For One Night Only
King Creosote Lyrics


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You know on a Friday
I hand you the house key
I pocket the small change
I hide it to save it
then it's the weekend
(?)
we're spending the money
come on just enjoy it

Once youve had several
out comes another
a pridictable drunkard
you can't even name him
now it's the weekend
(?)

we're happy to be here

for one night only

You know on a Friday
I hand you the house key
I pocket the small change
I hide it to save it
now it's the weekend
(?)
we're spending the money
come on celebrate it
Once you've had several
out comes another
a pridictable drunkard
you can't even name him

now it's the weekend
we're spending the money

we're happy to be here
for one night only





we're happy to be here
for one night only

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "For One Night Only" by King Creosote depict the excitement and indulgence of a weekend night out. The first verse sets the scene of the singer handing over the key to their home to their partner, hiding away some spare change, and then eagerly indulging in the weekend festivities. The repetition of the line "now it's the weekend" emphasizes the freedom and sense of release that comes with the end of the work week.


The second verse speaks to the blurred lines and potential consequences of drunken revelry. The singer describes the appearance of an unknown inebriated person and acknowledges the predictability of such behavior. Despite this, they continue to spend their money and celebrate the moment, highlighting the temporary nature of these weekend indulgences. The repetition of "we're happy to be here for one night only" underscores the fleeting nature of the experience and the awareness that it will soon come to an end.


The chorus reinforces this idea of impermanence and seizing the moment, emphasizing the transience of the experience. The song as a whole seems to celebrate the joys of occasional indulgence while still acknowledging the potential pitfalls and limits of such behavior.


Line by Line Meaning

You know on a Friday
The singer hands over the keys of the house to his partner every Friday to signify the start of the weekend


I hand you the house key
The singer gives his partner the keys to symbolize their weekend together


I pocket the small change
The singer saves small amounts of money for the weekend expenses separately


I hide it to save it
The singer tries to save some extra cash without his partner noticing, to use it for weekend expenses


then it's the weekend
The weekend has arrived and the couple is ready to spend it together


(?)
The missing line could possibly be referring to making plans for the weekend, such as deciding where to go or what activity to do


we're spending the money
The couple is spending the saved up money for the weekend expenses


come on just enjoy it
The singer is urging his partner to let go and have fun during the weekend


Once you've had several
After a few drinks, one person tends to become another


out comes another
Once someone is drunk, they tend to act differently and become another version of themselves


a predictable drunkard
Being drunk can lead to predictable behavior that is out of character when sober


you can't even name him
The person's drunk behavior is so different from their sober self that they become unrecognizable


now it's the weekend
The weekend is still ongoing


we're happy to be here
The couple is enjoying their time together, being happy in that moment


for one night only
The happiness and enjoyment is temporary and is only for one night




Writer(s): Kenny Anderson

Contributed by Sadie R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Comments from YouTube:

Sam Rowe

This makes me weep every time. I've no idea why. People throughout the ages just having fun and enjoying themselves, and now who knows where they are. i just feel such love for them all. It's so beautiful and sad.

eidith

A lost time, get ye!

Mudge07

Their’s no shame in grieving; for good times past and the folk passed. As the clips are from many decades ago, some may be still with us but in the most part, they will have gone and left this record of their excellent spirit.

Stuart Parks

This is such a beautiful song but the video absolutely makes it. Whoever put the video together and edited it to match deserves a round of applause

Gordon Machray

This song sums up Scotland at the weekend. Love it!

David Cumming

This is truly beautiful

Tom Mills

Brilliant wee track. Looking forward to hearing more off the album.

rojolagarta

this guy would have passed me by if I hadnt watched Scotland On Film.Brilliant.

MLeon

Same! Literally watching it now

Mudge07

@MLeon History repeats itself, 2023 and iPlayer BBC Scotland channel allows it to share this wee treasure with the rest of the UK. The combination of life as it was, captured and collated, with a modest, accurate lyric and downright catchy theme tune literally time-travels you to another era. King Creosote opens up a refreshing view of Scotland through his thoughtful songs and beautifully delivered ballads.

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