Discover the story of the song > The Boy With the Arab Strap – Belle And Sebastian

The song talks about a protagonist who is down on their luck in an old town where no one helps them. They meet someone they don't like and want to leave the place with. The chorus asks about what the protagonist learned from being alone and having bad experiences, but they still prefer chaos over being isolated. They miss the bus and end up with their partner and the boy from the Arab strap. The song also mentions the struggles immigrants face with racist customers and the protagonist's behavior being criticized by others.