The Clean are an influential indie rock band that formed in Dunedin, New Ze… Read Full Bio ↴The Clean are an influential indie rock band that formed in Dunedin, New Zealand in 1978. The Clean soon forged a distinctive and quirky sound, inspired by punk filtered through to the relatively isolated New Zealand. Although they released several chart-topping singles in their native country, The Clean are a little-known cult band outside of New Zealand, although their influence is surprisingly far-reaching. They became a staple of college radio in the 1980s; Stephen Malkmus of Pavement cites them as a major influence, and the band's droney 80s output is a direct forerunner of bands such as Yo La Tengo and Camper Van Beethoven.

In 1981, a fan of the Clean founded the Flying Nun label to release their first single, "Tally Ho." A follow-up track off one of their early EPs, "Beatnik", also achieved success, as did the second single, "Getting Older". The Flying Nun label went on to be New Zealand's biggest independent record company, championing the Dunedin Sound, a loosely-connected style of music largely produced by bands from this southern city. Others on the label included The Chills, The Verlaines, The Bats, and Sneaky Feelings.

During much of the 1980s, The Clean disbanded, and during this time the Kilgour brothers worked together on an experimental album and EP using the deliberately punning titles "The Great Unwashed" and "Clean Out of Our Minds". Reforming in the late 1980s, the band explored a slightly poppier vein of music while still retaining their experimental edge.

In June 2008 a live album recorded during the 2007 New Zealand tour was released in New Zealand on Arch Hill Records, entitled "Mashed". A new studio album, titled Mister Pop was released on September 7, 2009 on Arch Hill, and on September 8 in the United States on the Merge label.

In December 2009, The Clean announced their first European dates in more than 20 years, supporting the cult U.S band Pavement at Brixton Academy on the 10th of May. They also played at the Pavement curated ATP at Butlins Minehead on the 14th of May. Other dates on the tour included Amsterdam (May 22), Hamburg (May 23), Berlin (May 25) and Barcelona's Primavera Sound festival May 29).

Late Last Night
The Clean Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Jen, she really rocks my world, I think she is the perfect girl,
But she never seems to notice me she doesn't care about my positivity,
I try to take her by the hand, reminded her that I too am in a band,
But she doesn't seem to understand, or care about the things I've planned,
At times it seems that I've been cursed,
My love life couldn't get much worse,
But I'll keep hoping anyway,
I love Jen but Jen loves Saves the Day,

I fell asleep with the radio on, it was playing Queen,
Freddy must have spoken to me, I had the STRANGEST dream,
We turned our backs on all we knew and loved, and left the core behind,
For greener grass and thrift-store clothes and finally Jen was mine,
Won't compromise what I believe, 'cause I can see,
Won't change my life to make a friend, 'cause that's not me,
I won't be bitter, I won't be mad, that's not how I am,

I've got to live my life for me, I understand,
I can be posi alone.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "Late Last Night" by The Clean express the singer's infatuation with a girl named Jen and his frustration at her lack of interest in him. He believes Jen is the ideal girl for him, but she never seems to notice him or care about his positive attitude. Despite his attempts to impress her, such as reminding her that he is in a band, she doesn't seem to understand or show any interest in his plans.

The singer feels cursed in his love life, as it continues to disappoint him. However, he remains hopeful and determined to keep pursuing Jen, even though she seems to be more interested in the band Saves the Day than in him.

The mention of falling asleep with the radio playing Queen and having a strange dream suggests that the singer seeks solace and guidance from music. In his dream, he and Jen leave behind their old lives, including the core aspects of their identities, and embrace a new, more alternative lifestyle represented by "greener grass and thrift-store clothes." In this dream scenario, he imagines finally being with Jen.

The following lines reflect the singer's commitment to staying true to his beliefs and not compromising his own values or changing his life just to gain a friend or romantic partner. He will not become bitter or angry about the situation; instead, he chooses to live life for himself. The phrase "I can be posi alone" suggests that he can maintain a positive outlook and live life happily even without Jen's reciprocated feelings. Ultimately, the song's message revolves around self-acceptance, remaining true to oneself, and finding happiness independently.

Line by Line Meaning

Jen, she really rocks my world, I think she is the perfect girl,
I am infatuated with Jen and believe she is my ideal partner.

But she never seems to notice me she doesn't care about my positivity,
Jen doesn't pay attention to me and doesn't value my optimistic attitude.

I try to take her by the hand, reminded her that I too am in a band,
I attempt to make a connection with Jen by highlighting that I am also a musician.

But she doesn't seem to understand, or care about the things I've planned,
Jen lacks comprehension or interest in my aspirations and ambitions.

At times it seems that I've been cursed,
There are moments when I feel unlucky or doomed in my romantic endeavors.

My love life couldn't get much worse,
My romantic life is already at its lowest point.

But I'll keep hoping anyway,
Despite the setbacks, I will continue to maintain hope.

I love Jen but Jen loves Saves the Day,
I have strong feelings for Jen, but she is more interested in the band Saves the Day.

I fell asleep with the radio on, it was playing Queen,
I drifted off to sleep while listening to Queen on the radio.

Freddy must have spoken to me, I had the STRANGEST dream,
Freddie Mercury's voice possibly influenced my dream, resulting in a bizarre experience.

We turned our backs on all we knew and loved, and left the core behind,
Both Jen and I chose to abandon our familiar lives and leave behind our past relationships.

For greener grass and thrift-store clothes and finally Jen was mine,
In search of better opportunities and alternative lifestyles, Jen ultimately became my partner.

Won't compromise what I believe, 'cause I can see,
I refuse to sacrifice my beliefs and principles because I have foresight.

Won't change my life to make a friend, 'cause that's not me,
I won't alter my life just to gain a friend because it goes against my true self.

I won't be bitter, I won't be mad, that's not how I am,
I won't harbor resentment or anger because it is not my nature.

I've got to live my life for me, I understand,
I comprehend the importance of living my life according to my own desires and needs.

I can be posi alone.
I can maintain a positive outlook on life even without a romantic partner.

Lyrics © TUNECORE INC, TuneCore Inc.

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