Like several of the other tracks on the album, the track is also musically much more ambitious than the group’s earlier work, using more intricate arrangements, heavy guitar tones and experimental song structure.
This House Is a Circus
Arctic Monkeys Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We tend to see that as a perk, though look
What it's done to your friends
Their memories are pretend
And the last thing that they want is for the feeling to end
This house is a circus, berserk as fuck
We tend to see that as a perk, though look
What it's done to your friends
Their memories are pretend
And the last thing that they want is for the feeling to end
There's a room full of trouble and there's lovers to be had
Those ones who make sinners out of such lovely lads
Scaling the corridors for maidens in the maze
And any anomaly is slipping into familiar ways
And we're forever unfulfilled and can't think why
Like a search for murder clues in dead man's eyes
Forever unfulfilled and can't think why
Like a search for murder clues in dead man's eyes
The more you open your mouth, the more you're forcing performance
And all the attention is leading me to feel important
(Gimme obnoxious, gimme obnoxious now)
Now that we're here, we may as well go too far
Wriggling around in incidents you won't forget
There's certainly some venom in the looks that you collect
Aimlessly gazing at the faces in the queue
And we're struggling with the notion that it's life, not film
This house is a circus, berserk as fuck (we're forever unfulfilled)
We tend to see that as a perk, though look (can't think why)
what it's done to your friends
Their memories are pretend (like a search for murder clues)
And the last thing that they want is for the feeling to end
In "This House is a Circus," Arctic Monkeys explores the consequences of being caught in a constant cycle of partying, drugs, and alcohol. The band uses strong imagery to create a picture of a house full of chaos and madness, where people are constantly searching for the next thrill to release them from their empty and unfulfilled lives. The refrain "this house is a circus, berserk as fuck" reinforces the idea that the party lifestyle is out of control and unsustainable.
The second verse points out the destructive effects of this lifestyle on relationships. The image of sinners making "lovely lads" into troublemakers suggests that the party atmosphere has a corrupting influence. The line "any anomaly is slipping into familiar ways" suggests that people are falling into the same old patterns and becoming trapped in the same cycle, unable to change or break free.
The final verse portrays the vacuity of this lifestyle. The attention and importance that people feel is only temporary and fleeting, and their memories are only pretend. The line "we're struggling with the notion that it's life, not film" suggests that people are so caught up in this lifestyle that they forget that their actions have real-life consequences, and they need to escape the circus before it consumes them.
Line by Line Meaning
This house is a circus, berserk as fuck
This place is chaotic and crazy beyond belief
We tend to see that as a perk, though look
We think the chaos is a good thing, but maybe we should reconsider
What it's done to your friends
The chaos has affected your friends in a negative way
Their memories are pretend
Your friends have lost touch with reality and are living in a false world
And the last thing that they want is for the feeling to end
Your friends don't want the chaos to stop, because it's the only thing they know
There's a room full of trouble and there's lovers to be had
This place is filled with problems and opportunities for romantic adventures
Those ones who make sinners out of such lovely lads
The people here can turn even the best into bad influences
Scaling the corridors for maidens in the maze
People are chasing after love interests in this crazy place
And any anomaly is slipping into familiar ways
Anything out of the ordinary becomes normal in this place
And we're forever unfulfilled and can't think why
We feel like something is missing, but can't figure out what
Like a search for murder clues in dead man's eyes
We're looking for answers in all the wrong places
The more you open your mouth, the more you're forcing performance
If you try too hard to be noticed, it starts to seem fake
And all the attention is leading me to feel important
Getting attention makes us feel important, but it's not enough
Now that we're here, we may as well go too far
Since we're already in this crazy place, we might as well embrace it fully
Wriggling around in incidents you won't forget
We're getting involved in crazy situations that we'll always remember
There's certainly some venom in the looks that you collect
We're attracting negative attention from certain people
Aimlessly gazing at the faces in the queue
We're observing the people around us, but not really interacting with them
And we're struggling with the notion that it's life, not film
We're having a hard time accepting that this is real life, not a movie
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.