The View from the Afternoon
Arctic Monkeys Lyrics


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Anticipation has a habit to set you up
For disappointment in evening entertainment but
Tonight there'll be some love
Tonight there'll be a ruckus, yeah, regardless of what's gone before
I want to see all of the things that we've already seen
The lairy girls hung out the window of the limousine
Of course it's fancy dress
And they're all looking quite forlorn in bunny ears and devil horns and how

Anticipation has a habit to set you up
For disappointment in evening entertainment but
Tonight there'll be some love
Tonight there'll be a ruckus, yeah, regardless of what's gone before
I want to see all of the things that we've already seen

I wanna see you take the jackpot out the fruit machine
And put it all back in
You've got to understand that you can never beat the bandit, no

And she won't be surprised and she won't be shocked
When she's pressed the star after she's pressed unlock
And there's verse and chapter sat in her inbox
And all that is said is that you've drank a lot

And you should bear that in mind tonight
Bear that in mind, yeah
You should bear that in mind tonight
Bear that in mind

And you can pour your heart out
For a reason it would block
Oh, you send her after nine o'clock

Anticipation has a habit to set you up



For disappointment in evening entertainment but
Tonight there'll be some love
Tonight there'll be a ruckus, yeah, regardless of what's gone before

And she won't be surprised and she won't be shocked
When she's pressed the star after she's pressed unlock
And there's verse and chapter sat in her inbox
And all that is said is that you've drank a lot

And you should bear that in mind tonight
Bear that in mind, yeah
You should bear that in mind tonight
Bear that in mind

And you can pour your heart out
Around three o'clock
When the two-for-ones have done the writer's block

Overall Meaning

In "The View From The Afternoon," the Arctic Monkeys sing about the anticipation and excitement of a night out in the town. The lyrics speak of the inherent risk of heightened expectations for an evening and the likelihood of disappointment when it comes to entertainment. Despite this, the singer expresses his excitement for the night ahead, anticipating some love and chaos regardless of what's happened before. He reminisces about previous nights out, mentioning the "lairy girls hung out the window of the limousine" and the fancy dress parties that always seem to end in bizarre situations. The song's second verse describes the urge to gamble and the futility of beating the fruit machine. The singer then references a potential love interest. He alludes to the fact that he may have sent some drunken messages to her and advises himself to bear that in mind when he sees her that night. The song's chorus repeats the message that tonight will be different and exciting.


The song's lyrics possess a strong sense of nostalgia for wild nightlife and the unpredictability of youth. The reference to the "fruit machine" and the "two-for-ones" point to a British pub culture that often revolves around gambling and drinking specials. The lyrics also comment on modern dating culture and highlight the expectation of instant gratification through technology. The lyrics of the song's chorus speak to the idea that the past cannot be repeated and that the excitement of youthful carousing can never be truly replicated.


Line by Line Meaning

Anticipation has a habit to set you up
Preconceived notions tend to disappoint


For disappointment in evening entertainment but
Expectations are rarely met when going out


Tonight there'll be some love
Tonight will be enjoyable


Tonight there'll be a ruckus, yeah, regardless of what's gone before
An exciting evening is promised, previous nights don't matter


I want to see all of the things that we've already seen
I want to relive previous memories


The lairy girls hung out the window of the limousine
The wild girls hung themselves out the car window


Of course it's fancy dress
It's a costume party


And they're all looking quite forlorn in bunny ears and devil horns and how
Looking unhappy in their silly costumes


I wanna see you take the jackpot out the fruit machine
I want to witness you win the jackpot


And put it all back in
And then go ahead and play again


You've got to understand that you can never beat the bandit, no
You have to accept that the house always wins


And she won't be surprised and she won't be shocked
She won't be surprised or shocked


When she's pressed the star after she's pressed unlock
She won't be surprised when she receives messages


And there's verse and chapter sat in her inbox
Messages with detailed information


And all that is said is that you've drank a lot
All that is mentioned is your level of intoxication


And you should bear that in mind tonight
You should remember that tonight


Bear that in mind, yeah
Keep it in mind, yeah


You should bear that in mind tonight
Remember that this evening


Bear that in mind
Keep that in mind


And you can pour your heart out
You can talk openly


For a reason it would block
Without any particular reason


Oh, you send her after nine o'clock
You text her late at night


Around three o'clock
Late at night


When the two-for-ones have done the writer's block
After being influenced by discounted alcoholic drinks




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Alex Turner

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comments from YouTube:

@beccaviljoen

[Verse 1]
Anticipation has the habit to set you up
For disappointment in evening entertainment, but
Tonight there'll be some love
Tonight there'll be a ruckus, yeah
Regardless of what's gone before
I want to see all of the things that we've already seen
The lairy girls hung out the window of the limousine
Of course it's fancy dress
And they're all looking quite full on
In bunny ears and devil horns and how

[Verse 2]
Anticipation has the habit to set you up
For disappointment in evening entertainment, but
Tonight there'll be some love
Tonight there'll be a ruckus, yeah
Regardless of what's gone before
I want to see all of the things that we've already seen
I wanna see you take the jackpot out the fruit machine
And put it all back in
You've got to understand that
You can never beat the bandit, no

[Chorus]
And she won't be surprised and she won't be shocked
When she's pressed the star after she's pressed unlock
And there's verse and chapter sat in her inbox
And all that it says is that you've drank a lot
And you should bear that in mind tonight
Bear that in mind
Yeah, you should bear that in mind tonight
Bear that in mind

[Post-Chorus]
And you can pour your heart out but her reasoning will block
Owt you send her after nine o' clock

[Verse 3]
Anticipation has the habit to set you up
For disappointment in evening entertainment, but
Tonight there'll be some love, oh
Tonight there'll be a ruckus, yeah
Regardless of what's gone before

[Chorus]
And she won't be surprised and she won't be shocked
When she's pressed the star after she's pressed unlock
And there's verse and chapter sat in her inbox
And all that it says is that you've drank a lot
And you should bear that in mind tonight
Bear that in mind
Yeah, you should bear that in mind tonight
Bear that in mind

[Post-Chorus]
And you can pour your heart out around three o' clock
When the two-for-one's undone the writer's block



@athanasiousnabil1673

Anticipation has a habit to set you up
For disappointment in evening entertainment but
Tonight there'll be some love
Tonight there'll be a ruckus, yeah, regardless of what's gone before
I want to see all of the things that we've already seen
The lairy girls hung out the window of the limousine
Of course it's fancy dress
And they're all looking quite forlorn in bunny ears and devil horns and how

Anticipation has a habit to set you up
For disappointment in evening entertainment but
Tonight there'll be some love
Tonight there'll be a ruckus, yeah, regardless of what's gone before
I want to see all of the things that we've already seen

I wanna see you take the jackpot out the fruit machine
And put it all back in
You've got to understand that you can never beat the bandit, no

And she won't be surprised and she won't be shocked
When she's pressed the star after she's pressed unlock
And there's verse and chapter sat in her inbox
And all that is said is that you've drank a lot

And you should bear that in mind tonight
Bear that in mind, yeah
You should bear that in mind tonight
Bear that in mind

And you can pour your heart out
For a reason it would block
Oh, you send her after nine o'clock

Anticipation has a habit to set you up
For disappointment in evening entertainment but
Tonight there'll be some love
Tonight there'll be a ruckus, yeah, regardless of what's gone before

And she won't be surprised and she won't be shocked
When she's pressed the star after she's pressed unlock
And there's verse and chapter sat in her inbox
And all that is said is that you've drank a lot

And you should bear that in mind tonight
Bear that in mind, yeah
You should bear that in mind tonight
Bear that in mind

And you can pour your heart out
Around three o'clock
When the two-for-ones have done the writer's block



All comments from YouTube:

@blumachine

“Anticipation has the habit to set you up for disappointment”. What a way to start off a debut album

@cassiamarocki

I had never thought about that! Legends

@alexburnett560

Very few people appreciate the significance of this line, but I’m glad you pointed it out because it’s just such an ironic first line to an album that had so much hype itself

@hyacinthjt

Great observation. The whole first verse is basically 'Welcome to Arctic Monkeys.'

@Raver-1601

ironically, this album doesn't disappoint

@user-gl5en8cq8g

they really are amazing

29 More Replies...

@Big_C_4205

Matt Helders, one of the most underrated drummers of all time.

@elinecCXharuharu

Sure he's awesome

@Big_C_4205

Yes.

@pd1596

I don't think he is underrated. I think he's praised and rated very highly pretty much universally

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