Arctic Monkeys

Released: August 6, 2009

Songwriter: Alex Turner

Producer: Josh Homme

[Verse 1]
Fiendish wonder in a carnival's wake
Dull caresses once again irritate
Tread softly, stranger
Move over toward the danger that you seek
You think excitement has receded then the mirror distracts
The logic of the trance quickly reaches and grasps
Handsome and faceless
And weightless, your imagination runs

[Chorus]
And now it's no one's fault but yours
At the foot of the house of cards
You thought you'd never get obsessed
You thought the wolves would be impressed
And you're a sinking stone
But you know what it's like to hold the jeweller's hands
That procession of pioneers all drowned

[Verse 2]
In the moonlight they're more thrilling, those things that he knows
As he leads you through the grinning bubble blowers in the snow
Watching his exit
Was like falling off the ferry in the night
The inevitables gather to push you around
Any other voice makes such a punishing sound
He became laughter's assassin
Shortly after he showed you what it was

[Chorus]
And now it's no one's fault but yours
At the foot of the house of cards
You thought you'd never get obsessed
You thought the wolves would be impressed
And you're a sinking stone
But you know what it's like to hold the jeweller's hands
That procession of pioneers all drowned

[Outro]
If you've a lesson to teach me
I'm listening, ready to learn
There's no one here to police me
I'm sinking in until the return
If you've a lesson to teach
Please don't deviate, don't be afraid
Without the last corner piece, I can't calibrate
Let's get it ingrained
If you've a lesson to teach me
I'm listening, ready to learn
There's no one here to police me
I'm sinking in until the return
If you've a lesson to teach
Please don't deviate, don't be afraid
Without the last corner piece, I can't calibrate
Let's get it ingrained
If you've a lesson to teach me
I'm listening, ready to learn
There's no one here to police me
I'm sinking in until the return
If you've a lesson to teach
Please don't deviate, don't be afraid
Without the last corner piece, I can't calibrate
Let's get it ingrained

Arctic Monkeys are an English rock band formed in 2002 in High Green, a suburb of Sheffield, England. The band consists of Alex Turner (lead vocals, rhythm/lead guitar), Matt Helders (drums, vocals), Jamie Cook (lead/rhythm guitar) and Nick O'Malley (bass, backing vocals). Former band member Andy Nicholson (bass guitar, backing vocals) left the band in 2006 shortly after their debut album was released. Their sound has changed extensively from album to album, gradually evolving from raw, youthful post-punk revival music to R ‘n’ B and jazz-inspired experiments.

All four original members of the band were devoted fans of hip-hop when they were younger, a genre that would have an immense influence on their later work, but it was the sound of The Strokes and The Libertines that would help shape their early style. The Arctic Monkeys became one of the first bands to find fame and recognition purely through internet publicity and social media; the Arctics used to sell their demos CDs at a bar where Alex Turner used to work, but due to the limited number of CDs, their fans started to upload them on the internet.

Initially, they refused to sign a record contract with any label through fear that they would want the band to change their songs, going as far as to refuse scouts guaranteed entry into their gigs. However, they eventually signed with Domino because of the “do it yourself” attitude of founder, Lawrence Bell, who ran the label from his own house.

more tracks from the album

Humbug

From the album

Humbug (2009)

Arctic Monkeys popular songs

The Jeweller’s HandsArctic Monkeys

Arctic Monkeys

Humbug