The band has released seven 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) and The Car (2022) (the first six of which debuted at #1 on the UK Albums Chart.
Each of the band's first five singles "I Bet You Look Good On the Dancefloor", "When the Sun Goes Down", "Leave Before The Lights Come On", "Brianstorm" and "Fluorescent Adolescent" hit the UK Top Five, but their sixth single, "Teddy Picker", only went Top 20 and their seventh single, "Crying Lightning" peaked at #12.
The band's 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.
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 single "Leave Before The Lights Come On" came out on August 14th, but only reached Number 4 on the UK charts, denying the band a third consecutive number 1 single.
Their debut album Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not won the 2006 Mercury Prize, was chosen as the best album of year 2006 by Q Magazine, and received a slew of other accolades.
Their second album Favourite Worst Nightmare was released on April 23rd 2007. It was preceded by "Brianstorm", the first single from the album, which was released a week before. Like its predecessor, "Favourite Worst Nightmare" sold more than the rest of the Top 20 combined, and - due to an error on iTunes - every song on the record appeared on the UK Top 200 Singles the next week.
When asked about Favourite Worst Nightmare Turner commented, "We haven't changed that much. It's still about making contact with girls or not making contact with girls".
The band began to write and record demos for the third album in January 2008, Turner said "We had tunes that we'd already been playing on tour so we recorded them. That’s six [songs]. We’re going to take it easy and start practicing over the summer and doing new stuff."
The band premiered new material from the unreleased album during their January 2009 tour of New Zealand, playing small venues in Wellington and Auckland ahead of the Big Day Out festival. Their first show in more than a year was on January 13, 2009 at Wellington's Town Hall. In both cities, the new songs played were "Crying Lightning", "Go-Kart", "Dangerous Animals" and "Pretty Visitors." The full setlist from the Auckland gig is available online. Also played was a cover of the Nick Cave song "Red Right Hand." During their last tour, the band had played new songs "Put Me In A Terror Pocket", "Sandtrap," and "The Fire and The Thud" live.
Lead singer/songwriter Alex Turner started a two-man project with the singer from the Rascals, Miles Kane.
The band is called 'The Last Shadow Puppets'
The Arctic Monkeys band released their album Humbug in August of 2009, preceded by the single "Crying Lightning"
They released their fourth studio album, Suck It And See, on June 6th, 2011.
They released their fifth studio album, AM, on September 9th, 2013.
They released their sixth studio album, Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino, with no preceding single releases, on May 11th, 2018.
They released their seventh studio album, The Car, on October 21st, 2022, preceded by the singles "There'd Better Be a Mirrorball", "Body Paint" and "I Ain't Quite Where I Think I Am".
http://www.arcticmonkeys.com/
Scummy Justice
Arctic Monkeys Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Check-ch-check-check-check-ch-check it out
What-wha-what-what-what's it all about
Work-wa-work-work-work-wa-work it out
Let's turn this, turn this party out
Check-ch-check-check-check-ch-check it out
What-wha-what-what-what's it all about
Let's turn this, turn this party out
Check-ch-check-check-check-ch-check it out
What-wha-what-what-what's it all about
Work-wa-work-work-work-wa-work it out
Let's turn this, turn this party out
Like that y'all and you just don't stop
Guaranteed to make your body rock
Check-ch-check-check-check-ch-check it out
What-wha-what-what-what's it all about
Work-wa-work-work-work-wa-work it out
Let's turn this, turn this party out
Although you're trying not to listen
I bet your eyes are staring at the ground
She makes a subtle proposition
Sorry love I'll have to turn you down
And, oh,
he must be up to something
Want half a chance to show he's more than likely
I've got a feeling in my stomach
I start to wonder what his story might be
What his story might be
They said it changes when the sun goes down
And they said it changes when the sun goes down
And they said it changes when the sun goes down
Around here
Around...
They said it changes when the sun goes down
And they said it changes when the sun goes down
And they said it changes when the sun goes down
Around here
They said it changes when the sun goes down
And they said it changes when the sun goes down
And they said it changes when the sun goes down
Around here
Around here
Check-ch-check-check-check-ch-check it out
What-wha-what-what-what's it all about
Work-wa-work-work-work-wa-work it out
Let's turn this, turn this party out
Check-ch-check-check-check-ch-check it out
What-wha-what-what-what's it all about
Work-wa-work-work-work-wa-work it out
Let's turn this, turn this party out
Check-ch-check-check-check-ch-check it out
What-wha-what-what-what's it all about
Work-wa-work-work-work-wa-work it out
Let's turn this, turn this party out
Check-ch-check-check-check-ch-check it out
What-wha-what-what-what's it all about
Work-wa-work-work-work-wa-work it out
Let's turn this, turn this party out
Check-ch-check-check-check-ch-check it out
What-wha-what-what-what's it all about
Work-wa-work-work-work-wa-work it out
Let's turn this, turn this party out
They said it changes when the sun goes down
And they said it changes when the sun goes down
And they said it changes when the sun goes down
Around here
Around here
What a scummy man
Just give him half a chance
I bet he'll rob you if he can
Although you're trying not to listen
I bet your eyes are staring at the ground
She makes a subtle proposition
Sorry love I'll have to turn you down
And, oh,
he must be up to summat
Want half a chance to show he's more than likely
I've got a feeling in my stomach
I start to wonder what his story might be
What his story might be
They said it changes when the sun goes down
And they said it changes when the sun goes down
And they said it changes when the sun goes down
Around here
Around
They said it changes when the sun goes down
And they said it changes when the sun goes down
And they said it changes when the sun goes down
Around here
They said it changes when the sun goes down
And they said it changes when the sun goes down
And they said it changes when the sun goes down
Around here
Around here
Check-ch-check-check-check-ch-check it out
What-wha-what-what-what's it all about
Work-wa-work-work-work-wa-work it out
Let's turn this, turn this party out
Check-ch-check-check-check-ch-check it out
What-wha-what-what-what's it all about
Work-wa-work-work-work-wa-work it out
Let's turn this, turn this party out
Check-ch-check-check-check-ch-check it out
What-wha-what-what-what's it all about
Work-wa-work-work-work-wa-work it out
Let's turn this, turn this party out
Check-ch-check-check-check-ch-check it out
What-wha-what-what-what's it all about
Work-wa-work-work-work-wa-work it out
Let's turn this, turn this party out
They said it changes when the sun goes down
And they said it changes when the sun goes down
And they said it changes when the sun goes down
Around here
They said it changes when the sun goes down
And they said it changes when the sun goes down
And they said it changes when the sun goes down
Around here
They said it changes when the sun goes down
And they said it changes when the sun goes down
And they said it changes when the sun goes down
Around here
Around here
What a scummy man
Just give him half a chance
I'm sure he'll rob you if he can
Can see it in his eyes that he's got a nasty plan
I hope you're not involved at all
The song is divided into two distinct parts. The first part is a classic hip-hop beat that is accompanied by simple but catchy lyrics. The lyrics urge everyone to let go of their inhibitions and to turn the party out. The repetitive nature of the lyrics creates a hypnotic effect that reinforces the dancing, fun-filled atmosphere of the party. The second part of the song is a darker tale about a man who is up to something sinister. The singer speculates about the man's story and possible intentions.
The contrast between the two parts of the song is striking. The first half is upbeat and lively, but the second half is introspective and a bit ominous. The song's lyrical content is quite dense and layered, with a lot of different themes and ideas being explored. The first part of the song is all about having fun and letting loose, while the second half is about the darker underbelly of society.
Line by Line Meaning
ah ah now
An expression of excitement or anticipation for what's to come
Check-ch-check-check-check-ch-check it out
Asking the listener to pay attention and listen up closely
What-wha-what-what-what's it all about
Questioning the purpose or meaning behind something
Work-wa-work-work-work-wa-work it out
Encouraging the listener to put in effort towards resolving an issue or understanding something
Let's turn this, turn this party out
Proposing to make the current situation more exciting or engaging
Like that y'all and you just don't stop
Comparing the current situation to a lively party that doesn't end
Guaranteed to make your body rock
Promising that the current situation will be exciting and enjoyable
Although you're trying not to listen
Acknowledging that the listener may not want to hear what's being said
I bet your eyes are staring at the ground
Implying that the listener is still paying attention even if they are trying not to
She makes a subtle proposition
Referring to a woman who is suggesting something indirectly or in a gentle manner
Sorry love I'll have to turn you down
Politely declining the woman's offer
And, oh, he must be up to something
Referring to a man who seems suspicious or untrustworthy
Want half a chance to show he's more than likely
Saying that the man wants an opportunity to prove himself as trustworthy, but may not actually be
I've got a feeling in my stomach
Having an intuition or gut feeling about something
I start to wonder what his story might be
Curious about the man's background or motives
What his story might be
Wondering about the man's history or life experiences
They said it changes when the sun goes down
Suggesting that things become different or more unpredictable at night
And they said it changes when the sun goes down
Repeating the previous line, possibly to emphasize its significance
Around here
Referring to the local area or community
What a scummy man
Describing the man in question as dirty, deceitful or disreputable
Just give him half a chance
Implying that if given an opportunity, the man will behave dishonestly
I bet he'll rob you if he can
Believing that the man is likely to steal or scam others
He must be up to summat
Reinforcing the idea that the man is up to something suspicious
Around
Referring once again to the local area
I'm sure he'll rob you if he can
Repeating the earlier sentiment about the man's dishonesty and tendency to steal
Can see it in his eyes that he's got a nasty plan
Claiming that it's possible to tell that the man has an unpleasant or harmful agenda just by looking at him
I hope you're not involved at all
Expressing concern that the listener may become caught up in the man's unsavory plans
Contributed by Anthony F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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.