In August of 2007 he and The Rascals' member Miles Kane started recording an album for their new band The Last Shadow Puppets. It was released in the UK April 23 2008.
In 2010, Turner wrote six tracks for Submarine, the debut feature film of Richard Ayoade, director of various Arctic Monkeys music videos.
Pile driver waltz
Alex Turner Lyrics
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On the back of a raindrop
And did a swap for the sand in an hourglass
I heard an unhappy ending
It sort of sounds like you leaving
I heard the piledriver waltz
It woke me up this morning
You look like you've been for breakfast at the Heartbreak Hotel
And sat in the back booth by the pamphlets and the literature on how to lose
Your waitress was miserable and so was your food
If you're gonna try and walk on water make sure you wear your comfortable shoes
Mysteries flashing amber go green
When you answer but the red on the rest
Of the questionnaire never changes
I heard the news that you're planning
To shoot me out of a cannon
I heard the piledriver waltz
It woke me up this morning
You look like you've been for breakfast at the Heartbreak Hotel
And sat in the back booth by the pamphlets and the literature on how to lose
Your waitress was miserable and so was your food
If you're gonna try and walk on water make sure you wear your comfortable shoes
The first verse of Alex Turner's "Piledriver Waltz" is a metaphorical description of the fleeting nature of time. The act of etching the face of a stopwatch on the back of a raindrop implies the short-lived and fragile nature of time, while the swap for the sand in an hourglass hints at the inevitable passage of time. The second line sets the tone for the rest of the song, hinting at an unhappy ending that is yet to unfold. The reference to the piledriver waltz, a powerful construction tool, waking him up in the morning, shows the relentless nature of time and how it keeps moving forward, regardless of whether we are ready for it or not.
The second verse describes the dissatisfaction and melancholy that the singer feels in a Heartbreak Hotel. The hotel is a metaphor for the state of his love life, where he sits in the back booth, surrounded by pamphlets and literature that teach one how to lose in love. The unappetizing food and miserable waitress are indicative of the emptiness that he feels in this state of being. The last line "If you're gonna try and walk on water, make sure you wear your comfortable shoes" is advice to those who are brave enough to take risks in love, to be prepared for the inevitable struggles and pain that come with it.
Overall, "Piledriver Waltz" is a contemplation on the nature of love and the fleeting nature of time. It's a song about the struggle to find meaning and happiness in a world that is constantly changing and unforgiving.
Line by Line Meaning
I etched the face of a stopwatch
I made a symbolic representation of time passing
On the back of a raindrop
On something fleeting and transient
And did a swap for the sand in an hourglass
Exchanged one representation of time for another
I heard an unhappy ending
I received news of a negative conclusion
It sort of sounds like you leaving
It appears that you are departing
I heard the piledriver waltz
I heard a loud and unsettling noise
It woke me up this morning
It startled and disturbed me from sleep
You look like you've been for breakfast at the Heartbreak Hotel
You appear to be experiencing heartache and emotional pain
And sat in the back booth by the pamphlets and the literature on how to lose
You are surrounded by depressing and negative information
Your waitress was miserable and so was your food
Your experiences today have been unpleasant
If you're gonna try and walk on water make sure you wear your comfortable shoes
If you attempt something challenging or impossible, be prepared
Mysteries flashing amber go green
Uncertainties and questions become clear and resolved
When you answer but the red on the rest
When you have an answer to one thing but not everything else
Of the questionnaire never changes
The remaining questions remain unanswered and unchanging
I heard the news that you're planning
I received information that you intend to do something
To shoot me out of a cannon
To subject me to a dangerous and risky situation
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ALEX TURNER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind