Songtext New birds (live alt. version) Arab Strap

New birds (live alt. version)

you just have to be sure
you're doing the right thing
I mean it's easy to forget
she was just sitting there in the pub
with her new friends and her new hair
and it's been five years, but you'd
know her just to look at her

having said that I wasn't even sure it was her at first
I was ready to walk away
I was on my way to the bog
and she caught my eye, smiled
so I went over, but we really didn't have much to say
so I just went back to my table
and sat and got pissed
and I had to ask my friends to stop staring at her
but by the end of the night, the beers kicked in
and we bumped into each other at the door
and we ended up going for a walk
and we had a long chat about our new friends
our new homes
and our new birds

she said she'd been going out with him
now for about two and a half years
but they don't really live together so he'd never find out
and you think about when you were wee
and you used to chase her about school
and the first time you asked her out, she said no
but one night you got dressed up
and you went to a wedding, but it was shit
so you just went back to the pub and she saw you
and she told you she'd changed her mind
and you went for a walk for a wee while
and you remember how she used to swing her arms
when you held hands and you're on the way home
you can't remember how she kissed
but now you've got the perfect opportunity to find out
and jog your memory, but there's this other kiss
and it took months of practice
and months of embarrassment
but finally you've got this kiss right
and hopefully she's at home
and she's wondering where you are
she's... (mumbled)

you can see her breath in the air between your faces
and she just asks you straight out
if you want to come back to her flat and stay awhile
and you think about it for a minute
but then you make up your mind
and you get in your separate taxis
and you go your opposite way
and you lie in bed
and there's a slight regret
and you wonder what you missed
but before you fall asleep, you think about the kiss
that you worked so hard on
and you'll know you've done the right thing