The band has released seven studio albums: Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not (2006), Favourite Worst Nightmare (2007), Humbug (2009), Suck It and See (2011), AM (2013), Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino (2018) and The Car (2022) (the first six of which debuted at #1 on the UK Albums Chart.
Each of the band's first five singles "I Bet You Look Good On the Dancefloor", "When the Sun Goes Down", "Leave Before The Lights Come On", "Brianstorm" and "Fluorescent Adolescent" hit the UK Top Five, but their sixth single, "Teddy Picker", only went Top 20 and their seventh single, "Crying Lightning" peaked at #12.
The band's rise to success started in late 2004/early 2005 when demo songs that had been handed out in CD form at gigs found their way onto the internet. These demos rapidly spread among message boards and friends leading to a growing fan base for the band, and were collected on the unofficial Beneath the Boardwalk, which the band recognizes on their website. The band owe much of their success to viral buzz via the Internet, and have eschewed typical 'commercial' channels, including refusing to appear on the UK's (now discontinued) Top Of The Pops music program, which was often seen as a gateway to success.
The band's debut album, Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not, held the record for the largest first week sales of a debut album in the UK (in its first week, it sold more than the rest of the Top 20 albums combined). The album sold over 360,000 copies in its first week, but lost the title in November 2007 to Leona Lewis's album Spirit.
On 19th June 2006 the band officially announced that founding member and bassist Andy Nicholson had left the band after missing the American leg of their tour due to 'fatigue' and the other band members couldn't stand the constant 'missing his girlfriend syndrome' so they told him to sling his hook. Former Dodgems bassist Nick O'Malley was initially brought in as a stand-in, and played the band's remaining summer commitments. He was then announced as Nicholson's permanent replacement.
The single "Leave Before The Lights Come On" came out on August 14th, but only reached Number 4 on the UK charts, denying the band a third consecutive number 1 single.
Their debut album Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not won the 2006 Mercury Prize, was chosen as the best album of year 2006 by Q Magazine, and received a slew of other accolades.
Their second album Favourite Worst Nightmare was released on April 23rd 2007. It was preceded by "Brianstorm", the first single from the album, which was released a week before. Like its predecessor, "Favourite Worst Nightmare" sold more than the rest of the Top 20 combined, and - due to an error on iTunes - every song on the record appeared on the UK Top 200 Singles the next week.
When asked about Favourite Worst Nightmare Turner commented, "We haven't changed that much. It's still about making contact with girls or not making contact with girls".
The band began to write and record demos for the third album in January 2008, Turner said "We had tunes that we'd already been playing on tour so we recorded them. That’s six [songs]. We’re going to take it easy and start practicing over the summer and doing new stuff."
The band premiered new material from the unreleased album during their January 2009 tour of New Zealand, playing small venues in Wellington and Auckland ahead of the Big Day Out festival. Their first show in more than a year was on January 13, 2009 at Wellington's Town Hall. In both cities, the new songs played were "Crying Lightning", "Go-Kart", "Dangerous Animals" and "Pretty Visitors." The full setlist from the Auckland gig is available online. Also played was a cover of the Nick Cave song "Red Right Hand." During their last tour, the band had played new songs "Put Me In A Terror Pocket", "Sandtrap," and "The Fire and The Thud" live.
Lead singer/songwriter Alex Turner started a two-man project with the singer from the Rascals, Miles Kane.
The band is called 'The Last Shadow Puppets'
The Arctic Monkeys band released their album Humbug in August of 2009, preceded by the single "Crying Lightning"
They released their fourth studio album, Suck It And See, on June 6th, 2011.
They released their fifth studio album, AM, on September 9th, 2013.
They released their sixth studio album, Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino, with no preceding single releases, on May 11th, 2018.
They released their seventh studio album, The Car, on October 21st, 2022, preceded by the singles "There'd Better Be a Mirrorball", "Body Paint" and "I Ain't Quite Where I Think I Am".
http://www.arcticmonkeys.com/
Fluorescent Adolescent
Arctic Monkeys Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Now you only get it in your night dress
Discarded all the naughty nights for niceness
Landed in a very common crisis
Everything's in order in a black hole
Nothing seems as pretty as the past though
That Bloody Mary's lacking in Tabasco
Remember when you used to be a rascal?
Oh, the boy's a slag, the best you ever had
The best you ever had is just a memory and those dreams
Weren't as daft as they seem, not as daft as they seemed
My love, when you dream them up
Flicking through a little book of sex tips
Remember when the boys were all electric?
Now when she's told she's gonna get it
I'm guessing that she'd rather just forget it
Clinging 'til I'm getting sentimental
Said she wasn't going but she went still
Likes her gentlemen not to be gentle
Was it a Mecca Dauber or a betting pencil?
Oh, the boy's a slag, the best you ever had
The best you ever had is just a memory and those dreams
Weren't as daft as they seem, not as daft as they seemed
My love, when you dream them up
Oh, Flo, where did you go?
Where did you go? Where did you go? Oh
You're falling about
You took a left off Last Laugh Lane
Just sounding it out
But you're not coming back again
You're falling about
You took a left off Last Laugh Lane
You were just sounding it out
But you're not coming back again
You used to get it in your fishnets (falling about)
Now you only get it in your night dress
Discarded all the naughty nights for niceness (you took a left off Last Laugh Lane)
Landed in a very common crisis
Everything's in order in a black hole (we're sounding it out)
Is everything as pretty as the past though?
That Bloody Mary's lacking in Tabasco (but you're not coming back again)
Remember when you used to be a rascal? Oh
The song “Fluorescent Adolescent” by the Arctic Monkeys is a nostalgic take on the changes brought about by growing up and leaving behind a wild youth. The first verse speaks of the evolution in the singer’s taste in attire and behavior, from fishnets to a night dress, and from “naughty nights” to “niceness.” The chorus then reminds us that memories of the past may seem foolish in hindsight, but those dreams were not as daft as they seemed at the time. The second verse takes a wistful look into the past, referencing a book of sex tips and electric boys, and ends with a reference to a Mecca Dauber, a bingo hall marker pen, or a betting pencil that the singer wears as a necklace. The final verse portrays the singer “falling about” and unable to return to the past where everything was in “order in a black hole.”
Line by Line Meaning
You used to get it in your fishnets
You used to be wild and adventurous in your pursuits
Now you only get it in your night dress
Now you are reserved and less adventurous in your ways of seeking indulgence
Discarded all the naughty nights for niceness
You left behind your wild ways and adapted to conventional lifestyle
Landed in a very common crisis
Despite your efforts to be conventional, you end up in mundane situations
Everything's in order in a black hole
Your life seems organized but lacks any excitement or enthusiasm
Nothing seems as pretty as the past though
You feel nostalgia for the wild and adventurous past
That Bloody Mary's lacking in Tabasco
The excitement and thrill that used to exist is now lost
Remember when he used to be a rascal?
Recalling past wild and exciting times and people
Oh, the boy's a slag
Referring to a promiscuous man
The best you ever had
The most satisfying relationship or experience you had in the past
Is just a memory and those dreams
The past is just a memory and unfulfilled dreams
Weren't as daft as they seem
Past dreams and aspirations were not foolish despite not being realized
My love, when you dream them up
The singer acknowledges the listener's reminiscing and encourages them to continue dreaming
Flicking through a little book of sex tips
Looking for inspiration and ways to feel more excitement in sex
Remember when the boys were all electric?
Recalling a time when sexual attraction and passion were intense and electric
Now, when she tells she's gonna get it
When the woman expresses she wants sexual satisfaction
I'm guessing that she'd rather just forget it
The artist assumes that the woman's desire for sex is more out of habit than passion
Clinging to not getting sentimental
Trying not to get too emotionally involved despite the lack of passion
Said, she wasn't going, but she went, still
The woman initially refused to have sex but eventually agreed to despite not being truly into it
Likes her gentlemen to not be gentle
The woman prefers rough and passionate sex
Was it a Mecca Dauber or a betting pencil?
Asking a trivial question in an attempt to avoid getting too emotionally involved
Oh, Flo, where did you go?
Referring to a woman named Flo who was once wild and adventurous
Where did you go?
Wondering what happened to the wild and adventurous version of Flo
Where did you go? Oh oh
Continuing to question where the wild and adventurous version of Flo went
You're falling about
You're losing control and becoming sloppy
You took a left off Last Laugh Lane
You deviated from the conventional path and lifestyle that you adapted to
Just soundin' it out
Exploring ideas and possibilities without fully committing to any of them
But you're not coming back again
Knowing that you can't go back to the wild and adventurous past
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Johanna Bennett, Alex Turner
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
pax
on 505
yo this is sick
robin
on When the Sun Goes Down
DAMNNN THEY ARE GOOD GOOD
robin
on Old Yellow Bricks
damn looking at these comments remind me that there is so many things to understand about the lyrics
Birgit Eierhoff
on Do I Wanna Know
The sound goes into the blood. :)
Jeannie Smith
on Do I Wanna Know
I like it.