The Cribs are an English 3-piece indie band from Wakefield, West Yorkshire,… Read Full Bio ↴The Cribs are an English 3-piece indie band from Wakefield, West Yorkshire, England which formed in 2001 and consists of twins Gary and Ryan Jarman and their younger brother Ross. In August 2008 Johnny Marr, former guitarist for The Smiths and Modest Mouse, became the official fourth member of the band. On April 11th 2011, Marr's departure from the group was announced on their website, and The Cribs now continue as a 3-piece again.

They are signed to the Wichita Recordings label, and have currently released 5 albums through this imprint - 'The Cribs' (2004), 'The New Fellas' (2005), 'Mens Needs, Womens Needs, Whatever' (2007), 'Ignore The Ignorant' (2009), and 'In The Belly Of The Brazen Bull' (2012).

Despite starting off as an underground band, The Cribs have experienced commercial success with 'Mens Needs, Womens Needs, Whatever' charting at #13 in the UK album charts, and 'Ignore The Ignorant' achieving the band their first Top Ten album, charting at #8. They also have 7 top 40 hit singles to their name, the most successful of which being 'Men's Needs' (#17). In 2008, Q magazine described The Cribs as "The biggest cult band in the UK".
The Chi-Town Songfacts says that The Cribs' fifth studio album, In the Belly of the Brazen Bull, was recorded at London's Abbey Road and Chicago's EAR studio with famed lo-fi rock engineer Steve Albini and Tarbox Road studio in New York with David Fridmann (Mercury Rev, The Flaming Lips).

After some hard times during which they were (according to an interview in DIY Magazine) "nearly losing the rights to their entire back catalogue, and coming close to calling time on the group entirely," in 2020 they released the album "Night Network."

Baby Don't Sweat
The Cribs Lyrics

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Now and again I've got a lot to say
And I can't afford you this one
Oh yeah, she asks me where I'm going
Now and again I'll find a friend who knows
She asks me where I'm going
Oh yeah, she asks me where I'm going
Well if you're always in debt
Baby don't sweat

I promise it will always be fine
I'll never forget
I'm always in debt
Baby you opened my mind

Now and again I've got a lot to say
And I can't afford you this one
Oh yeah, she asks me where I'm going
Now and again I'll find a friend who knows
She asks me where I'm going
Oh yeah, she asks me where I'm going

Well if you're always in debt
Baby don't sweat
I promise you it'll always be fine
I'll never forget
I'm always in debt to you
Baby you opened my mind

So if you're always in debt
Baby don't sweat
I promise you'll always be fine
I'll never forget you
I'm always in debt to you
Harder you blew my mind

Now and again I've got a lot to say
And I can't afford you this one
Oh yeah, she asks me where I'm going
Now and again I find a friend who knows

She asks me where I'm going
Oh yeah, she asks me where I'm going

Overall Meaning

The Cribs’s song “Baby Don't Sweat” is a catchy indie song about debt and relationships, where the singer in the song assures his romantic partner that being in debt is not a big deal, that he's always in debt to the partner and that it’s okay, and it won’t shake their relationship. The song’s opening line goes, “Now and again I've got a lot to say, and I can't afford you this one.” The line implies that the singer has something to say to his partner, but he can’t afford to say it at the moment.

Throughout the rest of the song, the singer tells his partner not to worry about the debt that he may face in life. He repeats, “If you're always in debt, baby don't sweat, I promise it will always be fine” which suggests that the singer is always in debt, but their relationship will stay strong despite any financial difficulties they may face. The lyrics portray a sense of comfort, where the singer is reassuring his partner that despite the hardships they may face financially, they will always be there for each other.

Overall, the song's message is that a relationship is much stronger than any financial difficulties that may arise, and it's about sticking together through thick and thin. The upbeat instrumental, combined with the lyrics, creates an uplifting feeling of reassurance in the face of difficult situations.

Line by Line Meaning

Now and again I've got a lot to say
Occasionally I feel like I need to vent about something

And I can't afford you this one
But unfortunately, I don't have the resources to deal with it right now

Oh yeah, she asks me where I'm going
My partner is curious about my whereabouts

Now and again I'll find a friend who knows
Sometimes I confide in a close friend who understands me

She asks me where I'm going
My partner continues to ask about my plans

Well if you're always in debt
If you're constantly struggling financially

Baby don't sweat
Don't worry about it

I promise it will always be fine
I assure you everything will work out in the end

I'll never forget
I will always remember

I'm always in debt
I'm constantly indebted to you

Baby you opened my mind
You've expanded my perspective on life