Released on 14 October 2005, it rode the wave of popularity behind the band after a series of sellout gigs across the country, culminating with a gig in front of 2,000 people at the London Astoria. It debuted at Number One on the UK Singles Chart on 23 October. The release of the song and its rise to number one further increased the ever-growing hype surrounding the band, and it was two weeks before they reached the cover of NME magazine. The single was released during a sell-out UK tour, although the band were playing at significantly smaller venues to those at which they would perform only months later.
The title track also features on the band's debut album, Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not, which was released on 23 January 2006 - one week after their second single - "When the Sun Goes Down".
I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor
Arctic Monkeys Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
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 sandAnd lighting the fuse might result in a bang, b-b-bang-oh
I bet that you look good on the dance floor
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 dance floor
Dancing to electro-pop like a robot from 1984
Well, from 1984
I wish you'd stop ignoring me
Because you're 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 dance floor
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 dance floor
Dancing to electro-pop like a robot from 1984
Well, from 1984
Just banging tunes and DJ sets and
Dirty dance floors and dreams of naughtiness
Well, I bet that you look good on the dance floor
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 dance floor
Dancing to electro-pop like a robot from 1984
Said, from 1984
Arctic Monkeys' song "I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor" appears to detail the singer's fascination with a particular person's physical appearance and their potential as a dancer. The opening stanza sets the tone for this fascination, with the singer expressing a willingness to stop making suggestive eye contact with the person, but also acknowledging that they don't actually want to stop. The lyrics continue with a description of the person's frozen yet explosive demeanor and their disregard for things like sand and the danger of lighting a fuse before transitioning into the chorus, where the title phrase is delivered along with the suggestion that the person in question might look like a "robot" from 1984 while dancing to "electro-pop" music.
As the song progresses, the singer becomes increasingly desperate for the person's attention, wishing they would stop ignoring them and lamenting the seeming unfairness of the situation. The chorus repeats twice more, with the singer emphasizing that they can only bet on what the person looks like on the dancefloor and that the club setting seems to preclude things like love or any sort of deep connection. The song ends with a final chorus, reiterating the singer's fascination with the person on the dancefloor and the absence of anything more profound going on around them.
Line by Line Meaning
Stop making the eyes at me
Please stop trying to flirt with me
I'll stop making the eyes at you
I will stop flirting back with you
What it is that surprises me
I am surprised by something
Is that I don't really want you to
I am not actually interested in you
And your shoulders are frozen (cold as the night)
You seem distant and cold
Oh, but you're an explosion (you're dynamite)
But you have an exciting energy
Your name isn't Rio, but I don't care for sand
Your name doesn't matter to me
And lighting the fuse might result in a bang, b-b-bang-oh
But getting to know you could lead to an exciting experience
I bet that you look good on the dance floor
I am confident that you would look attractive while dancing
I don't know if you're looking for romance or
I am unsure of what you want out of this encounter
I don't know what you're looking for
I am unsure of what you want out of this encounter
Dancing to electro-pop like a robot from 1984
I imagine you dancing like a robot to electronic music from the past
I wish you'd stop ignoring me
I would appreciate if you stopped ignoring me
Because you're sending me to despair
Your behavior is making me feel hopeless
Without a sound, yeah, you're calling me
Even without saying anything, you are attracting my attention
And I don't think it's very fair
But I don't think your behavior is fair to me
Oh, there ain't no love, no Montagues or Capulets
This is not a romantic story like Romeo and Juliet
Just banging tunes and DJ sets and
This is just about music and dancing
Dirty dance floors and dreams of naughtiness
Dancing on dirty floors and experiencing some risque behavior
Said, from 1984
Again, referencing the electronic music trends of the past
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Alexander David 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.