After leaving The Aloof, Richard Thair went off to play drums for the group Red Snapper. Also Gary Burns and Jagz Kooner, (along with Andrew Weatherall) went on to form Sabres of Paradise.
Unlike many bands who started out playing more or less straight-ahead rock but in the late '90s began to assimilate electronic elements, the Aloof was formed as a strictly dance squad and only later added a vocalist and employed tighter song structures. The band began in 1990 when DJ Dean Thatcher and producer Jagz Kooner (also a member of Andrew Weatherall's Sabres of Paradise) issued the single "Never Get out of the Boat" on a limited white-label pressing, but was only officially launched when FFRR Records gave the single a proper release. By the following year, the duo added vocalist Ricky Barrow and programmer Gary Burns (also with the Sabres) and recorded several singles for Cowboy Records, including, the incredibly catchy but fairly dumb (compared to the politically aware material on their debut album) "On a Mission". While playing live PAs at nightclubs around Great Britain, the Aloof grew disgusted with the burnt-out house scene and decided to become a true live band. Adding drummer Richard Thair (later with Red Snapper) in 1993, Dean Thatcher and Richard Thair set up their own label, Flaw Records, and released Cover the Crime in 1994. The album became popular on British indie charts, and earned the Aloof a contract with East West, which reissued the LP in 1995 and also released their second album Sinking one year later. The group played several festivals during the summer of 1996, opened for Leftfield and watched their single "One Night Stand" reach the British Top 30 late that year. The album Seeking Pleasure followed in 1998 with a darker, definitely more guitar based feel. The group was dropped from East West the same day that Seeking Pleasure was released. Kooner left soon after, and the Aloof set up Screaming Target Records for 1999's This Constant Chase for Thrills. This album went back to the almost minimalist roots of Cover the Crime. Ricky Barrows has since collaborated with Luke Slater on his 2002 "Alright On Top" album. The Aloof are still writing and recording. The current line up is Ricky Barrow, Dean Thatcher, David Stone, Nick Avinit & Richard Thair.
One night stand
The Aloof Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Your face is a mess
You walk back in the room
And you put on your dress
I say I'll see you soon and I
I'll give you a call
I hear the door slam and feel nothing at all
I've been here for weeks
Gotta get outta of this room and go
Go clean these sheets
Why am I lying here and with what was her name
I feel nothing at all I feel no shame
It's another one night stand
Cause it makes me feel like a real man
What am I doing here
Your face is a mess
You walk by and give me room
And you put on your dress
I say I'll see you soon and I
I'll give you a call
I hear the door slam and feel nothing at all
It's another one night stand
Cause it makes me feel like a real man
What am I doing here I've been here for weeks
Gotta get outta of this room and go
Go clean these sheets
Why am I lying here
And with what was her name
I feel nothing at all I feel no shame
It's another one night stand
Cause it makes me feel like a real man
(Repeat)
The lyrics of The Aloof's song "One Night Stand" tell a story of a man who engages in casual sexual encounters without any emotional attachment. The opening lines of the song express his confusion and regret about the situation. He wakes up in bed with a woman whose face is "a mess," possibly indicating the effects of alcohol or drugs. As she gets dressed to leave, he promises to see her soon and give her a call, but he feels nothing as he hears the door slam.
The second verse expands on his sense of disorientation and repetition. He realizes that he has been in this situation for weeks and needs to escape, even as he continues to engage in meaningless sex. He cannot even remember the name of the woman he just slept with and feels no shame or remorse. The chorus reiterates that this behavior is just another "one night stand," one of many that make him feel like a "real man."
This song is a commentary on the empty and transient nature of casual sex and the emotional toll it can take on those who engage in it. It portrays the singer as a lost and lonely figure who uses sex as a way to feel something, anything, even if it is short-lived and meaningless.
Line by Line Meaning
What am I doing here
Questioning why he's in this situation
Your face is a mess
Noticing the aftermath of their encounter
You walk back in the room
Her return to the scene
And you put on your dress
Getting dressed to leave
I say I'll see you soon and I
Saying goodbye with no intention of seeing her again
I'll give you a call
Lying to spare her feelings
I hear the door slam and feel nothing at all
Emotionally detached from the situation
It's another one night stand
Acknowledging the pattern of behavior
Cause it makes me feel like a real man
Using sex as a means of validation
I've been here for weeks
Stuck in this rut for far too long
Gotta get outta of this room and go
Needing to escape the situation
Go clean these sheets
Literal cleaning, but also metaphorical cleansing of himself
Why am I lying here and with what was her name
Questioning why he's in bed with a virtual stranger
I feel nothing at all I feel no shame
Lacking any emotions or remorse
Writer(s): Dean Carl Thatcher, Jagjit Singh Kooner, Ricardo Nicolia Barrow, Richard Thair, Gary Burns Copyright: Island Music Ltd., Universal Music Publishing Mgb Ltd., Warp Music
Contributed by Jordan H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.