When the Sun Goes Down by Arctic Monkeys

"She doesn't do major credit cards / I doubt she does reciepts / It's all not quite legitimate"

Today's thing I like is a song from Arctic Monkeys' debut album, Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not. Maybe someday I'll get to how much I like that album as a whole, but today it's all about the album's second single, "When the Sun Goes Down". Why do I like this song?

Here's five reasons:


The Accent.

One of the first things you'll notice of any Arctic Monkeys song is Alex Turner's distinctive Sheffield accent. "When the Sun Goes Down" is a prime example of how good his accent can make a song. If I hear someone else singing this song, it just doesn't sound right unless they're imitating that awesome British accent.

The Guitar Riff.

All good Arctic Monkeys songs have a distinctive guitar riff, and this song is no exception. It's catchy as hell, and you'll have a hard time getting it out of your head.


The Buildup.

For the first minute, all you get is a single guitar playing chords and softly sung vocals and for the first minute, you can tell something loud is going to happen. There's something about that moment that the band comes in that makes it one of the most memorable moments in any recent rock song.


It References the Police.

"He told Roxanne to put on her red light"

I like the Police, and that line makes me like this song even more. It's simple and probably dumb, but I don't care.


The Music Video.

It's tightly directed, somewhat frenetic, and does a great job of visually complementing the story that the lyrics tell. In case you haven't seen it, here it is: