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.
Glue
Arab Strap Lyrics
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When kissing is missing and legs stay shut tight you'll hate every morning and dread every night.
Don't drag it out when you've lost your glue.
You'll always feel lonely and always be minging, you won't notice colours and you'll never hear singing.
The surest sign ever that good times are ending is sharing a sleeping space with no fucking pending.
Don't drag it out too far, don't do what I do.
The lyrics to Arab Strap's "Glue" focus on the importance of sex in a relationship. The first line of the song suggests that sex without love is worth a try, but then it goes on to explain that the opposite, love without sex, is a terrible experience. It talks about how when kissing and sex are missing, it becomes a miserable experience, where every day is dreaded and makes one feel lonely and uninterested in the world around them. The song advises against dragging out a broken relationship when the glue is lost, and it's not worth continuing to force something that isn't working.
The second half of the song takes a dark turn, discussing the end of a relationship, which becomes apparent when one has to share a sleeping space without any expectation of sex. The final advice of the song is not to drag out a relationship where the good times are ending and to avoid the same mistakes as the singer.
Line by Line Meaning
Sex without love is a good ride worth trying but love without sex is second only to dying.
Having sex without love may seem exciting and worth exploring, but a life without love-making is as good as being dead.
When kissing is missing and legs stay shut tight you'll hate every morning and dread every night.
When there's no physical intimacy in the relationship, you'll feel miserable every day and every night.
Don't drag it out when you've lost your glue.
Do not prolong the relationship when the bond that kept you together is broken.
You'll always feel lonely and always be minging, you won't notice colours and you'll never hear singing.
If you're in a loveless relationship, you'll always feel lonely and miserable, and you'll be unable to appreciate the beauty of life around you.
The surest sign ever that good times are ending is sharing a sleeping space with no fucking pending.
Sharing a bed with no intimacy and passion is a certain indication that the good times are over.
Don't drag it out too far, don't do what I do.
Do not prolong the pain and the agony of an already broken relationship, and do not make the same mistakes I did.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Aidan Moffat, Malcolm Middleton
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind