacation at the time.
I'd had seven glasses when she asked me to stay.
The artist had consumed a significant amount of alcohol when their partner asked them to spend the night.
So I let the wine decide what I should do.
The artist made a decision while heavily under the influence of alcohol, letting it have a strong impact on their actions.
At least I was careful
The artist took precautions while engaging in sexual activity.
I remember it was blue.
The singer recalls a certain detail about the encounter, such as the color of the room or their partner's clothing.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Aidan Moffat, Malcolm Middleton
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
aurielMoon
For those who don't speak mumble ;)
When we were last here we named our offspring,
But we never even did it, we never really did anything.
We shared a birthday so we shared a do and they cooked my/your clothes when I was upstairs with you.
I/you did the sheet trick,
You/i did a yawn so i/you went out with the boys,
Stealing the milk at dawn.
I was a virgin, you were on holiday
- I'd had seven glasses when she asked me to stay.
So I let the wine decide what I should do.
At least I was careful
- I remember it was blue.
Tough guys don't dance
>mumble
lol
he is supposed to be depressed, man!
William Drake
my favorite beer drinking music for sure