The 10th song on Irish rock band The Strypes' 2015 sophomore album Little Victories, “Cruel Brunette” was written by bassist Pete O'Hanlon and is seeimingly about a rather turbulent relationship.
It is one of the few Strypes songs, and the only song prior to the band’s 3rd album Spitting Image, to...
[Intro]
Shoes at the door and a colour coded kitchen
Evidently very house proud
With a hiccup and a wink
And your dish in the sink
You've declared that dinner is over
Now we're left with the decision
Is it us we both envision
We'll decide when we get upstairs
As mush as it's a sure thing
I still feel there's a chance
We could end up just doing dares
[Verse 1]
And so
Armed with a conviction
That betrays me in a second
I lie with an excuse
I can't believe I'll get away with
That I don't like driving in the dark
It's hard to tell between the sky and the bark
[Pre-Chorus]
But the offer of a taxi
Leaves it all in burning tatters
My belt was on the floor already
But again that hardly matters
As nice as it was of her to offer to pay
The real payoff would only come if I stay
[Chorus]
Sad songs and waltzes and yesterday's clothes
Are useless to me now
Sad songs and waltzes and yesterday's clothes
Are useless to me now
[Verse 2]
Hope flutters on underneath closed doors
This spiralling romance a real tour de force
I screamed a weak whimper of stuttering protests
Callously turned away, sudden lack of interest
[Pre-Chorus]
Swinging the light I'm begging for confession
A tight lipped jab about a lady's own discretion
[Chorus]
Sad songs and waltzes and yesterday's clothes
Are useless to me now
Sad songs and waltzes and yesterday's clothes
Are useless to me now
[Bridge]
After what seemed like a cliché
I feel robbed of a morning
No awkward searching for toothpaste
Or a housemate scorning
Why do women act like they're doing men a favour
It's not like they can live without relationships either
[Chorus]
Sad songs and waltzes and yesterday's clothes
Are useless to me now
Sad songs and waltzes and yesterday's clothes
Are useless to me now
[Outro]
I live in a huff of supreme court disgrace
Sitting on the front step doing up my face
In the crush to get in I tore them off rather quickly
Ridding them completely of their plastic nobility
In a moment I'll not call madness just yet
I engraved on her letterbox
Cruel Brunette
Cruel Brunette was written by Ross Farrelly & Josh McClorey & Pete O’Hanlon & Evan Walsh.
Cruel Brunette was produced by Charlie Russell & Bradley Spence.