The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
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 (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
And lighting the fuse might result in a bang, b-b-bang-oh
I bet that you look good on the dance floor
I don't know if you're looking for romance or
I don't know what you're looking for
I said, I bet that you look good on the dance floor
Dancing to electro-pop like a robot from 1984
Well, 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 (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
And lighting the fuse might result in a bang, b-b-bang-oh
I bet that you look good on the dance floor
I don't know if you're looking for romance or
I don't know what you're looking for
I said, I bet that you look good on the dance floor
Dancing to electro-pop like a robot from 1984
Well, from 1984
Oh, there ain't no love, no Montagues or Capulets
Just banging tunes and DJ sets and
Dirty dance floors and dreams of naughtiness
Well, I bet that you look good on the dance floor
I don't know if you're looking for romance or
I don't know what you're looking for
I said, I bet that you look good on the dance floor
Dancing to electro-pop like a robot from 1984
Said, from 1984
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 (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
And lighting the fuse might result in a bang, b-b-bang-oh
I bet that you look good on the dance floor
I don't know if you're looking for romance or
I don't know what you're looking for
I said, I bet that you look good on the dance floor
Dancing to electro-pop like a robot from 1984
Well, 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 (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
And lighting the fuse might result in a bang, b-b-bang-oh
I bet that you look good on the dance floor
I don't know if you're looking for romance or
I don't know what you're looking for
I said, I bet that you look good on the dance floor
Dancing to electro-pop like a robot from 1984
Well, from 1984
Oh, there ain't no love, no Montagues or Capulets
Just banging tunes and DJ sets and
Dirty dance floors and dreams of naughtiness
Well, I bet that you look good on the dance floor
I don't know if you're looking for romance or
I don't know what you're looking for
I said, I bet that you look good on the dance floor
Dancing to electro-pop like a robot from 1984
Said, from 1984
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Light Up The Sky
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Fast Car
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"Fast car" is kind of a continuation of Bruce Springsteen's "Born to Run." It has all the clawing your way to a better life, but in this case the protagonist never makes it with her love; in fact she is dragged back down by him.
There is still an amazing amount of hope and will in the lyrics; and the lyrics themselve rank and easy five. If only music was stronger it would be one of those great radio songs that you hear once a week 20 years after it was released. The imagery is almost tear-jerking ("City lights lay out before us", "Speeds so fast felt like I was drunk"), and the idea of starting from nothing and just driving and working and denigrating yourself for a chance at being just above poverty, then losing in the end is just painful and inspiring at the same time.
No Surprises
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Radiohead
Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
Magical
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
How would you describe the feeling of being in love? For Ed Sheeran, the word is “Magical.” in HIS three-minute album opener, he makes an attempt to capture the beauty and delicacy of true love with words. He describes the magic of it all over a bright Pop song produced by Aaron Dessner.
Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it.
“I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.
I didnt realise this before someone put the point across. i am currently reading 1984 and in the book it shows how in the 'future' there will be no love. in other words evryone is lyk a robot. it kind of adresses how theres no real emotional love anymore especially since the bridge backs up this with 'Oh there ain't no love no, Montagues or Capulets'. though on the other hand the Duran Duran reference 'Your name isn't Rio, but I don't care for sand' cud be to do with the date as Duran Duran though im not a big fan were around in the early 80s. Gr8 song but theyve got far better ones.
I agree with all of your references to 1984, coz I'm reading this book as well at the moment. I also agree with you about there being better Arctic Monkeys songs, I think Brianstorm and Teddy Picker are much better than this, although this song is gr8 2.
Great song, great words. The 'You're name isn't Rio...' line is a reference to the Duran Durna song, with the chorus 'Her name is Rio and she dances on the sand'. The girl in that Duran Duran song was being painted as really exotic and Alex Turner is pretty much saying the scene in this song couldn't be further from that one.
He used 1984 because it rhymes with floor, i doubt it has any real meaning
It has meaning...I agree with with njackson because the song is in fact about how there isn't love in the future. For example:<br /> 'I don't know if you're looking for romance or I don't know what you're looking for'<br /> is about how in young English pub life, people are just looking for sex. It's almost as if the speaker (probably Alex or one of his friends) wants to rebel; he doesn't like the loveless system. Therefore '1984' does carry some meaning as Alex is trying to say that our world is already dystopian, just like George Orwell speculated; i.e. there has been no love since 1984--everyone is a robot.<br /> <br />
Lukefun... haha, what an appropriate screen name. You are among the many internet music cynics who need very much to collectively lighten up.
What makes the Arctic Monkeys special? How about the fact that they broke the record for fastest-selling debut album ever? Face it dude, A LOT of people like their music. That's what makes them special.
"... singing about some girl doesn't really qualify. If they sung about real world issues, like war, fascism and bullying, then I might believe them."
Come on dude, you can't be serious. The majority of Arctic Monkeys' members aren't even 21 yet. You think they are going to enlighten the world with philosophical musings about the state of the world? Probably not. What they CAN offer us, however, are clever, well-written songs that reflect THEIR own personal world-view. The Arctic Monkeys have become so popular by writing fun, thoughtful songs about everyday life, which is what most people can relate to. I'm sorry that you can't relate to their songs, but obviously a lot of people can, so there's really no need for you to talk down about them. Also, you're really a joke if you expect every band's songs to deal with politics and the like. That's not really what music is about. Music is about writing and recording songs that people will enjoy. People clearly enjoy the Arctic Monkeys' music, or else they wouldn't be gaining so much popularity so quickly. Did the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, U2, or the Clash gain their immense level of popularity by writing preachy anti-war songs? Nope. Even the Beatles were very good at keeping their politics separate from their music. And they were better for it.
Blah, I'm done arguing for now. However, I think it would do you some good, lukefun, to take a glance at the Arctic Monkey's song "Perhaps Vampires Is a Bit Strong But...." Maybe you will at least be able to relate to that song... you vampire, you.
Nearly all of those bands you mentioned did write anti-war songs and the Clash wrote some of their songs with a political message. Not all the time.<br /> <br /> Apart from that, you're spot on with everything else.
Do people not read the comments before posting their own?
Jon McClure (Frontman of Reverend & The Makers) used to be in a band called 1984 who made electro pop. The line "Dancing like a robot to a electro pop like a robot from 1984" definitely references this and not the book by the same name by George Orwell.
As for anyone saying that Arctic Monkeys are over-hyped, well here we are 4 years on and guess what, they're still one of the biggest bands in Britain. They've done what a lot of bands don't do and that is matured and changed their musical style as a result of that.
Personally I think this is one of their weakest tracks both lyrically and musically but it's by no means bad, it's better than the majority of rubbish being churned out by the same old same old with a new name year upon year. There are very few bands whose music can make shivers run through me, this is one of those bands.
I wonder if any of the people complaining about Arctic Monkeys being another generic indie band would say the same thing now they've released a second album that was musically different to their first and are about to release a third (which is already available on the internet) which is so much darker and the lyrics are so much more complex?
Perhaps 1984 refers to both: perhaps Alex & the Monkeys are expressing their views on the world hidden right underneath talking about pub life.<br />
He's a young guy and he sees a milf. She catches his eye, and he's looking back despite himself, but he's not sure about an older woman, it gets him offbalance that she wants him. He's not looking to have a thing with an older woman and he's surprised she's interested in him. He doesn't want to start something with an older woman, but now he's wondering what it is she wants, does she just want him for sex? He is imagining her in a more sexual way. He's down with that, and he's attracted, he wont deny, But now she's passed him over, and he's even more interested in her. She's looking at him and it ignites his attraction. He's like, You want to start something with me? If you do, I'll bang you, even despite myself. There is no love , no. He'll tap that. Dreams of naughtiness, theyre both thinking of banging the other.
wow... you people like to complicate things dontcha hahaha... i just see a guy who digs a chick, and she gives him the cold shoulder but he likes her even more because of the hard to get thing... AAAANNNDDD in both Romeo and Juliet (Montagues or Capulets) and the book 1984, there's forbidden love...
Oh there ain't no love no, Montagues or Capulets Just banging tunes 'n' DJ sets 'n' Dirty dancefloors and dreams of naughtiness!
he's saying that there's nothing stopping them, so why not give her a go...
upbeat. fun. not deep, but i'm not either.... ;)
"Dancing to electro-pop like a robot from 1984"
what a fucking line! this song is just pure class! i love the bridge "Oh there ain't no love no, Montagues and Capulets We just banging tunes 'n' DJ sets 'n' Dirty dancefloors and dreams of naughtyness! "
shouldn't the title be rather smth like "I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor"?
aclockworktomato, i half agree with you. I agree I shouldnt have put Oasis in cos i dont like them much myself, however there is no denying that they did change things and I still think music in the 90's was reasonably good compared to the crap we get nowadays. However, I do think Oasis were more about the kind of attitude they brought to music and I dont know why I put them in. Theres loads of other bands I never listed that should have got a mention like REM, Kinks, Nirvana, Sex Pistols, The Clash etc. Yet How can you not list the King Of Rock and Roll?? Elvis was the first big superstar, John Lennon himself said that if you had no Elvis there'd be no Beatles. I dont see how he ripped off black musicians, he might have been influenced by them but as for ripping them off, i dont see your point. Anyway, I still stand by the general point I made about music today in my original comment nomatter how 'queer' steveosteve thought it was. Music has never been in a worse condition than it is at the moment. But it surely can only be a matter of time before a band comes along and changes things again, I hope so anyway. After that happens, the Arctic Monkeys and all the other indie dross thats kicking about these days like the frasmellis and the view and so on will be finished. Its sad to say, but at this moment in time it looks as if rock and roll has died