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.
Just Enough
Arab Strap Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's enough to make its mark
Just a hand to hold as days get dark
A private penance in the night
It's just enough to know that we can feel
And just enough to know that feeling's real
And if you never hurt you'll never heal
And we bleed, we obeyed and we howl and we hide
We undress in only darkness, hide our bodies from the light
And we drink and we drug and we shake and we shrug
While he wages his old war and we've lost the will to fight
And the feeling's kinda sexy, when they're rubbing up against my shirt
My silent circuit burst, you're such a flirt
How I love your secret sting
It's just enough to think another thought
Just trying to unthink the thoughts we've got
And hoping maybe soon we make a go
And we hurt and we hate and we weep and we wait
Count the pounds until they see us
Watch the clock until we drown
And our rooms and our beds and our hearts and our heads
We don't know how to be a man and we've let the family down
So we plot and we plan, try to smile when we can
We swallow all our feelings with a numb forever frown
Falling up into the sky
A ball of blood, a blackened eye
The world below, the wrong way 'round
A call for love, without a sound
The lyrics of Arab Strap's song "Just Enough" paint a bleak picture of emotional turmoil, self-destructive behavior, and a sense of resignation. The lines "And it's just enough to harm, It's enough to make its mark" suggest that there is a certain level of pain or self-inflicted suffering that is necessary for the singer to feel alive and make an impact. This pain is exemplified by the reference to "just a hand to hold as days get dark," implying that the only solace in their darkest moments is a fleeting human connection. This hand-holding can be seen as a private penance, a way for the singer to atone for their own perceived failures and shortcomings.
The song alludes to the idea that feeling is an important aspect of being human. The lines "It's just enough to know that we can feel, And just enough to know that feeling's real" suggests that even though pain may be destructive, it validates their existence. The lyric "And if you never hurt, you'll never heal" implies that one cannot fully heal or grow without experiencing pain first.
The song also delves into themes of escapism and self-medication. With lines like "we drink and we drug and we shake and we shrug" and "swallow all our feelings with a numb forever frown," it portrays a picture of individuals who are trying to drown their sorrows and mask their emotional pain through addictive and self-destructive behaviors. However, this coping mechanism ultimately leads to a loss of will to fight and a sense of resignation.
The chorus "And we bleed, we obeyed and we howl and we hide" reveals the internal struggle faced by the singer. They are torn between the desire to express themselves and the fear of judgment or rejection. The reference to undressing in darkness and hiding bodies from the light further emphasizes their fear of vulnerability and the need to conceal their true selves.
In the latter part of the song, there is a juxtaposition between the pain and the pleasurable aspects of the singer's experiences. The line "The feeling's kinda sexy when they're rubbing up against my shirt" suggests that there can be a certain allure or excitement in these reckless behaviors, despite the underlying damage they cause. This duality is further highlighted by the phrase "How I love your secret sting," which implies that even though there may be pain, there is a fascination or dependency on it.
Line by Line Meaning
And it's just enough to harm
A little pain is sufficient to cause damage and leave its mark
It's enough to make its mark
The pain is sufficient to leave a lasting impact
Just a hand to hold as days get dark
A comforting presence is all we need when life becomes difficult
A private penance in the night
We secretly suffer and seek redemption during our darkest moments
It's just enough to know that we can feel
Simply being able to experience emotions is satisfying
And just enough to know that feeling's real
We find solace in knowing that our emotions are genuine
And if you never hurt you'll never heal
Without experiencing pain, we cannot fully recover and find healing
And we bleed, we obeyed and we howl and we hide
We suffer silently, following societal expectations, while suppressing our true emotions
We undress in only darkness, hide our bodies from the light
We conceal our vulnerabilities and flaws, afraid to expose ourselves to judgment
And we drink and we drug and we shake and we shrug
We indulge in substances and distractions to cope and detach from reality
While he wages his old war and we've lost the will to fight
As our inner battles persist, we feel defeated and lack motivation to resist
And the feeling's kinda sexy when they're rubbing up against my shirt
The sensation is strangely alluring when others make physical contact with me
My silent circuit burst, you're such a flirt
My inner emotions intensify, and you playfully provoke them
How I love your secret sting
I am enamored by the subtle pain you inflict on me
It's just enough to think another thought
Merely having a new idea or perspective is sufficiently stimulating
Just trying to unthink the thoughts we've got
Attempting to rid ourselves of the unwanted, burdening thoughts we currently possess
And hoping maybe soon we make a go
We hold onto the hope that things will improve and progress positively
And we hurt and we hate and we weep and we wait
We endure pain, harbor anger, shed tears, and patiently wait for a change
Count the pounds until they see us
We anxiously measure our worth until others recognize our existence
Watch the clock until we drown
We passively observe time ticking away until we become overwhelmed
And our rooms and our beds and our hearts and our heads
Our physical and emotional spaces are filled with confusion and turmoil
We don't know how to be a man and we've let the family down
We struggle to fulfill societal expectations and feel guilty for disappointing our loved ones
So we plot and we plan, try to smile when we can
We strategize and scheme, attempting to maintain a facade of happiness
We swallow all our feelings with a numb forever frown
We suppress our emotions and wear an everlasting expression of emptiness
Falling up into the sky
Defying gravity, rising upwards against the odds
A ball of blood, a blackened eye
A symbol of pain and violence, representing our physical and emotional wounds
The world below, the wrong way 'round
The perspective of the world appears distorted and disoriented
A call for love, without a sound
Despite the lack of explicit expression, there is a deep longing for love and connection
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Aiden Moffat, Malcolm Middleton
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@louisrichards3160
Man o Man❤️ goosebumps. Only by accident I found new Arab Strap! I’m 63 years old and in my experience, there are no accidents. It’s music like this that makes me feel part of ‘something’. I’m not artistic so when a group of musicians & lyricist put together what I feel expresses ME, I’m beyond overjoyed. God bless Arab Strap and all of us around the world that feel this music is what they’re made of🙏❤️🎈
@iChoricci
#Commiseration🦋✌🏼🦋!
@sidmoniz6
Powerfully made for deep souls, welcome 😊
@sarahpotter4008
Your words describe perfectly what i felt when i discovered them by "accident" (i think, as you, that it was no accident at all) yesterday. I binge-listen to them since then and can't stop...Their music hit me right in the mark and it is seldom, that i think "Wow, this fits my need in every possible way." Those beautiful melodys, bild-ups, the straight-from-the-heart-poetry and those mezmerizing drum parts make me feel connected to something that i don't even know.
@louisrichards3160
@@sarahpotter4008 thank you for your comment and experience!
I’m in Boston and I’m seeing Slowdive tomorrow night. I’m like a little kid and can’t sleep!
@sarahpotter4008
I often find it hard to not drown in the huge wave of darkness, that is all around me for several years now and music, art and poetry are some of the few things that keep me going. This record is healing stuff and i can't write this often enough: Their music and this record is a total work of art and i mean this from the bottom of my heart.
@josebarros1994
Great song and album. Been listening to Arab Strap on and off since one of their gigs with Tindersticks in Oporto, Portugal, when I was only 15 (I am 40 now, time goes by...). Best first act I`ve seen in any of the hundreds of concerts I`ve seen.
@paulradio
Best album ever of Arab Strap and One of the best albuns of the xxi❤️
@tinamichael9746
Another of my favorites. Thank you Aidan and Malcolm.
@martinmccleary737
Such a great song to end such a great album