Fire and the Thud
Arctic Monkeys Lyrics
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Beside a box of matches
A welcome threatening stir
My hopes of being stolen
Might just ring true
Depends who you prefer
But if it's true you're gonna run away
Tell me where, I'll meet you there
Am I snapping the excitement?
If I pack away the laughter
And tell you how it feels
And does burden come to meet ya?
If I've questions of the feature
That runs on your dream reel?
The day after you stole my heart
Everything I touched told me
It would be better shared with you, with you
And now you're hiding in my soup
And this book reveals your face
And there's a splashing in my eyelids
As the concentration continually breaks
I did request the mark you cast
Didn't heal as fast
I hear your voice in silences
Will the teasing of the fire be followed by the thud?
In the jostling crowd
You're not allowed to tell the truth
And the photo booth's a liar (liar)
And there's a sharpened explanation
But there's no screaming reason to inquire
I'd like to poke them in their prying eyes
With things they never see if it smacked them in their temples
In "Fire and the Thud," Arctic Monkeys' frontman Alex Turner paints a picture of the complexities of love and the contrast between hope and despair in a relationship. The song starts with Turner being shown his "tomorrow beside a box of matches, a welcome threatening stir." He expresses his fears that his hopes of being with someone he loves might ring true or not, depending on the person's choice. The song's powerful chorus gives a voice to the anxiety that Turner feels by asking the person to tell him where they'll meet if they decide to run away. The lyrics also touch upon the doubt and hesitation in expressing one's feelings fully, captured by the line "am I snapping the excitement if I pack away the laughter and tell you how it feels." The song concludes with Turner expressing his frustration with people who pry and intrude on his relationship with cryptic lyrics like, "I'd like to poke them in their prying eyes with things they never see if it smacked them in their temples."
Line by Line Meaning
You showed me my tomorrow
You helped me envision my future
Beside a box of matches
While holding a box of matches
A welcome threatening stir
An exciting yet slightly dangerous feeling
My hopes of being stolen
My desire to be taken away
Might just ring true
Might actually happen
Depends who you prefer
Depends on who you choose
But if it's true you're gonna run away
If you're really going to leave
Tell me where
Let me know where to find you
I'll meet you there
I'll come to you
Am I snapping the excitement
Am I ruining the moment
If I pack away the laughter
If I stop being lighthearted
And tell you how it feels
And express my emotions
And does burden come to meet ya
And does responsibility weigh you down
If I've questions of the feature that runs on your dream wheel
If I ask about your aspirations
The day after you stole my heart,
The day after you captured my heart
Everything I touched told me it would be better shared with you
Everything I experienced made me feel like it would be better if you were there
And now you're hiding in my sleep
And now you're in my dreams
And the book reveals your face
And I see your face in my book
And there's a splashing in my eyelids
And tears fill my eyes
As the concentration continually breaks
As my focus keeps slipping away
I did request the mark you cast
I asked for the influence you left on me
Didn't heal as fast
Didn't go away as quickly
I hear your voice in silences
I hear your voice when there's no sound
Will the teasing of the fire be followed by the thud?
Will the excitement end in disappointment?
And the jostling crowd
And the crowded chaos
You're not allowed to tell the truth
You can't be honest
And the photo booth's a liar
And the photo booth deceives
And the sharpened explanation
And the clear explanation
But there's no screaming reason to inquire
But there's no urgent need to ask
I'd like to poke them in their prying eyes
I want to confront their nosy behavior
With things they never see if it smacked them in their temples
With things that are obvious but they don't notice
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Alex Turner
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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.