The Boy With The Arab Strap
Ofln - Belle & Sebastian Lyrics
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The odor of old prison food takes a long time to pass you by
Day upon day of this wandering gets you down
Nobody gives you a chance or a dollar in this old town
Hovering silence from you is a giveaway
Squalor and smoke's not your style
"I don't like this place"
Then I compare notes with your older sister
I am a lazy get, she is as pure as the cold driven snow
What did you learn from your time in the solitary
Cell of your mind?
There was noises, the distractions from anything good
And the old prison food
Colour my life with the chaos of trouble
'Cause anything's better than posh isolation
I missed the bus
You were laid on your back
With the boy with the Arab strap
With the boy from the Arab strap
It's something to speak of the way you are feeling
To crowds there assembled
Do you ever feel you have gone too far?
Everyone suffers in silence a burden
The man who drives minicabs down in old Compton
The Asian man
With his love hate affair
With his racist clientele
A central location for you is a must
As you stagger about making free with your lewd and lascivious boasts
We all know you are soft 'cause we've all seen you dancing
We all know you're hard 'cause we all saw you drinking from noon
Until noon again
You're the boy with the filthy laugh
You're the boy with the Arab strap
Strapped to the table with suits from the shelter shop
Comic celebrity takes a back seat as the cigarette catches
And sets off the smoke alarm
What do you make of the cool set in London?
You're constantly updating your hit parade of your ten biggest wanks
She's a waitress and she's got style
The song "The Boy With The Arab Strap" by Belle & Sebastian tells the story of a person who is lost in a world that doesn't seem to understand them. The first verse describes a person who is traveling on a bus, trying to get away from the past they have left behind. However, the smell of "old prison food" reminds them that they cannot escape their past so easily. The second verse describes a person who is not comfortable with their current surroundings and wants to leave. They confide in the singer's older sister, who appears to be more put-together than them.
The chorus is a reflection on the struggles of the past and present, and the desire for chaos over isolation. The singer feels they have no choice but to embrace the chaos of their own thoughts and actions as they cannot go back to posh isolation. They miss a bus and end up laying with someone who wears an Arab strap, in a metaphorical way signifying the singer's desire to escape from their problems.
The third verse tells a story of a person on the edge, pushed to the brink by the pressures of society. This verse symbolizes that everyone, regardless of ethnicity or background, suffers and is lonely at some point in their lives, an incredibly powerful message. The final verse is a playful one, with the singer describing a person who, despite his flaws, still manages to have style and swagger, winking at the fact that coolness is often unattainable but can still be channeled in other ways. Overall, the song is a reflection on the human condition and the struggles of life.
Line by Line Meaning
A mile and a half on a bus takes a long time
The journey is long and tiring and it takes up a considerable amount of time.
The odor of old prison food takes a long time to pass you by
The smell of the food reminds you of being locked up and the memory doesn't fade quickly.
Day upon day of this wandering gets you down
The repetitive act of wandering and not being able to find your way is depressing.
Nobody gives you a chance or a dollar in this old town
In this town, everyone is just trying to fend for themselves and no one is generous.
Hovering silence from you is a giveaway
The silence from you makes me think something is wrong since you are usually energetic.
Squalor and smoke's not your style
You don't like the dirty and smoky environment of the area we're in.
"I don't like this place"
You express your dislike for the place we are in and want to leave.
We better go
We should leave this place and find a more suitable environment.
Then I compare notes with your older sister
I converse with your older sister to get some insight into your life.
I am a lazy get, she is as pure as the cold driven snow
I am lazy compared to your sister who has a moral character that is very high.
What did you learn from your time in the solitary
What did you reflect on or learn about yourself during all those moments of loneliness?
Cell of your mind?
The cell of your mind refers to the thoughts that you may frequently have.
There was noises, the distractions from anything good
You were surrounded by noises that prevented you from having positive reflections or thoughts.
And the old prison food
The food you were eating during that time was not of high quality.
Colour my life with the chaos of trouble
Let my life be filled with the excitement and wildness that comes from trouble.
'Cause anything's better than posh isolation
Isolation that results from luxury is not good because it is too comfortable and not challenging.
I missed the bus
I was not able to catch the bus.
You were laid on your back
You were lying on your back in a vulnerable position.
With the boy with the Arab strap
You were with a man or boy who was wearing an Arab strap.
It's something to speak of the way you are feeling
It's brave to express how you are feeling in front of a crowd.
To crowds there assembled
To the people gathered in attendance.
Do you ever feel you have gone too far?
Have you ever done something that you felt was too extreme?
Everyone suffers in silence a burden
Everyone has something that they carry around with them that troubles them.
The man who drives minicabs down in old Compton
A man who works as a minicab driver in the Old Compton area.
The Asian man
The man is of Asian descent.
With his love hate affair
He has a complicated relationship with the clientele he serves.
With his racist clientele
He serves clients who are racist and may denigrate him because of his race.
A central location for you is a must
It is important for you to find a place to stay that is located in a central area.
As you stagger about making free with your lewd and lascivious boasts
As you move about with uncontrolled behaviour and making inappropriate comments.
We all know you are soft 'cause we've all seen you dancing
We've seen you dance before and it makes it hard to believe that you have a tough exterior.
We all know you're hard 'cause we all saw you drinking from noon
We've seen that you can handle your alcohol and therefore, you are perceived as tough.
Until noon again
You drank alcohol from noon until the following noon.
You're the boy with the filthy laugh
You are the person who has a particularly dirty or inappropriate laugh.
You're the boy with the Arab strap
You are the person who is wearing an Arab strap.
Strapped to the table with suits from the shelter shop
You are tied to a table wearing clothing from a charity-shop.
Comic celebrity takes a back seat as the cigarette catches
The seriousness of the situation becomes apparent and any comedy surrounding it disappears.
And sets off the smoke alarm
The cigarette sets off the fire alarm.
What do you make of the cool set in London?
What do you think about the hip or trendy group of people in London?
You're constantly updating your hit parade of your ten biggest wanks
You are always updating your list of the ten most important things you have done that are self-serving or unimportant.
She's a waitress and she's got style
She has a strong sense of fashion despite working as a waitress.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Christopher Geddes, Isobel Campbell, Michael Cooke, Richard Colburn, Sarah Martin, Stephen Jackson, Stuart Murdoch
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind