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.
Piledriver 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 lyrics to Alex Turner's song "Piledriver Waltz" are full of vivid and imaginative phrases that create a sense of nostalgia, longing, and heartbreak. In the opening lines, Turner sings about an unusual image of etching the face of a stopwatch on the back of a raindrop and then swapping it for the sand in an hourglass. This seems to symbolize the fleeting nature of time and how it can slip away so easily. He then describes hearing an unhappy ending, which could be a reference to a relationship breakup or some other kind of loss. The song's title, "Piledriver Waltz," suggests a sense of destruction and chaos combined with elegance and grace, which is reflected in the lyrics.
Turner goes on to describe a scene at a diner called Heartbreak Hotel, where the waitstaff is miserable, and the food is terrible. He urges the listener to wear comfortable shoes if they're going to try to walk on water, which could be interpreted as a metaphor for trying to achieve the impossible. The lyrics are filled with clever wordplay and allusions, such as the line about mysteries flashing amber and green when you answer, but the red on the questionnaire never changes. This could be interpreted as a reference to how some things remain constant, no matter how much we try to change them.
Overall, "Piledriver Waltz" is a poignant and emotional ballad that touches on themes of love, loss, and the passage of time. The lyrics are full of vivid imagery and clever wordplay that make the song both memorable and enjoyable.
Line by Line Meaning
I etched the face of a stopwatch
On the back of a raindrop
And did a swap for the sand in an hourglass
I tried to capture time, something that seems fleeting and difficult to hold on to, by etching a stopwatch on the back of something as small and fragile as a raindrop. I then traded that captured time for the sand in an hourglass, which itself is a visual representation of the ticking away of time.
I heard an unhappy ending
It sort of sounds like you leaving
I heard the piledriver waltz
It woke me up this morning
I heard a story of a relationship that ended badly, and it reminded me of you leaving. This memory was so strong that it kept me up all night, and I woke up to the sound of the piledriver waltz, a loud and jarring musical piece.
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
You seem like you're in a bad place, perhaps due to heartbreak, and it shows in your appearance after a sad meal at the Heartbreak Hotel. The literature you're surrounded by only reinforces the ideas of failure and loss. Your experience at the restaurant was unpleasant, underscoring the idea that nothing seems to be going your way. If you're going to try to do something extraordinary, like walk on water, it's important to prepare yourself accordingly.
Mysteries flashing amber go green
When you answer but the red on the rest
Of the questionnaire never changes
Sometimes, when you're trying to solve a mystery, you'll come across clues that seem promising, represented by a flashing amber light. However, if the answer to the mystery is not what you expect or want, the truth will remain unchanged, represented by a permanent red light on the rest of the evidence.
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
I heard some troubling news: that you're planning something that seems dangerous and potentially violent, like shooting me out of a cannon. This idea was so alarming that it kept me up all night, and I woke up to the sound of the piledriver waltz, a reminder of the jarring shock I had received.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Alex Turner
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind