The songs that make Arctic Monkeys frontman Alex Turner cry
Although Arctic Monkeys‘ biggest hits like ‘Do I Wanna Know?’, ‘I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor’ and ‘When the Sun Goes Down’ are perfect sing-along stadium anthems, their back catalogue also boasts some incredibly tender and moving songs. Alex Turner’s knack for emotionally-charged songwriting has been evident since the band’s formation, with early songs such as ‘Despair in the Departure Lounge’ and ‘Mardy Bum’ particularly demonstrative of his skills.
The band’s second album, Favourite Worst Nightmare, contains multiple tracks that have the potential to leave the listeners in tears, including ‘Do Me a Favour’, ‘Only Ones Who Know’, and ‘505’. The latter, with its crescendo ending that sees Turner exclaim, “But I crumble completely when you cry”, is one of the singer’s most memorable and emotionally-driven moments.
Throughout Turner’s career, the quality of his songwriting has never faded. Whether it be his mellow solo soundtrack for Richard Ayoade’s coming-of-age film Submarine or the sci-fi-influenced Arctic Monkeys album Tranquillity Base Hotel and Casino, the musician taps into human emotions as if he has lived many more than his 36 years.
Not only does Turner know how to write emotive lyrics such as “And even when you know the way it’s gonna blow/ It’s hard to get around the wind”, but he also knows how to create the perfect accompanying instrumentals to heighten their effect. The Submarine EP demonstrates this magnificently. The singer uses gentle piano accompaniment or nostalgic, soft guitar sounds to create a melancholic and thoughtful soundscape.
In a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, Turner was asked to share the songs that make him cry. He explained that he is becoming more interested in creating music that elicits emotion without lyrics – something that is evident through the powerful string sections he composed for Arctic Monkeys’ recent album The Car.
Therefore, his main pick was the instrumental theme song ‘Les Choses de la Vie’ by Philippe Sarde from the film of the same name, directed by Claude Sautet. He said: “It does a pretty good job of stirring up emotions without getting anywhere near words, which is something I’m becoming more interested in as time goes by. That’s a beautiful piece of music.”
Furthermore, he also picked out Nat King Cole’s ‘Where Did Everybody Go?’, which he described as possessing “incredible vocals.” Turner shared: “The way it’s laid out, it’s got this introduction and this sweeping instrumental section that segues it into another song almost. It’s a really simple, straightforward set of words, just done in an excellent way.”
In the same interview, Turner also revealed the song that he would want to be played at his funeral. In contrast with the moving songs that stir up deep emotions in him, he picked ‘Dance Commander’ by Electric Six. “Depends what kind of funeral you want, I guess,” he joked.
Listen to Turner’s tear-inducing choices below:
