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Stay Loose Lyrics

I was choking on a cornflake
You said, “Have some toast instead”
I was sleeping maybe three hours
You said, “You should get to bed”
I was waiting at the church door
For the minister to show
I was looking at the new year
You said, “Walk before you crawl”

I was feeling like a loser
You said, “Hey, you’ve still got me”
I was feeling pretty lonely
You said you wanted to be free
I was looking for a good time
You said, “Let the good times start”
With a quiver of your eyelid
You took on someone else’s part

What about me?
I don’t really see
How things will improve
If all you want is to stay

Maybe I’m a little greedy
You said, “Think before you speak”
Sometimes I’m a little seedy
You said, “Everyone is weak”
Now I feel a little better
Is there something I can do?
But I never had the answer
I never had a clue

What about me?
I don’t really see
How things will improve
All you want is to stay

The lights are out in the house tonight
Going to creep around, going to creep into your head
All you want is to stay loose

There’s a little echo calling
Like a miner trapped inside
If I tell her of this moment
She will in me doubts confide
And she’s only like a blanket
Like a stalk of wilting grass
I’m not sure about her motives
I’m not sure about her past

But my faith is like a bullet
My belief is like a bolt
The only thing that lets me sleep at night
A little carriage of the soul
If it starts a little bleaker
Then the year may yet be gold
Happiness is not for keeping
Happiness is not my goal

So what about me?
I don’t really see
How things will improve
All you want is to stay loose

What about them?
You play Mother Hen
To a gaggle of gangling youth
All you want is to stay

The lights are out in the house tonight
Going to creep around, going to creep into your head

I was living through the seconds
My composure was a mess
I was miles from tenderness
It was dark outside
The day, it was broken in pieces

Everything is flat and dreary
I couldn’t care what’s in the news
Television is the blues
Television is hysterical laughter of people

I don’t know, it could be me
I’m always asking for more
(More, more, more)
I keep running around in circles
I keep looking for a doorway
I’m going to need two lives
To follow the paths I’ve been taking
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19 Meanings

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Cover art for Stay Loose lyrics by Belle & Sebastian

Awesomeness

Cover art for Stay Loose lyrics by Belle & Sebastian

I always wondered whether this song was about the singer's relationship with God. This is a bit sketchy, but I'm tempted to come to this conclusion by virtue of the fact that the person being sung about knows him well, stays with him, offers him useful advice but is somehow far away from him, elusive, 'loose'.

Cover art for Stay Loose lyrics by Belle & Sebastian

i think it means bolt as in crossbow bolt. the bit i don't get is "i was looking at the new year, you said walk before you crawl"

@stegemreeali My guess is it has to do with the new year sometimes being represent by a baby (Baby New Year)? She's saying to worry about the present instead of worrying about what might happen in the future.

Cover art for Stay Loose lyrics by Belle & Sebastian

I think 'stay loose' refers to the girl's whole demeanour, not just their relationship. When they speak she offers solutions which are blunt and skirt around the problems at hand instead of solving them - e.g. going to bed, not asking what's been keeping him up. The she's content with her humdrum life, which makes her happy (playing Mother Hen, following the news, watching TV) while he's searching for something more.

At first he's OK with this detached relationship, he thinks he can make it work ('my faith is like a bolt') but he grows tired of trying to squeeze more out of it ('asking for more') when she's so apathetic - 'everything is flat and dreary'. He knows that she won't understand his discontent (the 'echo') or his ambitions - 'she will in me doubt confide'. To an extent the 'echo' could be a Greek reference, he feels like he doesn't have a voice in the relationship since she dismisses what he has to say - he just has to echo her and wish they were something more.

I'm not sure I understand the blanket/wilting grass part. I think maybe it means she's there and alright to have around, but not ideal (e.g. a blanket isn't as good as a duvet when you're cold, and wilting grass isn't half as nice and living grass). Or maybe it means she's like a furnishing - you can't interact with her, she's just there and part of the environment. Either way it sounds like she isn't flourishing either, she's wilting - both of them are just being hindered by the relationship.

I love this song. Even the music sounds detached and disjointed, like the couple - acknowledging each other, but not seeing eye to eye.

My Interpretation
Cover art for Stay Loose lyrics by Belle & Sebastian

oh god this is so very good.

Cover art for Stay Loose lyrics by Belle & Sebastian

god how many relationships I've had that have been axactly like this!

Cover art for Stay Loose lyrics by Belle & Sebastian

These lyrics are all wrong! I mean, I was listening to the song while reading them, and some lyrics weren't included!

Cover art for Stay Loose lyrics by Belle & Sebastian

Yeah... these are the actual lyrics (in the defence of ReActor who put them up here, those are the lyrics in the band's official site. But they're still wrong).

I was choking on a cornflake You said, “Have some toast instead.” I was sleeping maybe three hours You said, “You should get to bed.” I was waiting at the church door For the minister to show I was looking at the New Year You said, “Walk before you crawl.”

I was feeling like a loser You said, “Hey, you’ve still got me.” I was feeling pretty lonely You said you wanted to be free I was looking for a good time You said, “Let the good times start.” With a quiver of your eyelid You took on someone else’s part

What about me? I don’t really see How things will improve If all you want is to stay…

Maybe I’m a little greedy You said, “Think before you speak.” Sometimes I’m a little seedy You said, “Everyone is weak.” Now I feel a little better Is there something I can do? But I never had the answer I never had a clue

What about me? I don’t really see How things will improve All you want is to stay

The lights are out in the house tonight Gonna creep around, gonna creep into your head All you want is to stay loose

There’s a little echo calling Like a miner trapped inside If I tell her of this moment She will in me doubts confide And she’s only like a blanket Like a stalk of wilting grass I’m not sure about her motives I’m not sure about her past

But my faith is like a bullet My belief is like a bolt The only thing that lets me sleep at night A little carriage of the soul If it starts a little bleaker Then the year may yet be gold Happiness is not for keeping Happiness is not my goal

So what about me? I don’t really see How things will improve All you want is to stay loose

What about them? You play Mother Hen To a gaggle of gangling youth All you want is to stay

The lights are out in the house tonight Gonna creep around, gonna creep into your head

I was living through the seconds My composure was a mess I was miles from tenderness It was dark outside The day, it was broken in pieces

Everything is flat and dreary I couldn’t care what’s in the news Television is the blues Television is hysterical laughter of people

I don’t know, it could be me I’m always asking for more (More, more, more) I keep running round in circles I keep looking for a doorway I’m gonna need two lives To follow the paths I’ve been taking

Cover art for Stay Loose lyrics by Belle & Sebastian

Does anyone else think this song sounds exactly like Squeeze?

It does have a Squeeze feel to it, mixed with "Ashes to Ashes" by Bowie.

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the first half but not the song as a whole. I think these songs are so much richer than Squeeze. I like Squeeze but I often think of them like the Talking Heads, as in their lyrics are whimsy and technically good but lack any meaning or emmotion. Still they are valuable but just in a diffrent way.

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Cover art for Stay Loose lyrics by Belle & Sebastian

"But my faith is like a bullet, my belief is like a bolt"

Can someone explain?

I picture the "bolt" being one of lightning.

Not Valid