The Strokes is an American rock band from Manhattan, New York, United States, f… Read Full Bio ↴The Strokes is an American rock band from Manhattan, New York, United States, formed in 1998. The band rose to fame in the early 2000s as a leading group in garage rock/post-punk revival. The band consists of Julian Casablancas (lead vocals), Nick Valensi (lead guitar), Albert Hammond, Jr. (rhythm guitar), Nikolai Fraiture (bass guitar) and Fabrizio Moretti (drums and percussion).

Upon the release of their debut album, Is This It, in 2001, the group was met with much critical acclaim, being hailed by some as the "saviors of rock and roll." NME made Is This It their Album of the Year. Since then, the band has maintained a large fan base, notably in the UK, US and Australia. As of 2007, Is This It has sold over 3.5 million copies worldwide.

They released their second album Room on Fire in October 2003, to good reviews, but to less success commercially, although it still went gold. The album's sound maintained the Strokes' familiar reference points, while also evoking groups such as The Cars, Bob Marley, and Blondie. In the process, they made the cover of Spin Magazine for the second time, with each member receiving his own cover. They also made the cover of Rolling Stone for the first time. Additional media coverage of the band came from the relationship between Moretti and actress Drew Barrymore, which ended in January 2007.

In late September 2005, "Juicebox", the first single from The Strokes then unreleased third album, was leaked online, forcing the single's release date to be advanced. The single was then released as an exclusive on online download services. "Juicebox" became The Strokes' second UK Top 10 hit, as well as their second US Modern Rock Top 10 success. During November and December 2005 the Strokes did a promotional tour for the still unreleased album, which involved doing one-off shows in major cities around the world.

Their third album, First Impressions of Earth, was released in January 2006 to mixed reviews and debuted at number four in the US and number one in the UK, a first for the band. In Japan it went gold within the first week of release. It was also the most downloaded album for two weeks on iTunes. Fraiture claimed that the album was "like a scientific breakthrough". In January 2006, the band then made their second appearance on Saturday Night Live playing "Juicebox" and "You Only Live Once".

The Strokes' frontman Julian Casablancas and guitarist Nick Valensi started writing new material for their band's forthcoming new album in the latter stages of January 2009, which they were set to go in the studio to finalize in February of the same year. In February 2010, Julian Casablancas told NME that the band's fourth album was set to be released in September 2010. The release date has been pushed back again, and the album, titled "Angles" will now be released March 22, 2011 in America. The album's first single, "Under Cover of Darkness" was made available as a free download from the band's website on February 9, 2011 for a 48 hour period.

The Strokes' fifth album is called "Comedown Machine" and was released on March 26th 2013 In North America and March 25th in the U.K. The first single is called "All the Time".

They released their first collection of material after their departure from RCA, the Future Present Past EP, in June 2016 through Casablancas' independent Cult Records label.

Later that decade, the Strokes began working with Rick Rubin on a new album. In April 2020 they released their first studio album in seven years, The New Abnormal, through Cult and RCA. Critics generally considered the album a return to form.

Official website: http://www.thestrokes.com

Meet Me In The Bathroom
The Strokes Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

When they say promises
They mean promises
They'd say, that's okay
Long as we can celebrate
Ooh, you see, my uncle would say
Things would change when he's dead

Meet me in the bathroom

That's what she said
I don't mind
It's true
Hey

Never was on time
Yes, I once was mine
Well, that was long ago
And darling, I don't mind
Yeah, we were just two friends in lust
And baby, that just don't mean much
Oh yeah, you trained me not to love
After you showed me what it was

Now she's staring wide-eyed
Can't close her eyes
Say what?
Anywhere is fine
Just don't waste my time
Ah, you see, my uncle would say
Things would change once he's dead

Meet me in the bathroom
That's what she said
I don't mind
It's true

Never was on time
Yes, I once was mine
Well, that was long ago
And darling, I don't mind
Yeah, they were just two fucks in lust
Oh baby, that just don't mean much

Oh yeah, you trained me not to love
After you taught me what it was

Overall Meaning

The opening lines of The Strokes’ “Meet Me in the Bathroom” set the tone for a desperate plea against broken promises made in romantic entanglements. The lines “When they say promises, they mean promises / They’d say 'that's okay, long as we can celebrate'” point to the addictive nature of volatile relationships, where empty promises are fulfilled via fleeting moments of physical intimacy. The singer’s experience is contextualized by his uncle’s advice that “Things would change when he’s dead.” This line is particularly evocative, as it speaks to the misguided hope that change is always on the horizon.

As the song progresses, the singer is held up as the paradigm of someone who is constantly strung along, never being on time and always being in thrall to his subject of desire. The titular line, “Meet me in the bathroom,” is intriguing because it can be read in multiple ways - is it a whispered plea for privacy or a coded reference to drug use? The line “Yeah, we were just two friends in lust / And baby, that just don't mean much” speaks to the tragic consequences of being in relationships where emotions are sacrificed for fleeting physical pleasure.

The line "You trained me not to love, after you taught me what it was," reveals the painful realization that the subject of the singer's affection has caused him to become disillusioned about love itself. Overall, “Meet Me in the Bathroom” is a powerful portrait of a relationship teetering on the edge of collapse, where intimacy and connection are sustained by promises that are destined to be broken.

Line by Line Meaning

When they say promises
When people talk about making promises

They mean promises
They are talking about actual promises

They'd say, "that's ok,
They would agree to something

Long as we can celebrate"
As long as there is something to celebrate afterwards

You see, my uncle would say
In my experience, my uncle would often say

things would change when he's dead
Things will only change after he's gone

"Meet me in the bathroom"
Let's meet up in the bathroom

That's what she said
That's what the person I was talking to said

I don't mind, it's true.
I'm okay with it

Never was on time
I was never punctual

Yes, I once was mine
There was a time when I was in control of my life