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.
Girls of Summer
Arab Strap Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
With there bare legs and trains and there white strap link through yesterdays top beneath today's cologne
Across there peeling shoulders on there way to the bar
Later I put my tape in the bath in attempt to shave, well almost cut and ending up slashing my cheek and nickin' my lip
And spraying on some poof juice and go to the park with my economy cider
I don't think I'll need a jacket
And we head to the pub to get everyone else
Leaving our empties kicked behind a bush
We'll get 'em in there and casually saunter into the bogs and swallow
And get taxi's down to a club
The micelet and magpie through the window on the way
In the hope they'll get a shag
But I'll wake up clamouring a girl I know fully clothed on someone's couch I've barely slept for two hours
All sweaty and thoughtful and needing a fix
And then you'll wake up
And the first thing we'll do is to make plans to get pissed
So we'll sit in a pub and watch the girls of summer.
The song 'Girls of Summer' by Arab Strap alludes to the experience of the singer and his friends indulging in summer debauchery. The opening lines of the song paint a vivid picture of the group sitting under the sun enjoying their fruity alcopops while observing the girls of summer. The girls are portrayed as carefree and alluring, characterized by their bare legs, white strap tops, and the traces of their cologne.
The next verse shifts focus to the singer, who shares his personal experience of getting ready for the day. He attempts to shave and ends up hurting himself in the process. He then uses some "poof juice," likely a fragrance, and heads out with his friends to enjoy the day's offerings.
As the day progresses, they move towards getting intoxicated, leaving their empties behind as they head to the pub. They continue drinking and eventually end up in a club, where the singer sees some girls and hopes to have a romantic encounter.
The last verse is thick with regret as the singer recalls waking up clammy and disoriented on someone's couch. He is desperate for a fix while his friend plans to continue the endless cycle of getting drunk and watching the girls of summer.
Overall, the song is a haunting narrative that acknowledges the fleeting nature of summer and the transience of youthful, wild experiences.
Line by Line Meaning
We're sitting fruity alchopops with pink glasses with ice and watching the girls of summer
We're enjoying our drinks that taste like fruit, served in pink glasses with ice, while admiring the attractive women of summer.
With there bare legs and trains and there white strap link through yesterdays top beneath today's cologne
The women are wearing revealing clothing, including short skirts and open-back tops, complemented by the scent of their perfume from the day before.
Across there peeling shoulders on there way to the bar
We notice their sunburnt shoulders as they make their way to the bar.
Later I put my tape in the bath in attempt to shave, well almost cut and ending up slashing my cheek and nickin' my lip
And spraying on some poof juice and go to the park with my economy cider
I try to shave in the bath while listening to music, but I end up accidentally cutting myself. After applying some cologne, I head to the park with my cheap cider.
I don't think I'll need a jacket
I don't believe the weather will require me to wear a jacket.
It'll be bright when the carry outs are finished
The sun will still be shining when we finish our drinks.
And we head to the pub to get everyone else
Leaving our empties kicked behind a bush
We'll get 'em in there and casually saunter into the bogs and swallow
And get taxi's down to a club
The micelet and magpie through the window on the way
In the hope they'll get a shag
We go to the pub to gather our friends, leaving our empty bottles by a bush. Once at the pub, we head to the restroom to take drugs, then take a taxi to the club. On the way, we look through the windows of houses, hoping to see a chance for sexual activity.
But I'll wake up clamouring a girl I know fully clothed on someone's couch I've barely slept for two hours
All sweaty and thoughtful and needing a fix
The next morning, I will wake up beside a girl who is fully dressed, having only slept for a couple of hours. I feel uneasy and anxious, and I want to take drugs to alleviate my discomfort.
And then you'll wake up
And the first thing we'll do is to make plans to get pissed
So we'll sit in a pub and watch the girls of summer.
When you wake up, we immediately plan to drink alcohol. We then go to a pub to watch the attractive women of summer once again.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: JOE PERRY, MARTIN FREDERIKSEN, STEVEN TYLER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
dovic
Lyrics (revised version):
We're sitting in the pub drinking fruity alcopops from pint glasses with ice, and watching the girls of summer with their bare legs and trainers
The white strap lines from yesterday's top glowing across their peeled shoulders as they wait at the bar
I'm going after this. Run down the road half cut, trying to shave. Slashed my face off as usual. Jump in the bath... again
Trying to wash off the fucking blood, then head up the park with my economy cider
And I don't think I'll need a jacket
Now when the carry-outs are finished we'll leave the mess behind a tree then make our way down to the pub to pick up our stuff.
He'll be late as usual, he's always fucking late
But when he does arrive we'll slip into the bogs and quietly swallow
And it'll still be light outside when we leave and we jump in a taxi, on our way to the disco, and I'll be saluting magpies, just in case I get a shag.
But I wake up fully clothed, clamped around a girl I know, all sweaty and thoughtful, and needing affection
Then you wake up and the first thing we do is make plans to get pissed
So we go to the pub and watch the girls of summer.
(I wanna have sex on the beach)
Iain Clark
"We're sitting in the pub drinking fruity alchopops from pint glasses with ice, and watching the girls of summer with their bare legs and trainers.
The white strap lines from yesterday's top glowing across their peeled shoulders as they wait at the bar.
I'm going after this. Ran down the road half cut, trying to shave. Slashed my face off as usual. Jump in the bath....Again.
Trying to wash off the fucking blood. Then head up the park with my economy cider.
I don't think I'll need a jacket.
Now when the carry-outs are finished we'll leave the mess behind a tree then make our way down to the pub to pick up our stuff.
He'll be late as usual. He's always fucking late.
But when he does arrive we'll slip into the bogs and quietly swallow.
And it'll still be light outside when we leave and we jump in a taxi. And I'll be saluting magpies, just in case I get a shag.
But I wake up fully clothed. Clams with a girl I know of. Sweaty and thoughtful and needing affection.
Then you wake up and the first thing we do is make plans to get pissed.
So we go to the pub and watch the girls of summer.
(I wanna have sex on the beach)."
Zach McKeever
I've been listening to these guys since they came out. I remember being in Amsterdam in the late 90s listening to "Philophobia." And Mogwai as well. I was smoking a lot then of course. Then came back to Dallas and in 2004, the Cure and Interpol and several other bands came around on a tour. And I remember my girlfriend at the time getting sort of jolted by the fact that I was walking off to see Mogwai on third stage or whatever. One of the best decisions of my life watching those guys. Mogwai destroyed that stage they were on. I've never seen Arab Strap live yet, but I imagine it'd be similar.
Ithila
Zach McKeever at The Trees in South Dallas over in the old SMU and Baylor party zones around The Blarney Stone? All the rock clubs in that area are gone now. :(
Kensing
best GIRLS OF SUMMER version ever Arab Strap recorded, but only available in a CD not easy to find. They have some good Girls of Summer records too, but in my opinion this version is the most legendary music that ever made, astounding song with all this epic crescendo so Strap but Electronic too.
One of those 2000's miracle that you could have every month.
Kensing
@Jim Chabai I saw them several times those years, at Barcelona. This song always they played a little bit different but always was amazing hear it live
Jim Chabai
I knew some of their songs when I saw them at Reading 1999 in the tent right after Stereolab and before The Fall. They played this song which I had never heard and it was an orgasmic experience. I was very excited to find that there was this live version available and it closely matches to what I saw that day.
Kensing
@Eric Wittmershaus WOW, lucky you! I see them everytime they played at Barcelona, but this record was the best
Eric Wittmershaus
I was at this gig and this song completely blew me away.
Wicked Ras
@Kensing, true that and Amen. Best version ever
steveobie1
Known of them for years, never listened to them before, some wonderful stuff.
dovic
Lyrics (revised version):
We're sitting in the pub drinking fruity alcopops from pint glasses with ice, and watching the girls of summer with their bare legs and trainers
The white strap lines from yesterday's top glowing across their peeled shoulders as they wait at the bar
I'm going after this. Run down the road half cut, trying to shave. Slashed my face off as usual. Jump in the bath... again
Trying to wash off the fucking blood, then head up the park with my economy cider
And I don't think I'll need a jacket
Now when the carry-outs are finished we'll leave the mess behind a tree then make our way down to the pub to pick up our stuff.
He'll be late as usual, he's always fucking late
But when he does arrive we'll slip into the bogs and quietly swallow
And it'll still be light outside when we leave and we jump in a taxi, on our way to the disco, and I'll be saluting magpies, just in case I get a shag.
But I wake up fully clothed, clamped around a girl I know, all sweaty and thoughtful, and needing affection
Then you wake up and the first thing we do is make plans to get pissed
So we go to the pub and watch the girls of summer.
(I wanna have sex on the beach)