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.
I'm going back to 505
If it's a seven hour flight or a forty-five minute drive
In my imagination, you're waitin' lyin' on your side
With your hands between your thighs
Stop and wait a sec
When you look at me like that, my darlin', what did you expect?
I'd probably still adore you with your hands around my neck
Or I did last time I checked
Not shy of a spark
The knife twists at the thought that I should fall short of the mark
Frightened by the bite, though it's no harsher than the bark
The middle of adventure, such a perfect place to start
I'm going back to 505
If it's a seven hour flight or a forty-five minute drive
In my imagination, you're waitin' lyin' on your side
With your hands between your thighs
But I crumble completely when you cry
It seems like once again you've had to greet me with goodbye
I'm always just about to go and spoil the surprise
Take my hands off of your eyes too soon
I'm going back to 505
If it's a seven hour flight or a forty-five minute drive
In my imagination, you're waitin' lyin' on your side
With your hands between your thighs and a smile
If it's a seven hour flight or a forty-five minute drive
In my imagination, you're waitin' lyin' on your side
With your hands between your thighs
Stop and wait a sec
When you look at me like that, my darlin', what did you expect?
I'd probably still adore you with your hands around my neck
Or I did last time I checked
Not shy of a spark
The knife twists at the thought that I should fall short of the mark
Frightened by the bite, though it's no harsher than the bark
The middle of adventure, such a perfect place to start
I'm going back to 505
If it's a seven hour flight or a forty-five minute drive
In my imagination, you're waitin' lyin' on your side
With your hands between your thighs
But I crumble completely when you cry
It seems like once again you've had to greet me with goodbye
I'm always just about to go and spoil the surprise
Take my hands off of your eyes too soon
I'm going back to 505
If it's a seven hour flight or a forty-five minute drive
In my imagination, you're waitin' lyin' on your side
With your hands between your thighs and a smile
Lyrics submitted by dark kirby
505 Lyrics as written by Alex Turner
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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It's about Alex Turner going to his girlfriend's house (505) to dump her after being warned by his mother. He is clearly still in love with this girl, "I probably still adore you with your hands around my neck", and tells how he will find it difficult to break up with her. The line "if its a seven hour flight or a forty five minute drive" shows his anxiety. The line means that it takes forty five mintutes to drive to her house, but it seems to take "seven hours" to get there on this occasion. The line "the knife twists at the thought that I should fall short of the mark" means that he is worried that he will not be able to break up with her, and he also writes "but i crumble completely when your cry", and he does not feel able to go through with the task ahead His coming is a surprise, and when they break up even more, "i'm always just about to go and spoil the surprise".
Agree. It's about how hard the break up is for him because he's still in love, but he wants to act like he is not. i lived this, very sad :c
Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. It's about a long distance relationship.
@scottBITW Thank you. I can't believe that what @caspar said is the most upvoted interpretation on here. It couldn't be farther from the meaning. @scottBITW is right, it is about long distance relationships.
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this song is amazing
"But I crumble completely when you cry" kills me
same
same here, love that he shows such vulnerability, but it freaking makes me wanna crumble!
seems I'm not the only one who gets identified with this piece..<br /> <br /> I will change a bit of the lyric... "But I crumbled completely when you cried"
completely agree, oooh the way he sings that line with such emotion! Simply beautiful <3
@,tAn-x such an incredible line
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"I crumble completely when you cry," that part gives me goosebumps <3 especially cuz its Alex Turner singing it.
I like this song a lot. When he says, "I'd probly still adore you with your hands around my neck," I'm pretty sure that he's saying even when this girl drives him crazy he will always love her.
everyone is wondering what 505 is....My best guess is the number of an appartment or hotel room.
"It seems like once again you've had to greet me with goodbye," I guess here he is saying that everytime he gets to see her it seems like he always has to leave right away and they don't get a lot of time together.
And the part about the hands between your thighs....not sexual. I do that when i'm cold or just laying in my bed sad or bored.
Anyway, love this song...It's mature of the Arctic Monkeys
@arcticmonkeysgirl 505 is new Mexico area code
i take back what i said about the 'no evidence he is in love with this girl' its sounds like hes absolutely tortured about this girl but is unsure if he's in love with her or not 'I probably still adore you With your hands around my neck Or I did last time I checked'
okay now other people comment iv gone on enuf !!
well impressed with this song, i'm glad too because as much as i like brianstorm...this show's a good progression. as for what it's about maybe tour and leaving a loved one, not really thought about it as only jsut heard it. love the lines about thinking of her lying there in his imagination though.
Well, everyone has pretty much done a nice job of summing up the meaning of this song. I definetly think its a great song. It's definetly one of their more meaningful songs =]
me and franksmellman are cool cause we signed up just because of this song, :P. it sucks i was looking at this like a week ago and no one had commented it yet, and i really wanted to be first cause you just know in a year there will like a 1000+ comments on this song cause thats how good it is!!!
Here's an extract from MOJO magazine, its what Mr Turner said the song is about : "penned on a late-night train journey alone from Philadelphia to New York to rendezvous with his then-girl-friend in the hotel room of the title"
i love this song sooo much, lyrics "I probably still adore you, With your hands around my neck, Or I did last time I checked" really get me, because i know that feeling, and can relate to it.
thankyou AM!!!!
Best son on the album? Maybe but, Do Me a Favour, Teddy Picker, This House Is a Circus.... I could say them all, only song i skip is brianstorm.. lol, the same thing happened to Danni California
meh, hope it helped, depsite the ramblin'
Wicked song and a great different side to the AM
I always suspected this song was about him going to meet a girl he loved, though my first interpretation was about an ex that the singer missed. I originally saw 505 either as their apartment number they used to live in or maybe a time frame (may 2005). lines like
"I probably still adore you With your hands around my neck Or I did last time I checked"
"The knife twists at the thought that I should fall short of the mark"
"But I crumble completely when you cry It seems like once again you've had to greet me with goodbye"
can all just show how completely in love with this girl he still is and it's like she doesnt accept or doesnt want him
im pretty sure i understand the song, ive been trying to work it out for a couple of days and listening to it and stuff, cause its had me curiouss, but here goess!
im sure everyone agrees about the fact that 505 is a room that holds some sort of significance to alex turner, and the second line is also pretty self explanitary. he will travel any amount of time to reach 505. in the third line, everyones convinced that is has some sexual meaning to it. im convinced otherwise, tho i might be wrong. i think the position of someone putting there hands between their thighs reminds me of someone in the fetal position, and the hands are where they are so they remain warm. if everyones right about this being about him touring, this girl who he has to leave will need to keep herself warm, and i think this might be the image hes trying to show. anyways. the next three lines confuse me, even though they seem pretty simple. im not sure if hes trying to say something like, duh.. of course i still love you. or something. the hands around the neck symbol is about the one who you will always love, even if they hate you and want you dead. i think him saying "im not shy of a spark" is like saying, he doesnt care if shes angry at him or if she tries to start a fight, because he just wants to be with her no matter what. the next line tells me that hes unsure if he meets her expectations, or if hes going to come back and shes found someone better, and that the "mark" would have been moved. im not quite sure about the next line.. but i think "middle of adventure, what a perfect place to start" is like, maybe they started in the middle of his rise to fame, and that would be the adventure. "but i crumble completely when you cry" is sooo sweet, its like he cant stand the pain shes going through because of their seperation. the "greet me with goodbye" is about how he has to leave so quickly, and it feels like just as hes saying hello, he has to leave. im not sure about what the suprise is, maybe him coming home? or something like that, and im not sure how hed ruin the suprise.. but yeaaaaaaaaa. i think i rambled a bit but i thought i had to share what i thought :)
I agree with many things (:
That song is great in its simplicity. "505" was the hotel room in New York where Alex Turner's then-girlfriend resided for a short period of time. He's intending to split up with her, but in his heart of hearts he doesn't want to. I believe we've all had the same feeling at some point in our lives.