Arctic Monkeys - Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not Album Lyrics

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The View From The Afternoon

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 rawkus, 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
And of course its fancy dress
And they're all looking quite full on
In bunny ears and devil horns

I want to see all of the things that we've already seen
I want to see you take the jackpot out the fruit machine
And put it all back in
You've got to understand it you can never beat the bandit

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
You should bear that in mind tonight
You can pour your heart out but her reasoning will block
owt you send her after nine o clock

You can pour your heart out around 3 o clock
When the 2 for 1's undone the writers block

 

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I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor

Stop making the eyes at me, I'll stop making the eyes at you.
What it is that surprises me is that I don't really want you to
And your shoulders are frozen (as cold as the night)
Oh, but you're an explosion but you're dynamite
Your name isn't Rio, but I don't care for sand
Lighting the fuse might result in a bang with a bang-go

[Chorus:]
I said I bet that you look good on the dance floor
I don't know if you're looking for romance or...
Don't know what you're looking for
Well I bet that you look good on the dance floor
Dancing to electro-pop like a robot from 1984
from 1984!

I wish you'd stop ignoring me because you're sending me to despair,
Without a sound yeah you're calling me and I don't think it's very fair
That your shoulders are frozen (as cold as the night)
Oh, but you're an explosion (You're dynamite)
Your name isn't Rio but I don't care for sand
Lighting the fuse might result in a bang with a bang-go

[Chorus]

Oh, there ain't no love, no Montagues or Capulets
Are just banging tunes and DJ sets and...
Dirty dance floors, and dreams of naughtiness!

Well,

[Chorus]

 

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Fake Tales Of San Francisco

Fake Tales of San Francisco
Echo through the room
More point to a wedding disco
Without a bride or groom

There's a super cool band yeah
With their trilbies and their glasses of white wine
And all the weekend rock stars in the toilets
Practicing their lines

I don't want to hear you
(Kick me out, kick me out)
I don't want to hear you no
(Kick me out, kick me out)
I don't want to hear you no
(Kick me out, kick me out)
I don't want to hear you
I don't want to hear you

Fake Tales of San Francisco
Echo through the air
And there's a few bored faces in the back
All wishing they weren't there

And as the microphone squeaks
A young girl's telephone beeps
Yeah she's dashing for the exit
Oh, she's running to the streets outside
"Oh you've saved me," she screams down the line
"The band were f*cking wank
And I'm not having a nice time"

I don't want to hear you
(Kick me out, kick me out)
I don't want to hear you no
(Kick me out, kick me out)
Yeah but his bird thinks it's amazing, though
So all that's left
Is the proof that love's not only blind but deaf

He talks of San Francisco, he's from Hunter's Bar
I don't quite know the distance
But I'm sure that's far
Yeah, I'm sure that's pretty far

Yeah, I'd love to tell you all my problem
You're not from New York City, you're from Rotherham
So get off the bandwagon, and put down the handbook
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[x4]
Get off the bandwagon and put down the handbook

 

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Dancing Shoes

Get on your dancing shoes
There's one thing on your mind
Hoping they're looking for you
Sure you'll be rummaging' through

And the shit, shock, horror
You've seen your future bride
Oh, but it's oh so absurd
For you to say the first word
So you're waiting and waiting

The only reason that you came
So what you scared for?
don't you always do the same
It's what you there for, don't you know

...the lights are flashing
Down in here tonight
And some might exchange a glance
But keep pretending to dance

Don't act like it's not happening
As if it's impolite
To go and mention your name
Instead you'll just do the same
As they all do, and hope for the best...

The only reason that you came
So what you scared for?
Well don't you always do the same
It's what you're there for but no

Get on your dancing shoes
You sexy little swine
Hoping they're looking for you
Sure you'll be rummaging through

Oh and the shit, shock, horror
You've seen your future bride
Oh, but it's oh so absurd
For you to say the first word
So you're waiting and waiting

 

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You Probably Couldn't See For The Lights But You Were Staring Straight At Me

One look sends it coursing through the veins oh how the feeling races
Back up to their brains to form expressions on there stupid faces
They don't want to say hello
Like I want to say hello
Oh the heartbeats at its peak when you're coming up to speak

And I'm so tense, never tenser
Could all go a bit Frank Spencer?
I'm talking gibberish, tip of the tongue but I can't deliver it
...Properly, oh it's all getting on top of me
And if it weren't this dark you'd see how red my face has gone

Everybody's trying to crack the jokes and that to make you smile
Those that claim that they're not showing off are drowning in denial
They're not half as bad as me say anything and I'll agree
When it comes to acting up, I'm sure I could write the book

And now that you're more than a part in the play
It's slightly easier to think what to say
You had us all, standing on our heads
Doing our best tricks

Never again, will there be another one that's as desirable as you

 

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Still Take You Home

It's ever so funny, I don't think you're special I don't think you're cool
You're just probably alreyt, but under these lights you look beautiful
But I'm struggling, I can't see through your fake tan
And you know it for a fact that everybody's eating out of your hands

What do you know?
you know nothing
But I'll still take you home

Fancy seeing you in here, you're all tarted up and you don't look the same
I haven't seen you since last year and surprisingly you have forgot my name
But you know it and you knew it all along
Oh you say you have forgotten, but you're fibbing go on tell me I'm wrong
I fancy you with a passion, you're a Topshop princess, a rockstar too
You're a fad you're a fashion and I'm having a job trying to talk to you
But it's alright, put it all on one-side,
everybody's looking, you've got control of everyone's eyes
Including mine

 

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Riot Van

Up rolled the riot van
And sparked excitement in the boys
But the policemen look annoyed
Perhaps these are ones they should avoid

They got a chase last night from men with truncheon's dressed in hats
They didn't do that much wrong, still ran away though for the laugh

"Please just stop talking
Because 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?.. nobody told me"

Up rolled the riot van
And these lads just wind the coppers up
Ask why they don't catch proper crooks
Get their address and their name's took
But they couldn't care less

He got 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

 

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Red Light Indicates Doors Are Secured

Ask if we can have six in, if not we'll have to have 2
You're coming up our end aren't you? So I'll get one with you
Oh won't he let us have six in? especially not with the food
He coulda just told us no though, he dint have to be rude

See her in the green dress? She talked to me at the bar
How come its already two pound fifty? We've only gone about a yard
Dint ya see she were gorgeous, she was beyond belief
But this lad at the side drinking a Smirnoff ice came and paid for her tropical Reef

And I'm sitting going backwards, and I didn't want to leave
Its high green mate, via hillsborough please

How funny was that sketch earlier, up near that taxi rank
Oh no you will have missed it, think it was when you went to the bank
These two lads squaring up proper shouting, bout who was next in the queue
The kind of thing that would seem so silly but not when they've both had a few

Calm down temper temper, you shouldn't get so annoyed
You're acting like a silly little boy
They wanted to be men and do some fighting in the street
No surrender, no chance of retreat

Drunken plots hatched to jump it, ask around are ya sure?
Went for it but the red light was showing
And the red light indicates doors are secured

 

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Perhaps Vampires Is A Bit Strong But...

I've seen your eyes as they fix on me what is he doing what on earth is the
Plan has he got one
You better give me some pointers since you are the big rocket launcher and
I'm just the shot gun,
I ant got no dollar signs in my eyes that might be a surprise but its true
I'm not like you and I don_t want your advice or your praise or to move in
The ways you do

All you people are vampires
All your stories are stale
Though you pretend to stand by us
Though you're certain we'll fail

I've seen you're eyes as they fix on me full of confusion your snarl is just
So condescending
Trying to explain that we're on to a win if the fee we get in near recoups
What we're spending
He said I can't believe that you drove all that way well how much did they
Pay ya how much did they pay ya, You'd have been better to stay round our Way
Thinking about things but not actually doing things

 

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When The Sun Goes Down

Who's that girl there?
I wonder what went wrong
So that she had to roam the streets
She dunt do major credit cards
I doubt she does receipts
It's all not quite legitimate

And what a scummy man
Just give him half a chance
I bet he'll rob you if he can
Can see it in his eyes,
Yeah, that he's got a driving ban
Amongst some other offences

And I've seen him with girls of the night
And he told Roxanne to put on her red light
They're all infected but he'll be alright
Cause he's a scumbag, don't you know
I said he's a scumbag, don't you know!

Although you're trying not to listen
Overt your eyes and staring at the ground
She makes a subtle proposition
"I'm sorry love I'll have to turn you down"

He must be up to something
What are the chances sure it's more than likely
I've got a feeling in my stomach
I start to wonder what his story might be

They said it changes when the sun goes down
Around here

Look here comes a Ford Mondeo
Isn't he Mister Inconspicuous?
And he don't even have to say 'owt
She's in the stance ready to get picked up

Bet she's delighted when she sees him
Pulling in and giving her the eye
Because she must be f*cking freezing
Scantily clad beneath the clear night sky
it doesn't stop in the winter, no
Around here

They said it changes when the sun goes down
Over the river going out of town

What a scummy man
Just give him half a chance
I bet 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

 

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From The Ritz To The Rubble

Last night these two bouncers
And one of em's alright
The other one's the scary one
His way or no way, totalitarian
He's got no time for you
Looking or breathing
How he dosen't want you to
So step out the queue
He makes examples of you
And there's nowt you can say
Behind they go through to the bit where you pay
And you realize then that it's finally the time
To walk back past ten thousand eyes in the line
And you can swap jumpers and make another move
Instilled in your brain you've got something to prove
To all the smirking faces and the boys in black
Why can't they be pleasant?
Why can't they have a laugh?
He's got his hand in your chest
He wants to give you a duff
Well secretly I think they want it all to kick off
They want, arms flying everywhere and
Bottles as well it's just
Something to talk about
A story to tell you

Well I'm so glad they turned us all away we'll put it down to fate

I thought a thousand million things that I could never think this morning

Got too deep, but how deep is too deep?

This town's a different town today
This town's a different town to what it was last night
You couldn't have done that on a Sunday

That girl's a different girl today
That girl's a different girl to her you kissed last night
You couldn't have done that on a Sunday

Last night what we talked about
It made so much sense
But now the haze has ascended
It don't make no sense anymore

 

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A Certain Romance

Well oh they might wear classic Reeboks
Or knackered Converse
Or tracky bottoms tucked in socks
But all of that's what the point is not
The point's that there is no romance around there

And there's the truth that they can't see
They'd probably like to throw a punch at me
And if you could only see them, then you would agree
Agree that there ain't no romance around there

it's a funny thing you know
We'll tell them if you like
We'll tell them all tonight
They'll never listen
Because their minds are made up
And course it's all OK to carry on that way

Over there there's broken bones
There's only music, so that there's new ringtones
And it doesn't take no Sherlock Holmes
To see it's a little different around here

Don't get me wrong though there's boys in bands
And kids who like to scrap with pool cues in their hands
And just cause he's had a couple of cans
He thinks it's alright to act like a dickhead

Don't you know, oh it's a funny thing you know
We'll tell them if you like
We'll tell them all tonight
They'll never listen
Because their minds are made up
And of course it's all OK to carry on that way
But I said no, oh no!
Well oh, you want get me to go
No anyway, no anywhere
No, I won't go, oh no, no?

Well over there there's friends of mine
What can I say, I've known them for a long long time
And they might overstep the line
But you just cannot get angry in the same way