Turner explained the process behind this song in his 5-10-15-20 interview with Pitchfork:
I read this story about Iggy Pop where he said there was a TV show he used to watch when he was young, and the guy would ask kids to write letters into the show, and the letters had to be less than 25 words– and he applied that to writing “No Fun”. So, since we always do songs with a thousand words, we thought we should try one that had less than 30, which turned out to be “Brick by Brick”. But I got the drummer to sing it because it seemed like the right thing to do.
According to the Brick By Brick Songfacts, the Monkeys wrote the song in a Miami bar.
Brick by Brick
Arctic Monkeys Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I wanna break you down (brick by brick)
I'm gonna reconstruct (brick by brick)
I wanna feel your love
Brick by brick
(Ah)
Brick by brick
I wanna steal your soul (brick by brick)
I wanna rock and roll (brick by brick)
I wanna rock and roll (brick by brick)
I wanna rock and roll
Brick by brick
(Ah)
Brick by brick
(Ah)
I wanna brick by brick (brick by brick)
I wanna blow by blow (brick by brick)
I want an episode (brick by brick)
I wanna brick by brick, by brick, by
Brick by brick
(Ah)
Brick by brick
(Ah)
Brick by brick
(Ah)
Brick by brick
(Ah)
The lyrics of Arctic Monkeys' "Brick by Brick" are open to interpretation, but one possible meaning is that the singer is pursuing someone and trying to build a relationship with them "brick by brick" - in other words, taking it slow and steady, and putting effort into each step of the way. At the same time, the singer acknowledges the potential for destruction and deconstruction in the process, as they may need to break down the other person's walls and rebuild them to create something new.
The repeated phrase "brick by brick" takes on a chant-like quality, almost as if the singer is trying to will this relationship into existence through sheer force of repetition. The different verses introduce different desires that the singer has for this person - they want to "steal your soul" and "feel your love," but also "blow by blow" and "an episode." The latter lines suggest a more physical and possibly less emotionally connected pursuit, which could create tension with the overall theme of building something solid and lasting.
Overall, "Brick by Brick" is a playful and catchy song that combines a rock and roll edge with a hint of introspection and yearning. It invites listeners to consider what it means to truly build a connection with someone, and the risks and rewards that come with it.
Line by Line Meaning
I wanna build you up (brick by brick)
I want to take the time to build a strong foundation for our relationship, slowly and steadily.
I wanna break you down (brick by brick)
I want to break down any walls or barriers that may be preventing us from truly connecting.
I'm gonna reconstruct (brick by brick)
I will then rebuild our relationship with care and precision, making it even stronger than before.
I wanna feel your love
Ultimately, my goal is to feel the genuine love and affection we have for each other.
I wanna steal your soul (brick by brick)
In a playful sense, I want to deeply connect with you and captivate your attention.
I wanna rock and roll (brick by brick)
I want to live life to the fullest with you, having fun and taking risks along the way.
I wanna rock and roll (brick by brick)
Repeating this line emphasizes my desire to fully embrace the joys and thrills of life.
I wanna rock and roll
I want to express my carefree spirit and enjoy the moment without worrying about the future.
I wanna brick by brick (brick by brick)
Once again, I want to emphasize the importance of taking things slow and building our relationship with care.
I wanna blow by blow (brick by brick)
I want to experience every moment with you, thoroughly enjoying each step we take together.
I want an episode (brick by brick)
I want our journey together to be memorable, and full of exciting and adventurous experiences.
I wanna brick by brick, by brick, by
Repeating this line enforces that I will take the time and effort necessary to build something solid and meaningful.
Brick by brick
Repeated throughout the song, this phrase reinforces the idea of taking things slow and steadily building a strong foundation.
(Ah)
This interjection serves as a catchy, rhythmic element in the song.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Alex Turner, Matt Helders
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@sriwatiningsih7324
I want to build you up (brick by brick)
I want to break you down (brick by brick)
I'm going to reconstruct (brick by brick)
I want to feel you love
Brick by brick (ah)
Brick by brick (ah)
I want to steal your soul (brick by brick)
I want to rock 'n' roll (brick by brick)
I want to rock and roll (brick by brick)
I want to rock and roll
Brick by brick (ah)
Brick by brick (ah)
I want a brick by brick (brick by brick)
I wanna blow wide berth (brick by brick)
I wanna melt this soul (brick by brick)
I wanna brick by brick, by brick, by
Brick by brick (ah)
Brick by brick (ah)
Brick by brick (ah)
Brick by brick (ah)
@RakMontageGaming
[Verse 1]
You can build a buggy
Drive a big tow truck
You can paint a jet ski
Yellow like a duck
Master of the universe
There ain't no trick
You just gotta do it
Brick by brick
[Chorus]
Brick by brick
Tock by tick
No matter how thin
No matter how thick
Papa told mama
And Laura told Nick
You can move a mountain
If you do it brick by brick
[Verse 2]
Faster than a skateboard
Bigger than a bike
Louder than a DJ
Scratchin' all night
Pedal to the metal
Heck'a Lego squeal
You're in the driver seat
When you're behind the wheel
[Chorus]
Brick by brick
Tock by tick
No matter how thin
No matter how thick
Papa told mama
And Laura told Nick
You can move a mountain
If you do it brick by brick
[Verse 3]
Are you game, boy?
It's a riot, girl
Click on the stick
Let's go for a whirl
If you're gonna cruise the island
There's somethin' you should know
When you block the road
You're gonna get towed
[Chorus]
Brick by brick
Tock by tick
No matter how thin
No matter how thick
Papa told mama
And Laura told Nick
You can build a mountain
If you do it brick by brick
[Verse 4]
I built a cool machine
Red, yellow, and black
There ain't no doodad
This device lacks
All around the island
We're goin' round the bend
Break it down baby
Brick it up again
[Chorus]
Brick by brick
Tock by tick
No matter how thin
No matter how thick
Papa told mama
And Laura told Nick
You can move a mountain
You can move a mountain
You can move a mountain
If you do it brick by brick
@elephantstone222
these lyrics are simply inspired - only the arctic monkeys could use the word brick 39 times in a song and get away with it.
@kyalloo
why did u count how many times they used brick.....
@rikiriki7628
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA ahh mate...
@carmichael9277
@𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘴-𝘢𝘳𝘦-𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘴 only dedicated arctic monkeys fans will know
@Gabriel-mg9ir
i came from the future to say, pink floyd, paramore and the arctic monkeys get away with this
@Ball4184
When he said "I wanna brick by brick, brick by brick" I felt that
@PresidenteMello
Saddest AM lyrics😢
@Slizi108
I think they deserve better fans, who don't think they will be what they were in the first album forever, and who think they can change, like they're doing. An amazing song, by an amazing band.
@telmoagirresarobe2930
2022
@pepeelghetto1231
11 years later, fans embraced change (Mostly)... and this song is still considered one of their shittiest 🤡