Riot Van
Arctic Monkeys Lyrics
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And sparks excitement in the boys
But the policemen look annoyed
Perhaps these are ones they should avoid
Got a chase last night
From men with truncheons dressed in hats
We didn't do that much wrong
Just for the laugh
And please just stop talking
'Cause they won't find us if you do
Oh, those silly boys in blue
Well, they won't catch me and you
"Have you been drinking, son?
You don't look old enough to me"
"I'm sorry, officer
Is there a certain age you're supposed to be?
'Cause nobody told me"
And up rolls the riot van
And these lads just wind the coppers up
They ask why they don't catch proper crooks
They get their address and their names took
But they couldn't care less
Thrown in the riot van
And all the coppers kicked him in
And there was no way he could win
Just had to take it on the chin
Arctic Monkeys's song Riot Van is a story about a group of young boys who get involved in a night of troublemaking when they spot a police van rolling up. The boys get excited by the potential of the situation, but the policemen look annoyed and uninterested. The lads had a chase from men with truncheons dressed in hats the previous night but hadn't done anything wrong. They still ran away for the thrill of it. The song alludes to the possibility that the police officers are overreacting to the situation by putting the young men in a riot van. The lads jokingly wind up the police with their retorts, questioning why the officers don't catch real criminals instead. The boys even provide their address and names to the officers without a care in the world.
The story takes a darker turn when the officers throw one of the lads into the riot van and kick him. He is powerless and just has to take the beating on the chin. The lyrics appear to criticize police brutality and question whether the officers are just looking for any excuse for violence. Arctic Monkeys made this song impactful with the raw, unfiltered punk-like tone they adapted from starting their career playing in pubs across the north of England. Riot Van does an excellent job of capturing their unique northern sound and telling a story of youthful rebellion faced with police brutality.
Here are ten amazing facts on Arctic Monkey's "Riot Van":
* Riot Van was the fourth single released by Arctic Monkeys in 2006.
* The song is related to a time when a riot broke out outside Sheffield nightclub The Leadmill.
* This song features as part of the ending credits on the Alex Rider TV Series.
* Riot Van appears on several Arctic Monkeys greatest hits albums, including AM (2013).
* Arctic Monkeys band member Matt Helders played drums and sang lead vocals on Riot Van.
* The song was written and recorded in Sheffield in 2005.
* Riot Van was never released as a chart single, but it still brought the audience's significant attention.
* The track featured a simple acoustic guitar line and Matt Helders' bouncy drum beats, making it recognizable as one of Arctic Monkeys' earlier work.
* Riot Van is included in the video game Rock Band 2.
* In an interview, singer Alex Turner mentions that the song is inspired by a true story that happened outside a club in Sheffield, and the lyrics are based on a real-life incident.
Chords (as played on acoustic guitar):
Verse: C, G, Am, F
Chorus: F, G, C, Am, F, G, C, Am, F, G, C
Line by Line Meaning
So up rolls a riot van
The arrival of a cop car sparks excitement in the boys, setting the tone for the rest of the song.
And sparks excitement in the boys
The boys find the presence of the cop car to be thrilling and energizing.
But the policemen look annoyed
The cops are annoyed by the boys and their behavior.
Perhaps these are ones they should avoid
The boys think that these cops might be the ones they should stay away from.
Got a chase last night
The boys were chased by the police car the previous night.
From men with truncheons dressed in hats
The pursuing cops were carrying batons and wearing helmets.
We didn't do that much wrong
The boys are claiming that they didn't commit a serious crime.
Still ran away though, for the laugh
The boys ran away for fun, even though they didn't do anything particularly wrong.
Just for the laugh
The boys did something for the pure enjoyment of it.
And please just stop talking
The boys want someone to stop talking because they think it will prevent the cops from finding them.
'Cause they won't find us if you do
The boys think that if the person stops talking, the cops won't be able to find them.
Oh, those silly boys in blue
The boys are mocking the police officers.
Well, they won't catch me and you
The boys are confident that the cops won't be able to catch them.
"Have you been drinking, son?
The cop is asking if one of the boys has been drinking.
You don't look old enough to me"
The cop thinks that the boy might not be old enough to drink.
"I'm sorry, officer
The boy responds politely to the cop's question.
Is there a certain age you're supposed to be?
The boy asks the cop if there is a specific age someone needs to be in order to drink.
'Cause nobody told me"
The boy claims he doesn't know the answer to the cop's question.
And up rolls the riot van
The riot van arrives on the scene again.
And these lads just wind the coppers up
The boys antagonize the cops, trying to provoke them.
They ask why they don't catch proper crooks
The boys question the police officers' priorities.
They get their address and their names took
The cops take down the boys' personal information.
But they couldn't care less
The boys don't care about the consequences of their actions.
Thrown in the riot van
The boys are thrown into the van by the cops.
And all the coppers kicked him in
The cops physically attacked one of the boys.
And there was no way he could win
The boy had no way of fighting off the cops.
Just had to take it on the chin
The boy had to accept the punishment without resistance.
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.