They are one of the first bands to come to public attention via the Internet via MySpace, despite none of them having an account. Their 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.. It also won the 2006 Mercury Prize, was chosen as the best album of year 2006 by Q Magazine, and received a slew of other accolades.
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 band's second album, Favourite Worst Nightmare, was released on 23 April 2007, a week after the release of accompanying single "Brianstorm"". Like the first album, this one quickly reached No. 1 in the album charts. Alex Turner described the songs as "very different from last time", adding that the sound of some tracks are "a bit full-on". A secret gig played at Sheffield's Leadmill on 10 February 2007, debuted seven new songs (six from Favourite Worst Nightmare and one other). Early reviews of the release were positive and described it as "very, very fast and very, very loud".
The band recorded half of the third album, Humbug at Rancho De La Luna recording sessions with Josh Homme of Queens of the Stone Age in early autumn, 2008, and half in the New York sessions with James Ellis Ford, their producer, in spring, 2009, following their January tour of New Zealand and Australia. During this tour, lead single "Crying Lightning", along with Humbug songs "Pretty Visitors", "Dangerous Animals" and "Potion Approaching" (then known as "Go-Kart"), was debuted live. It was later revealed by Matt Helders in a video diary that the album would consist of 14 tracks and that Turner would stay in New York to oversee the mixing of the material. However, the final track listing, revealed on 1 June 2009, listed only 10.
NME reported in May 2011 that the band were teaming up with producer James Ellis Ford once again and would be releasing their fourth studio album, Suck It And See, in late spring at the earliest. Q magazine reported that the fourth Arctic Monkeys album would be of a "more accessible vintage" than Humbug. Q printed edition 299 states "It's the sound of a band drawing back the curtains and letting the sunshine in". The album was recorded in Sound City Studios in Los Angeles in 2010 and 2011. On 4 March 2011, the band premiered on its website a new track called "Brick By Brick" with lead vocals by Matt Helders. Helders explained that this is not a single, just a tease of what is coming and that is it is going to be on the fourth album. On 10 March 2011 the band revealed the album name and was released on 6 June 2011. The album's first single, titled "Don't Sit Down 'Cause I've Moved Your Chair" was released as a digital download on 12 April and on vinyl with ""Brick By Brick" on 16 April for Record Store Day.
On 27 February 2012, the band released a new song titled "R U Mine" on their YouTube channel, serving as the bands lead single for their fifth studio album AM, despite it was originally going to be a stand alone single. AM has received critical acclaim from music critics, upon the release of AM on 9 September 2013, the album debuted at number 1 in the UK album charts, selling over 157,000 copies in its first week. The album received widespread critical acclaim and brought Arctic Monkeys their third nomination for the Mercury Prize. The album also won the Brit award for Best British Album. In the United States, the album sold 42,000 copies in its first week and debuted at number six on the Billboard 200 chart, becoming the band's highest-charting album in the United States.
In December 2016, Turner confirmed to BBC Radio Sheffield that the band's hiatus had ended and work had begun on their sixth studio album. The album had begun recording in September 2017.The album, Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino was released on 11 May 2018. It's their first concept album, about being a hotel on the moon. Following its release, the album was promoted by the singles "Four Out Of Five" and "Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino". This album had a massive change in sound compared to their first five albums, being slower and more piano based.
On 8 December 2021, the band was announced as the Saturday co-headliner of the 2022 Reading and Leeds Festival. On 23 August 2022 at the Zurich Openair festival, they debuted new song "I Ain't Quite Where I Think I Am" The following day they announced their seventh studio album, The Car, which was released on 21 October 2022. On 30 August 2022, they released the first single from the album, "There'd Better Be A Mirrorball", accompanied by a video directed by Turner. The Car peaked at No. 2 on the UK Albums Chart, behind Midnights by Taylor Swift, being their first ever album to not debut at No.1 in the UK. In the US, the album landed at No. 6 on the Billboard 200.
Lead singer/songwriter Alex Turner started a two-man project with the former singer/guitarist from the Rascals and guitarist of The Little Flames, Miles Kane. The band is called 'The Last Shadow Puppets'.
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)
The Car (2022)
http://www.arcticmonkeys.com/
${@print)}\ From The Ritz To The Rubble
Arctic Monkeys Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And one of 'em's alright, the other one's the scary one
His way or no way, totalitarian
He's got no time for your looking or breathing
How he don't want you to, so step out the queue
He makes examples of you and there's nowt you can say
Behind they go through to the bit where you pay
And you realize then that it's finally the timeTo walk back past ten-thousand eyes in the line
And you can swap jumpers and make another move
Instilled in your brain, you've got something to prove
To all the smirking faces and the boys in black
Why can't they be pleasant? Why can't they have a laugh?
He's got his hand in your chest, he wants to give you a duff
Well, secretly I think they want you all to kick off
They want arms flying everywhere and bottles as well
It's just something to talk about, a story to tell, yeah
Well, I'm so glad they turned us all away
We'll put it down to fate
I said a thousand million things
That I could never say this morning
Got too deep, but how deep is too deep?
Well, this town's a different town today
Said, this town's a different town to what it was last night
You couldn't have done that on a Sunday
And that girl's a different girl today
Said, that girl's a different girl to her you kissed last night
You couldn't have done that on a Sunday
Of course not
Well, I'm so glad they turned us all away
We'll put it down to fateI thought a thousand million things
That I could never think this morning
Got too deep, but how deep is too deep?
Last night, what we talked about
It made so much sense
But now the haze has ascended
It don't make no sense anymore
Said, last night, what we talked about
It made so much sense
But now the haze has ascended
It don't make no sense anymore, oh
Da-da, da-da-da
Da-da, da-da-da, da-da-da-da
Da-da, da-da-da, da-da-da-da-da
The song "From the Ritz to the Rubble" by Arctic Monkeys is a commentary on the clubbing culture in the UK. The opening lines describe two bouncers at a club, one tough and the other lenient. The tough bouncer is portrayed as a totalitarian who wants things done his way or no way, and he doesn't want people to even look or breathe without his approval. He makes an example of people who don't follow his rules, and they have no defense. The lines that follow speak about the atmosphere inside the club. The club goers have to pay to get through the doors, and they know that they will be walking by ten-thousand eyes in the line outside as they leave the club later that night. The song describes the pressure that people feel to prove something to the "boys in black" and the "smirking faces."
The chorus talks about the aftermath of the night in the club, with the singer glad that they were turned away. The lyrics imply that something bad might have happened to them if they had been allowed to enter the club. The singer reflects on the events of the night and says that they thought of a thousand million things that they could never say or think again. The last verse talks about how the events of the night no longer make sense in the morning.
The song seems to be a commentary on the toxic and violent clubbing culture in the UK during the mid-2000s. The lyrics describe the paranoia and fear that people experience inside clubs, as well as the pressure to perform in front of others. The song suggests that the clubbing culture is dangerous and isolating, and that people might not remember or understand what happened after they leave.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, last night these two bouncers
The singer recounts his experience with two bouncers he encountered last night.
And one of 'em's alright, the other one's the scary one
One bouncer is bearable while the other is intimidating.
His way or no way, totalitarian
The menacing bouncer is adamant on doing things his way.
He's got no time for your looking or breathing
The bouncer doesn't tolerate loitering and staring in his establishment.
How he don't want you to, so step out the queue
The bouncer is picky about who he lets in, so the singer is instructed to leave the queue.
He makes examples of you and there's nowt you can say
The bouncer punishes those who defy him, and the singer is powerless to do anything about it.
Behind they go through to the bit where you pay
After passing through the bouncers, customers pay to enter the venue.
And you realize then that it's finally the time
At this point, the singer comes to the realization of the gravity of the situation.
To walk back past ten-thousand eyes in the line
The singer must face the judging gazes of the people in the lengthy queue as he goes back on his steps.
And you can swap jumpers and make another move
The singer is desperate to change his appearance in order to succeed in getting inside the venue.
Instilled in your brain, you've got something to prove
The experience has made the singer feel like he needs to prove himself to the bouncers and the people in the queue.
To all the smirking faces and the boys in black
The singer is disgusted by the unhelpful and grim-faced bouncers and staff.
Why can't they be pleasant? Why can't they have a laugh?
The singer is disappointed that the bouncers and staff are so serious and humorless.
He's got his hand in your chest, he wants to give you a duff
The intimidating bouncer is using physical force to prevent the singer from entering the venue.
Well, secretly I think they want you all to kick off
The singer believes that the bouncers want a confrontation with the patrons.
They want arms flying everywhere and bottles as well
The singer speculates that the bouncers are hoping for a physical altercation.
It's just something to talk about, a story to tell, yeah
In the end, the bouncer's intention may be just to create a spectacle to entertain the people in the venue.
Well, I'm so glad they turned us all away
The singer claims to be relieved that the bouncers prevented him from entering the venue.
We'll put it down to fate
The singer attributes his rejection to fate or destiny.
I said a thousand million things
The singer had a lot of things to say to the people inside the venue.
That I could never say this morning
He realizes now that it was better he didn't say what he had in mind.
Got too deep, but how deep is too deep?
The singer reflects on how much he was willing to risk and how far he was willing to go.
Well, this town's a different town today
The singer observes that the town is now seemingly different from last night.
Said, this town's a different town to what it was last night
He emphasizes that the change he noticed is profound.
You couldn't have done that on a Sunday
The singer implies that the events of last night wouldn't have happened on any other day of the week.
And that girl's a different girl today
The singer observes that even the girl he was with last night seems different now.
Said, that girl's a different girl to her you kissed last night
The change in the girl's demeanor is significant enough that the singer feels the need to point it out.
You couldn't have done that on a Sunday
The singer notes that it was unlikely that the girl's behavior towards him would have changed so drastically on a different day.
Well, I'm so glad they turned us all away
The singer reiterates that he's satisfied with how things turned out despite his initial frustration.
We'll put it down to fate
He still attributes his misfortune to fate or destiny.
I thought a thousand million things
The singer had a lot of thoughts running through his mind last night.
That I could never think this morning
He realizes now that those thoughts aren't as clearheaded in retrospect.
Got too deep, but how deep is too deep?
The singer wonders about the extent of his recklessness the night before.
Last night, what we talked about
The singer is starting to reminisce about the conversation he had with someone the night before.
It made so much sense
The discussion seemed to make perfect sense to him back then.
But now the haze has ascended
Now that he's sobered up, he sees things with more clarity.
It don't make no sense anymore
The singer realizes that the discussion he had doesn't make as much sense as it did the night before.
Said, last night, what we talked about
He repeats the fact that he was engrossed in the discussion yesterday.
It made so much sense
The argument seemed logical and sound to him when he was inebriated.
But now the haze has ascended
Now that the effects of the alcohol have worn off, he has a more lucid view of the matter.
It don't make no sense anymore, oh
The argument has lost all its coherence in the singer's clear-headed mind
Da-da, da-da-da
The song ends with an instrumental refrain.
Da-da, da-da-da, da-da-da-da
The instrumental refrain continues.
Da-da, da-da-da, da-da-da-da-da
The instrumental refrain concludes.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Alex Turner
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@lauraandrade5734
LYRICS !!!
Stop making the eyes at me, I'll stop making the eyes at you
What it is that surprises me is that I don't really want you to
And your shoulders are frozen (Cold as the night)
Oh, but you're an explosion (You're dynamite)
Your name isn't Rio, but I don't care for sand
And lighting the fuse might result in a bang, b-b-bang-oh
I bet that you look good on the dancefloor
I don't know if you're looking for romance or
I don't know what you're looking for
I said, I bet that you look good on the dancefloor
Dancing to electro-pop like a robot from 1984
Well, from 1984
I wish you'd stop ignoring me because it's sending me to despair
Without a sound, yeah, you're calling me and I don't think it's very fair
That your shoulders are frozen (Cold as the night)
Oh, but you're an explosion (You're dynamite)
Your name isn't Rio, but I don't care for sand
And lighting the fuse might result in a bang, b-b-bang-oh
I bet that you look good on the dancefloor
I don't know if you're looking for romance or
I don't know what you're looking for
I said, I bet that you look good on the dancefloor
Dancing to electro-pop like a robot from 1984
Well, from 1984
And no there in't no love, no Montagues or Capulets
Just banging tunes and DJ sets and
Dirty dancefloors and dreams of naughtiness
Well I bet that you look good on the dancefloor
I don't know if you're looking for romance or
I don't know what you're looking for
I said, I bet that you look good on the dancefloor
Dancing to electro-pop like a robot from 1984
Said, from 1984
@StuTheDon17
The “don’t believe the hype” call is nearly as legendary as the song itself.
Very humble.
@katec8727
In an interview a few years ago he said he said that because he actually hates this song, thinks the lyrics are bad and didn’t like the fact that it got so much attention bc he didn’t want AM to be known just from this song 🤣
@Hi-rb9kf
@@katec8727 Really? Wow. This is such a good song. It never occurred to me, that you could hate your own music. Is this the song where he said "When we wrote this song it meant very little to us and tonight, it means even less."
@katec8727
It's Alex Sis! Lol, yes it was! Alex is super hard on himself. I wonder how he felt about that being the song that he was told to play at the London 2012 opener
@nicksbasementscraps
Also turns around and does the most dramatic first strum thing (I don’t play guitar sorry) I have ever seen
@siasdandellia
waiting for LADIES to be a legendary as its prodecessor
@imeasuarablesupremacy9522
Love how he speaks perfectly while singing but cant say a single word when he is just talking.
@em4151
Just like Ozzy.
@josephdanielhaynes
Classic alex turner
@bemlok
Like 2d from gorillaz