Arctic Monkeys – Old Yellow Bricks

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Old yellow bricks
Love's a risk
Quite the little 'escapologist'
Looked so miffed
When you wished
For a thousand places better than this

You are the fugitive
But you don't know what you're runnin' from
You can't kid us
And you couldn't trick anyone
Houdini, love you don't know what you're runnin' away from

Who wants to sleep in the city that never wakes up?
Blinded by nostalgia
Who wants to sleep in the city that never wakes up?

She wasn't raged but the way
That the emperor put traps in the cage
And the days she been dull
Lead to nights readin' beer bottles

You're such a fugitive
But you don't know what you're runnin' from
You can't kid us
And you couldn't trick anyone
Houdini, love you don't know what you're runnin' away from

Who wants to sleep in the city that never wakes up?
Blinded by nostalgia
Who wants to sleep in a city that never wakes up?

You're at a loss
Just because
It wasn't all that you thought it was

You are a fugitive, but you don't know what you're runnin' away from

She said, "I want to sleep in the city that never wakes up
And revel in nostalgia."
I know I said he wants to sleep in the city that never wakes up, but
Dorothy was right though

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Lyrics submitted by woulduhvtheguts, edited by ChipperSpiff

Track duration: 03:13

"Old Yellow Bricks" as written by Alex/mcclue Turner

Lyrics © EMI Music Publishing

Lyrics powered by LyricFind


Old Yellow Bricks song meanings
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54 Comments

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  • 0
    General Comment:It's

    She was enraged by the way...
    Not
    She was
    She wasn't raged.

    Amazing song though. I think it's about how people use travel to get away from their childhood/past experiences, how they use it as a coping mechanism.

    I especially love the line "who wants to sleep in a city that never wakes up, and revel in nostalgia"- great description of a stagnant regional city! Sheffield perhaps?
    Flag hellohappyon December 21, 2012   Link
    • 1 Reply
  • 0
    General Comment:"Dorothy was right, though."

    Dorothy is known for her line, "There's no place like home."

    I think this about someone trying to get to another place. They complain and complain about where they live. But there's nothing wrong with the place in the begining, 'cause Dorothy was right all along, there is no place like home. There was nothing wrong with the place he was living at in the first place.

    *sighs* this song is so right. The grass isn't always greener on the other side.
    Flagged teddileahon June 02, 2012   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:Great great great great song. Heard it today for the very first time. Good band, too. Someone's running away perhaps because all that's left is nostalgia. You can't go home again is a concept from the Wizard of Oz ("Dorothy was right"). Sometimes we come to the end of our rope (our patience) and continue walking when there is nothing better offered us. Stagnation is discomfort. Settling is unacceptable. The future is in front of us and although risky it might have its rewards. Really good track by a really good band.
    Flagged MissCharlotteSometimeson September 20, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:"Dorothy was right though" is one epic line, delivered in silence before going back to the quality riff until the end of the song.
    Flagged jt987654321on July 12, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:and "you're at a loss" not "yeah it's a loss"
    Flag HughBurnon January 28, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:i think it's "who" not "he"
    Flag HughBurnon January 28, 2011   Link
  • 0
    Song Meaning:I think this song is heavily alluding to "The Wizard of Oz"Along with tying it into modern issues of adolescents.
    Flag jwalknoton January 12, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:My second favorite track off FWN.

    I love the Dorothy/Wizard Of Oz theme to
    reference the departure of a band memeber.

    I included these lyrics on my blog.

    Guys take a look at my blog at:

    lyricallymelodious.blogspot.com

    I go here to post lyrics from a range of different artists
    from genres of Rock, POP, R'n'B, Electro, Alternative,
    Grunge, Folk and many more.

    I would love to get peoples opinions on my blog and
    see what people think of my choices in terms of the
    choices of lyrics and even get people seeing what they
    would like to see on my blog.
    Flag DementedDreameron July 04, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Um, no freaking idea what Alex Turner had in mind when he was really writing this song... But it sort of seems to mean a man that's so "blinded by nostalgia" that he keeps running away from everyone, everything, trying to get back to his past.

    FANTASTIC FREAKING SONG! I LOVE ARCTIC MONKEYS WITH A BURNING PASSION!
    Flagged Elysium18on June 18, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:its about that guy that left the band, who realized there is no place like home, and got "teddy picker" syndrome. and "d is for dangerous" is about this too
    Flag bswimr127on October 20, 2009   Link

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