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Red Light Indicates Doors Are Secured
Arctic Monkeys Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Interesting Facts ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

We'll ask if we can have six in
If not we'll have to have two
Well, you're coming up our end, aren't you?
So I'll get one with you
Won't he let us have six in?
Especially not with the food
He could have just told us no though
He didn't have to be rude

You see her with the green dress?
She talked to me at the bar
Wait, how come it's already two pound fifty?
We've only gone about a yard
Didn't you see she were gorgeous
She were beyond belief
But this lad at her side drinking his Smirnoff Ice
Came and paid for her Tropical Reef

And I'm sitting going backwards
And I didn't want to leave
I said, "It's High Green, mate
Via Hillsborough, please"

Well, how funny were that sketch earlier
Up near that taxi rank?
Oh no, you would have missed it
Think it were when you went to the bank
These two lads squaring up proper shouting
'Bout who were next in the queue
The kind of thing that'd seem so silly
But not when they've both had a few

Well calm down, temper, temper
You shouldn't get so annoyed
Well, you're acting like a silly little boy
And they wanted to be men
And do some fighting in the street
They said "no surrender
No chance of retreat"

And so why are they in the taxi?
'Cause I didn't want to leave
I said, "It's High Green, mate
Via Hillsborough, please"

Drunken plots hatched to jump it
Ask around, "Are you sure?"
Went for it but the red light was showing
And red light indicates doors are secured

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "Red Light Indicates Doors Are Secured" by Arctic Monkeys tell a story of a night out with friends who are trying to have a good time while facing obstacles. The first verse describes their attempt to get six people into a club, but they are denied due to food restrictions. The second verse follows the singer as he tries to flirt with a girl in a green dress, but she is taken by another man. The chorus talks about their journey in a taxi and their attempts to jump it. The final verse describes a fight that breaks out at a taxi rank and their decision to stay in the taxi, leading to the realization that they are stuck due to the red light.


The song is a commentary on the struggles and frustrations of a night out with friends. It highlights the small obstacles that can make a night out less enjoyable and the desire to make the most of it despite the setbacks. The lyrics are written in a conversational tone, as if the singer is telling someone a story of their night out rather than directly addressing the listener.


Interesting facts about the song:


Interesting Facts
Note: This section uses generative AI, which can be inaccurate.


Line by Line Meaning

We'll ask if we can have six in
Asking the bouncer if they can let their group of six people into the venue


If not we'll have to have two
If the bouncer doesn't allow six people, they will need to split into two smaller groups


Well, you're coming up our end, aren't you?
The person they are waiting for is approaching them


So I'll get one with you
One of the group of six will enter the venue with the person they're meeting


Won't he let us have six in?
Questioning if the bouncer will allow a group of six into the venue


Especially not with the food
The bouncer is not allowing them to bring food into the venue


He could have just told us no though
The bouncer could have been polite when denying them entry into the venue


He didn't have to be rude
The bouncer was impolite when denying entry into the venue


You see her with the green dress?
Noticing a beautiful woman at the bar


She talked to me at the bar
A woman had a conversation with the person at the bar


Wait, how come it's already two pound fifty?
Surprised at the expensive price of a drink they just purchased


We've only gone about a yard
They have only moved a short distance but have spent a lot of money on drinks


Didn't you see she were gorgeous
Asking if their friend saw how beautiful the woman was


She were beyond belief
Expressing how incredibly beautiful they thought the woman was


But this lad at her side drinking his Smirnoff Ice
Observing another man drinking a Smirnoff Ice next to the woman


Came and paid for her Tropical Reef
The other man bought the woman a drink


And I'm sitting going backwards
Sitting on the train and facing backwards


And I didn't want to leave
Not wanting to leave the area they were just in


I said, 'It's High Green, mate Via Hillsborough, please'
Telling the taxi driver where they want to go, including the route they prefer


Well, how funny were that sketch earlier
A sketch they saw earlier was humorous


Up near that taxi rank?
The sketch was located near a taxi area


Oh no, you would have missed it
Realizing their friend did not witness the funny sketch


Think it were when you went to the bank
Trying to remember when the funny sketch occurred


These two lads squaring up proper shouting
Two men getting into an argument and preparing to fight


'Bout who were next in the queue
Arguing about who was next in line


The kind of thing that'd seem so silly
The fight over the line seems trivial


But not when they've both had a few
The argument was escalated due to both men being intoxicated


Well calm down, temper, temper
Trying to stop the men from fighting and calming them down


You shouldn't get so annoyed
Advising the men to not get so angry and upset


Well, you're acting like a silly little boy
Insulting one of the men's behavior as childish


And they wanted to be men
The men wanted to act tough, mature, and strong


And do some fighting in the street
Desiring to fight physically on the street


They said 'no surrender no chance of retreat'
The men were determined to win the fight and not retreat


And so why are they in the taxi?
Questioning why the men from the fight are in the same taxi


Cause I didn't wanna leave
Not wanting to leave the area just yet


I said, 'It's High Green, mate. Via Hillsborough, please'
Telling the taxi driver where they want to go, including the route they prefer


Drunken plots hatched to jump it
Planning on jumping the taxi due to alcohol-induced poor decision-making


Ask around, 'Are you sure?'
Asking others if it is a good idea to jump the taxi


Went for it but the red light was showing
Attempting to jump the taxi but stopped by a red traffic light before being able to do so


And red light indicates doors are secured
The red light points out that the taxi doors are locked and jumping the taxi is impossible




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Alex Turner

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

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.

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