5. Only Ones Who Know
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2hhfWSUScc Artist: Arctic Monkeys Album: 'Favourite Worst Nightmare' Year: 2007 Best lyric: "And I hope you're holding hands by New Year's Eve; / They made it far too easy to believe, / That true romance can't be achieved these days." As a dyslexic, I've always found it difficult to read. And when I applied to do English Literature at university (I'm not totally mad, it was the only subject I was any good at at school), I was a bit stumped for books to put down on my personal statement. So I name-dropped half a dozen poets, and I mentioned 'Only Ones Who Know' by Alex Turner. One of my heroes, I said. I wrote about how he has a way with words that not many songwriters of my generation do; I admired the way that he could rhyme words within lines and still have the vision to tie up the rhyme he'd left hanging on the line before. I loved how his imagery was rich and colourful, with vivid scenes that you could easily picture. And I loved how effortless he made it. And I still love 'Only Ones Who Know', because it's simply one of the most beautiful songs this century. It's delicate in production, lustrous in melody and I still find the lyrics to be inspiringly good. It's not a song that's often touted as their best, but it's up there. 4. Arabella
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12Qhspp7MH8 Artist: Arctic Monkeys Album: 'AM' Year: 2013 Best lyric: "It's an exploration, she's made of outer space /And her lips are like the galaxy's edge / And her kiss the colour of a constellation falling into place" There were always glistens of this, but simply put, 'Arabella' might be the perfect recipe for an Arctic Monkeys song: it's romantic, it's rocking, it's rhythmical and it's bloody humongous. It's a Christmas present you put on your list in March, it really does have everything. There's a flicker of guitar, skimming over the bass, as Alex rides the waves with intergalactic imagery; and those lyrics are so ornate, so overblown, that they nearly burst out of the bassy chassis. There's an earthshaking shift in guitar tone, from the pussy-footing to the heavy distortion, and there's a primal wail of "Arabeeelllaaaaa" that's likely to reverberate around arenas and festival sites for years to come. Suddenly, the move to LA sounds perfectly natural. The desert years are put into perspective. It was destiny that an outsider from Yorkshire should shapeshift into an Elvisian poet, perma-quiffed. It's as if the band have reached the very top of the mountain, only to bungee-jump off. And for those wondering if the Monkeys have lost their roots, 'I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor' looks to truly be dead. Long live 'Arabella'.