The Arctic Monkeys came out in about 2006 from Sheffield. As you may or may not know, Lovely English Lass is from there as well, so I found them very interesting. Their first album, Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not was very good, with "I Bet You Look Good On The Dance Floor" being the big hit, but "When The Sun Goes Down" was a better song. Still, it had some fantastic songs, won the Mercury Prize, and they definitely sounded like they were from Yorkshire. Heck, one of the songs was called "Mardy Bum" which is a complete Yorkshire-ism. (Find your favorite Yorkshireman and ask him for a translation. And then buy him a bottle of Henderson's Relish. You'll be his best friend forever. Take that Labour MP!)
Anyways, they've released some good albums since them, but in 2013 they released AM. AM is without a doubt their Sgt. Pepper's. This thing is just good. Alex Turner decided to do his hair up like a 50s greaser and sound a little like John Lennon, but it works. The music is fantastic and the lyrics are great.
"Why'd You Only Call Me When You're High?" is the third released off the album, and I'm not sure why it wasn't the first. This is an AMAZING song, and really puts you into the singer's head. I know it reminded me of a few of my friends when we were all younger and had more hair and could stay out later than we should.
The song is about a guy who's gone out for a night of drinking, looked up and it's closing time. He then starts calling and texting this girl he knows. This is obviously something he does a lot: The dreaded drunk dial. The girl doesn't answer his calls, and when he texts her, she replies with the title of the song. Heck, I knew lots of guys that did that when I was in College and especially in London. It's kind of a thing where you don't want to be alone. A very sad thing to be sure, but it's one that many people today understand.
Anyways, the video for it really fits the song. Now, lyrics are only as good as the melody that goes with it. The melody for this song is absolutely fantastic. It's rock, but not quite. The song moves with a stutter and bass, sounding almost like a drunk walking. It really puts you in the 3 am time, and makes you completely feel like you're watching this guy stumble along and try to text a girl to get her to see him. (From "How I Met Your Mother": Nothing good ever comes after 2 am. They're right, you know.) Anyways, you get the feeling of a cold winter's night in Sheffield (Or any major city) and the darkness of a drunk trying to find a way either home or to someones house. It really gets you there. Mix it in with the lyrics, and you've got a song that should be on everyone's play list.
Do yourself a favor: listen to the song. I guarantee you'll find it at least interesting. It may even make you want to listen to the whole album, which is a good thing. And it may make you discover a new band, and for that you'll thank me.
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