Arctic Monkeys - A Certain Romance - Lyrics Meaning

Arctic Monkeys held the mantle as England's `biggest band' for a long time and also own the record for fastest selling debut album (with the help of MySpace). Propelled to fame and a new world there was ample power behind the lyrics of `A Certain Romance' which looks at the difference in England and America's music scenes.

The anticipation builds and after a 1.20 intro the opening verse sets the tone with lines like `The points that's there ain't no romance around there'. It talks about the fact the music industry has lost its way and ultimately is about a scene rather than emotion now.

This is directed at the US which is evidenced in these lines:

`There's only music, so that there's new ringtones,

And it don't take no Sherlock Holmes,

to see it's a little different around here'

Basically this epidemic of music with no feeling is obvious in the US but still seen in England.

As the songs crescendo fades the lyrics mellow with the melody. An ironic sense of hypocrisy is addressed, `And yeah they might overstep the line, But I you just cannot get angry in the same way'. The writer realizes he too has fallen victim to the elitism which has ruined music.

The writer is disillusioned with pop culture but still recognizing his ties with it, namely his friends who have good intentions and are unaware of their diluted tastes.