The album also features James Ford (producer and half of the duo Simian Mobile Disco) and string arrangements from Owen Pallett. The album went straight to number one in the U.K. Albums Chart. Their first single "The Age Of The Understatement" was released on the 14th of April, with a new song titled "Two Hearts in Two Weeks" and covers of Billy Fury's "Wondrous Place" and David Bowie's "In the Heat of the Morning" (a song previously mentioned by Turner as a favourite) as b-sides. The duo have said they took inspiration from Scott Walker and early Bowie.
The second single, "Standing Next To Me", was released on 7th July 2008. The third single from the album was "My Mistakes Were Made For You". The album was nominated for the 2008 Mercury Music Prize.
My Mistakes Were Made for You
The Last Shadow Puppets Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My mistakes were made for you
And in the back room of a bad dream, she came
And whisked me away, enthused
And it's solid as a rock rolling down a hill
The fact is that it probably will hit something
On the hazardous terrain
And were just following the flock, round
And the in between, before we smash to smithereens
Like they were, and we scrambled from the grain
And its the fame that put words in her mouth
She couldn't help, but spit em out
Innocence and arrogance intwined
In the filthiest of minds
She's was bitten on her birthday, and now
A face in the crowd, shes not
And i suspect that now, forever the shape
She came to escape, its forgot
And it's a lot to ask and not to sting1
Give her less than everything
Around your crooked conscious she will wind
Cos were just following the flock round
And the in-between
Before we smash to smithereens
Like they were, and we scramble from the grain
And it's the fame that put words in her mouth
She couldn't help, but spit em out
Around your crooked conscious she will wind
And it's a lot to ask and not to sting
Giver her less than everything
Innocence and arrogance intwined
The Last Shadow Puppets's song My Mistakes Were Made for You is a compelling ballad about a doomed love affair. The opening lyrics set the tone for the song, with the singer acknowledging his mistakes in the relationship. He knows that his choices have led to the downfall of the relationship, and he seems powerless to change it. The metaphor of an earthquake suggests that his actions have had a catastrophic impact on the relationship, it has shaken it to its core.
Next, the chorus tells the story of a woman who comes into the singer's life and takes him away. The metaphor of the back room of a bad dream suggest that their love affair is reckless, surreal, and dangerous. The imagery of solid as a rock rolling down a hill represents the unstoppable force of the relationship, and how it's headed for disaster. The phrase "hazardous terrain" indicates that their love affair is a wild and unpredictable ride, with no clear end in sight.
In the bridge, the singer highlights how the woman was bitten on her birthday and now doesn't belong anywhere. She's a face in the crowd, forgotten, and forever changed by her past. The use of the term "crooked conscious" suggests that the singer is struggling with guilt about their relationship, knowing that his actions have caused harm. The line "Give her less than everything" implies that he has failed to give the relationship his all, perhaps because he knows it is doomed from the start.
Overall, The Last Shadow Puppets's song My Mistakes Were Made for You is a powerful and raw exploration of a dysfunctional love affair. The recurring themes of innocence and arrogance, fame and fortune, and guilt and shame are explored deeply and meaningfully throughout the song.
Line by Line Meaning
About as subtle as an earthquake, I know
I am aware that I lack subtlety and tend to be overpowering like an earthquake.
My mistakes were made for you
I made mistakes in our relationship specifically for you as if they were custom-made.
And in the back room of a bad dream, she came, and whisked me away, enthused
In my unconscious state, she appeared and took me away with excitement to a place of escape.
And it's solid as a rock rolling down a hill, the fact is that it probably will hit something on the hazardous terrain
The situation I'm in is like a boulder with no stopping power, as it rolls down, the inevitable physical collision with the surrounding hazardous environment is bound to happen.
And we're just following the flock round, and the in-between, before we smash to smithereens like they were, and we scramble from the grain
We are blindly following the herd like everyone else, right before we physically or mentally break into tiny pieces and escape the chatter that surrounds us.
And it's the fame that put words in her mouth, she couldn't help but spit em' out, innocence and arrogance intertwined, in the filthiest of minds
Being famous alters people's personalities, making them express their opinions without filters – her innocent and conceited nature made her say the unimaginable, and her mind has become the dirtiest of them all.
She was bitten on her birthday, and now a face in the crowd, she's not, and I suspect that now forever the shape, she came to escape, it's forgot
She was betrayed on her special day which caused her to blend in with the general public, she became unrecognizable and eventually distanced herself from reality, and now the original form she was running from has become forgotten.
And it's a lot to ask and not to sting, give her less than everything, around your crooked conscious, she will wind
It's an intricate task to not hurt her feelings by giving less than everything, and her twisted behavior is a constant reminder of the resentment she holds.
Cos were just following the flock round, and the in-between, before we smash to smithereens like they were, and we scramble from the grain, and it's the fame that put words in her mouth, she couldn't help but spit em' out, around your crooked conscious, she will wind, and it's a lot to ask and not to sting, giver her less than everything, innocence and arrogance intertwined
We're all following the same path, running away from reality, to disappear in the crowd before it's too late, like they did. Fame made her express her insecurities without remorse, and her twisted behavior is a reminder of the hurt in the past. It's a daunting task to not trigger their pet peeves, and satisfying them requires more than just the bare minimum. Innocence and arrogance are both mingled in her thoughts.
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ALEX TURNER, MILES KANE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind