Last Nite
The Strokes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning | Line by Line Meaning
"Oh, baby, I feel so down
Oh, it turns me off
When I feel left out"
So I, I turned 'round
Oh, baby, don't care no more
I know this for sure
I'm walking out that door
Well, I've been in town for just about fifteen-oh minutes now
Oh, baby, I feel so down
And I don't know why
I keep walking for miles
And say, people, they don't understand
No, girlfriends, they can't understand
Your grandsons, they won't understand
On top of this, I ain't ever gonna understand
Last night, she said
"Oh, baby, don't feel so down
Oh, it turns me off
When I feel left out"
So I, I turned round
Oh, baby, gonna be alright
It was a great big lie
'Cause I left that night, yeah
Oh, people, they don't understand
No, girlfriends, they don't understand
In spaceships, they won't understand
And me, I ain't ever gonna understand
Last night, she said
"Oh, baby, I feel so down
See, it turns me off
When I feel left out"
So I, I turned 'round
Oh, little girl, I don't care no more
I know this for sure
I'm walking out that door
Yeah
The Strokes's "Last Nite" is a song that talks about the singer's dissatisfaction with his relationship. The chorus features a repeating "oh, baby, I feel so down" which is a representation of the singer's despondency with how things are going in his relationship. Throughout the song, the singer talks about his girlfriend complaining about feeling left out, causing him to feel apathy towards the relationship.
In the first verse, the singer reveals that he's given up on the relationship entirely, and he has already made up his mind about walking out the door. He states that he doesn't care anymore, thus indicating that he's become distant from the relationship after being so invested in it for years.
The second verse talks about how frustrated he is, and he's resorted to walking all over the town. Despite the fact that people may not understand what he's going through, his girlfriend can't empathize, and their grandchildren will never understand what he's going through. The singer has already made up his mind and is at the point of no return.
Overall, the song is a representation of the singer's frustration with the end of his relationship, ultimately deciding to walk away. The chorus symbolizes how the relationship was causing him to feel disheartened, with the verses showcasing the singer's detachment from the relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
Last night, she said
The singer is recalling a conversation he had with his significant other the previous night.
"Oh, baby, I feel so down
His partner expresses that she feels sad or depressed about something.
Oh, it turns me off
Her negative emotions are brought to a point where she's not interested in physical intimacy.
When I feel left out"
She identifies that her sadness is happening when she's feeling excluded.
So I, I turned 'round
The singer takes some action in response to his partner's request.
Oh, baby, don't care no more
The singer tries to shake off his feelings of being hurt or worried about his partner's attitude.
I know this for sure
He is confident in his decision and is resolute about it.
I'm walking out that door
The singer has decided to leave the situation and walk out of the place.
Well, I've been in town for just about fifteen-oh minutes now
The singer is introducing the idea that he is a new person in town, unfamiliar with the place.
Oh, baby, I feel so down
The singer emphasizes his negative mood once again.
And I don't know why
He is puzzled as to the root cause of his melancholy.
I keep walking for miles
To ease his stress, the singer is taking a walk around the area he finds himself in.
And say, people, they don't understand
The singer suggests that others don't relate to or comprehend his current state of mind.
No, girlfriends, they can't understand
He extends this idea specifically to significant others, including his own past girlfriends, stating they don't understand either.
Your grandsons, they won't understand
Even future generations, represented here by grandsons, will not be able to get what he's going through.
On top of this, I ain't ever gonna understand
The singer is expressing his resignation to never truly understanding what is causing him pain.
Last night, she said
The singer returns to the recounting of his and his partner's conversation from the previous night.
"Oh, baby, don't feel so down
This time, his partner encourages him to be less negative and try to feel better.
Oh, it turns me off
She implies that his negative attitude is again affecting their relationship's intimacy.
When I feel left out"
Like before, she links her sadness with a feeling of being excluded.
So I, I turned round
Like earlier, the singer takes action and tries to address the problem in their relationship.
Oh, baby, gonna be alright
He reassures his partner that all will be well soon.
It was a great big lie
The singer confesses that his reassurances were insincere and false.
'Cause I left that night, yeah
He states that he left their place that night, abandoning the conversation and relationship.
Oh, people, they don't understand
He returns to his idea that no one but him can really comprehend his problems.
No, girlfriends, they don't understand
This is repeated again, emphasizing how even people who are or have been closest to him cannot understand.
In spaceships, they won't understand
He dramatically states that even beings from another world will not understand his state of mind.
And me, I ain't ever gonna understand
The singer reiterates his feeling of not being able to comprehend his own issues too.
Last night, she said
The final stanza begins by returning once more to the conversation from before.
"Oh, baby, I feel so down
This time, the singer is the one expressing his negative emotions.
See, it turns me off
He suggests his own mood is affecting their intimacy.
When I feel left out"
Identical to his partner's grievance from earlier, the singer feels excluded.
So I, I turned 'round
The singer again takes some action, responding to his partner's request to address the problem.
Oh, little girl, I don't care no more
He decides he doesn't care and will not be dealing with the situation anymore.
I know this for sure
He is once again resolute and confident in his decision.
I'm walking out that door
Like the earlier line, he decides to leave and ends the song.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Julian Casablancas
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
The track was produced by Gordon Raphael and was issued on RCA Records with the song "When It Started" as the B-side.
The song's opening guitar riff and overall structure is based on "American Girl" by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Read Full Bio"Last Nite" is a song by American rock band the Strokes. It was released on October 23, 2001, as the second single from their debut album "Is This It". It was a moderate hit for the group on the UK Singles Chart in 2001.
The track was produced by Gordon Raphael and was issued on RCA Records with the song "When It Started" as the B-side.
The song's opening guitar riff and overall structure is based on "American Girl" by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. In a 2006 interview with Rolling Stone, Petty commented, "The Strokes took "American Girl" [for "Last Nite"], there was an interview that took place with them where they actually admitted it. That made me laugh out loud. I was like, 'OK, good for you.' It doesn't bother me". The Strokes were invited to be the opening act for several dates on Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers' 2006 tour. The solo for the song was inspired by guitarist Freddie King.
The single was the group's first to enter the American charts, reaching the top five on the U.S. Modern Rock Tracks chart in late 2001. Meanwhile, the single obtained moderate success in the UK, peaking at number 14 on the UK Singles Chart.
In March 2005, Q placed "Last Nite" at number 66 in its list of the 100 Greatest Guitar Tracks. In September 2006, NME placed "Last Nite" at number one on its list of the 50 Greatest Tracks of the Decade. In May 2007, NME magazine placed "Last Nite" at number nine in its list of the 50 Greatest Indie Anthems Ever. It was also placed at number 16 on Rolling Stone's 50 Best Songs of the Decade and number 478 on its list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time". The same publication listed it at number 155 in a revamped version of the list in 2021. In 2011, NME placed it at number four on its list "150 Best Tracks of the Past 15 Years". In 2020, Paste and The Independent ranked the song number two and number one, respectively, on their lists of the 20 greatest Strokes songs.
Limits98
Lyrics
[Verse 1]
Last night, she said
"Oh, baby, I feel so down
Oh, it turns me off
When I feel left out"
So I, I turned 'round
Oh, baby, don't care no more
I know this for sure
I'm walking out that door
[Bridge]
Well, I've been in town for just 'bout fifteen, oh, minutes now
And baby, I feel so down
And I don't know why
I keep walking for miles
[Chorus 1]
And say, people, they don't understand
No, girlfriends, they can't understand
Your grandsons, they won't understand
On top of this, I ain't ever gonna understand
[Verse 2]
Last night, she said
"Oh, baby, don't feel so down
Oh, it turns me off
When I feel left out"
So I, I turned 'round
Oh, baby, gonna be alright
It was a great big lie
'Cause I left that night, yeah
[Instrumental Bridge]
[Chorus 2]
Oh, people, they don't understand
No, girlfriends, they don't understand
In spaceships, they won't understand
And me, I ain't ever gonna understand
[Verse 1]
Last night, she said
"Oh, baby, I feel so down
See, it turns me off
When I feel left out"
So I, I turned 'round
Oh, little girl, I don't care no more
I know this for sure
I'm walking out that door, yeah
Joshua Benny
Thank God for The Velvet Underground, who inspired The Strokes, who inspired The Arctic Monkeys. What a Beautiful world we live in.
Steve M
sounds like the Fratelies
JoeHammer
Am unbroken chain of boredom.
Platinum Rx
people don’t create in a vacuum everything is influenced by what came before it— u really thought u said something
Étienne Kosa
Guided by Voices
cobane
The Strokes, Interpol, White Stripes, The Hives, The Vines, Jet, Arctic Monkeys, The Libertines... Great era of rock music.
Dizzy Pear
@Surfer Bri let's be honest weezer was at their worst when these bands were in their prime
Callum Ferguson
@maraphernalia 😇
maraphernalia
@Callum Ferguson sir-
Endless Nameless
I was exactly 21 (and in a band) when this stuff dropped. Amazing time to be a young, male hipster in the USA. Especially if you drank/partied. This video in particular made a big splash. Hives and Stripes were both amazing live, too. People drone on about how these bands all had family "connections" (which is true), but they were also heavily vetted as decent live acts by the labels before they got signed. All these bands could rock a club, it wasn't fake/studio trickery. Good era!