Singer Hamilton Leithauser told Rolling Stone magazine that this song originated when the band were "just screwin' around." Then the band's drummer Matt Barrick kicked off a breakneck groove, and the others joined in. He concluded: "We threw some chords on it, I wrote the words in five minutes, and then we all started slammin'!"
The song captures the raw emotions of heartbreak and the desperate attempts to cling onto a past love. Hamilton Leithauser starts off each verse with a veneer of indifference, but crumbles every time. Leithauser's palpable desperation to emotionally connect with his ex-lover is palpable in the latter half of each verse, drawing the listener into his emotional journey. The track's bridge portrays the consequences of getting too caught up in a relationship, as Leithauser laments the loss of friendships and his own sadness, which keeps him from going out as often. Some interpret the song as a metaphor for addiction, underscoring the complex, multifaceted themes that "The Rat" explores.
"The Rat" had a long gestation period before it was properly recorded. The song had been a staple in the band's live performances for at least two years before it was finally released as a single in 2004. Vampire Weekend frontman Ezra Koenig, who once worked as an intern for The Walkmen, confirmed that he had heard an earlier version of the song over a year before they laid it down, back when it was still titled "Girls at Night."
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