Late in 1978, The Raincoats became an all female post-punk band, when joined by Palmolive of The Slits (drums), Vicky Aspinall (violin) and manager Shirley O'Loughlin. The band went on their first UK tour with Swiss female band Kleenex, in May 1979 after Rough Trade Records released their first single "Fairytale in the Supermarket"/ "In Love"/ "Adventures Close to Home".
Palmolive left the band after their seminal first album "The Raincoats" and Ingrid Weiss joined in 1980, when the band began recording their second album "Odyshape", and toured Europe and the east coast of the USA. Guest musicians on "Odyshape" included Robert Wyatt, This Heat's Charles Hayward and Richard Dudanski.
In New York, December 1982, The Raincoats recorded a live album at the arts space The Kitchen. "The Kitchen Tapes" (live) was released on ROIR in 1983. The band split after 1984s "Moving" LP.
In 1992 Kurt Cobain of Nirvana went into the Rough Trade shop in London in search of a new copy of "The Raincoats" and Jude Crighton sent him round the corner to see Ana da Silva. Cobain wrote passionately about this meeting in the liner notes of Nirvana’s "Incesticide" album. riot grrrl was at its height and bands like Bikini Kill, Huggy Bear and Hole, who covered Cobain’s favourite Raincoats track “The Void”, prompted interest in the bands’ back catalogue. In late 1993 Rough Trade and DGC Records released the three albums with liner notes by Kurt Cobain and Kim Gordon.
Shirley O'Loughlin persuaded Ana da Silva and Gina Birch to play a show at the Garage in London in March 1994 with Steve Shelley of Sonic Youth on drums and Anne Wood on violin to celebrate the album releases. They recorded a session for John Peel, which was released on Paul Smith’s Blast First and Steve Shelley’s label Smells Like Records. Kurt Cobain invited them to play on Nirvana’s planned UK tour in April, but sadly he died a week before the tour began. Ana da Silva and Gina Birch had written some new material and released a new album "Looking in the Shadows" on DGC Records and Rough Trade in 1996, produced by britpop producer Ed Buller (who'd previously worked with Suede and Pulp) (see 1996 in music). Musicians include Anne Wood (violin, bass), Heather Dunn (drums) and Pete Shelley (Buzzcocks and solo artist).
Since 1996, The Raincoats have played a couple of special events such as Robert Wyatt’s Meltdown (festival) in 2001 and at Chicks on Speed's “99 Cents” album release in Berlin in December 2003. Ana da Silva and Gina Birch are currently working on a version of “Monk Chant” for a compilation of The Monks songs called “Silver Monk Time” due for release in August 2006.
Off Duty Trip
The Raincoats Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Pounding out those games in the dark
Those who walk past her screams
Are only reminded of love's young dreams
A scuffle while in his arms
Can only prove the strength of his charms
Woman you're pinned up
A soldier's life is very tough
Needs tender loving when fighting's through
Join the professionals (the professionals)
Join the professionals (the professionals)
Join the professionals (the professionals)
Yes they're really strangers in the night
Oh they're saying to me if you put up a fight
It's not just a kiss you owe me
With all this ammunition loaded
I bought you a drink and well
We're walking hand in hand
Woman you're pinned up
On the wall in front of you
A soldier's life is very tough
Needs tender loving when fighting's through
Save the professional (the professionals)
Save one more professional (the professionals)
Save one more professional (the professionals)
Seaside town, off duty trip
Taking flesh, going to let it rip
With rings on his fingers
Sharp like the taste that still lingers
Flavor of this month's center spread
Fifty-seven page three varieties is in his head
Woman you're pinned up
On the wall in front of you
A soldier's life is very tough
Needs tender loving when fighting's through
No, no jail for the professional (the professionals)
No, no jail for the professional (the professionals)
No, no jail for the professional (the professionals)
The Raincoats' song "Off Duty Trip" tells the story of a soldier on leave, looking for love and excitement on his off days. The song paints a picture of a seaside town, where couples gather in the park to play games and the soldier and his love interest engage in a flirtatious dance. The lyrics suggest that the soldier is looking for something more than just a casual fling, needing tender loving to ease him after the hardship of being on the front line.
The song's title, "Off Duty Trip," hints at the soldier's frame of mind. He is on a trip, but it is not a vacation. He is still on duty, still in combat mode, and needs to find a way to escape the traumas of war. The woman he meets is also a professional of sorts. She is savvy, streetwise, and knows how to protect herself. She is not interested in playing games, but rather in engaging in a mutual exchange of affection.
The song is a layered commentary on love, sex, and power dynamics, hinting at the complexities of human relationships, particularly those between people from different backgrounds and experiences. It is also an exploration of the toll of war, the emotional and physical strains it places on those involved, and the need for human connection to help heal the wounds.
Line by Line Meaning
Just a couple, in the park
A man and woman are spending time together in the park
Pounding out those games in the dark
They are playing games in the dark
Those who walk past her screams
People who hear her screams
Are only reminded of love's young dreams
Are reminded of their own youthful love
A scuffle while in his arms
A fight that occurs while he is holding her
Can only prove the strength of his charms
Shows that he still has her affection even when they argue
Woman you're pinned up
The woman is pressed against the wall
On the wall in front of you
She is trapped by the man in front of her
A soldier's life is very tough
Being a soldier is a difficult job
Needs tender loving when fighting's through
A soldier needs care and affection when they are done fighting
Join the professionals (the professionals)
Become a part of the professional group
Yes they're really strangers in the night
These two people are strangers who met at night
Oh they're saying to me if you put up a fight
They are warning the listener not to resist
It's not just a kiss you owe me
They want more than just a kiss from the listener
With all this ammunition loaded
They are armed and prepared to use force
I bought you a drink and well
They bought the listener a drink
We're walking hand in hand
They are holding hands while walking together
Save the professional (the professionals)
Protect the professional group
Seaside town, off duty trip
They are on a trip to a seaside town while off work
Taking flesh, going to let it rip
They are going to have sex
With rings on his fingers
The man is wearing rings
Sharp like the taste that still lingers
The rings are like a lingering taste
Flavor of this month's center spread
He is interested in the latest centerfold girl
Fifty-seven page three varieties is in his head
He has many images of nude models in his mind
No, no jail for the professional (the professionals)
The professionals should not be punished with jail time
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Victoria Mary Aspinall, Georgina Mary Birch, Ana Paula De Lima Pit Da Silva, Richard Dudanski
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind