''We're Arctic Monkeys. This is I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor. Don't believe the hype''. Così Alex Turner, frontman degli Arctic Monkeys, introduce la sua band e la canzone in questione all'inizio del video promozionale del singolo. Proprio loro, in un certo senso, figli del New Musical Express, la maggiore rivista musicale inglese, ci invitano a non credere nell'''hype'' che, inteso come verbo significa ''fare pubblicità'', ma inteso come sostantivo significa ''montatura'', nel senso di esaltazione di un qualcosa di non valido. Proprio loro, che dopo tre giorni dall'uscita di questo singolo sono finiti sulla copertina dell' NME, ottenendo così la popolarità nazionale. Capiamo, allora, che gli Arctic Monkeys decidono sin dall'inizio di scrollarsi di dosso ogni eventuale etichetta di band commerciale, senza particolare talento.
E la conferma di ciò la otteniamo nella canzone stessa. '' I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor'' è veramente un capolavoro. Si inizia con una schitarrata in puro stile garage rock seguita da breve assolo in crescendo, sull'onda di band esplose l'anno prima come Bloc Party o Franz Ferdinand; iniziato però il primo verso, si capisce che gli Arctic Monkeys, possiedono una marcia in più, come dimostrato da brillanti citazioni presenti nel testo: Duran Duran (your name isn't Rio/but I don't care for sand) o addirittura i Promessi Sposi di Alessandro Manzoni (there ain't no look no Montagues or Capulets). Alex Turner ci dimostra di saper descrivere in modo innovativo un tema serio come la tentazione per una donna che non puoi avere perchè sei già impegnato. Sul piano musicale, questi quattro giovani ci sanno, fare riuscendo a creare un'atmosfera in crescendo, limentata dalla batteria di Matt Helders, suonando per due minuti e mezzo senza neanche una sosta, arrivando poi alla conclusione del brano, dove la voce di Turner, ormai finita, si spegne nell'ultimo accordo. VOTO 10/10
Non bisogna dimenticare le due B-Sides, le tracccie in più incluse nella maggior parte dei singoli, le quali spesso non sono considerate. ''Bigger Boys And Stolen Sweethearts'' e una ballata più lenta e pop, rispetto all'A-Side. Anch'essa era presente come il singolo, nella raccolta di demo ''Beneath The Boardwal'', e narra di innamoramenti liceali e di cuori spezzati dall'amore. Un buon brano, non all'altezza della canzone che lo precede. Meglio è, invece, ''Chun Li's Spinning Bird Kick'' primo brano strumentale della band, caratterizzato da un continuo e coinvolgente riff di chitarra, in cui la protagonista è la batteria di Helders che detta ottimi cambi di ritmo, rendendo l'ascolto del brano simile alla letture di strasposizione letteraria di una storia d'azione in un film di Spike Lee.
In conclusione, dopo questo singolo per gli Arctic Monkeys non fu più lo stesso; i giovani ragazzi di Sheffield, conquistarono il Regno Unito, superando record su record con il loro album d'esordio.
Elenco tracce e testi
01 I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor (02:54)
Stop making the eyes at me, I'll stop making the eyes at you
And what it is that surprises me, is that I don't really want you to
When your shoulders are frozen
(cold as the night)
Oh but you're an explosion
(you're dynamite)
Your name isn't Rio, but I don't care for sand
And lighting the fuse might result in a bang, with a bang-go!
I bet that you look good on the dance floor
I don't know if you're looking for romance or
I don't know what you're looking for
I said I bet that you look good on the dance floor
Dancing to electro-pop like a robot from 1984
From 1984!
I wish you'd stop ignoring me, because it's sending me to despair
Without a sound yeah you're calling me, and I don't think it's very fair
That your shoulders are frozen
(cold as the night)
Oh and you're an explosion
(you're dynamite)
Your name isn't Rio, but I don't care for sand
Lighting the fuse might result in a bang, ba ba bang-go!
I bet that you look good on the dance floor
I don't know if you're looking for romance or...
I don't know what ya looking for
I said I bet that you look good on the dance floor
Dancing to electro-pop like a robot from 1984
From 1984!
And oh there ain't no love no, Montague’s and Capulets
We just banging tunes 'n' DJ sets 'n'
Dirty dance floors and dreams of naughtiness
I bet that you look good on the dance floor
I don't know if you're looking for romance or
I don't know what you're looking for
I said I bet that you look good on the dance floor
Dancing to electro-pop like a robot from 1984
From 1984!
02 Bigger Boys and Stolen Sweethearts (02:58)
There's always somebody taller
With more of a wit
And he's equipped to enthrall her
And her friends think he's fit
And you just can't measure up no
You don't have a prayer
Wishing you had made the most of her
When she was there
They've got engaged
No intention of a wedding
He's pinched your bird
And he'd probably kick your head in
Bigger Boys and Stolen Sweethearts
You're better off without her anyway
You said you wasn't sad to see her go
Yeah but I know were though...
Now you don't know what she's up to
You can only assume
She's not in front of the shops then
They've gone to his room
But she's gone round in her school stuff
And that's what he likes
I know you thought she was different
And you thought she was nice
But she's not nice
She's pretty fucking far from nice
She's looking at you funny
Rarely looking at you twice
Bigger Boys and Stolen Sweethearts
You're better off without her anyway
You said you wasn't sad to see her go
Yeah but it's clear you were though...
(Solo)
Have you heard what she's been doing?
Never did it for me
He picks her up at the school gate
At twenty past three
She's been with all the boys
But never went very far
She whacked English and Science
Just to go in his car
They've got engaged
There's No intention of a wedding
He's pinched me bird
And he'd probably kick my head in, oh
Now the girls have grown
Yeah but I'm sure that they still carry on in similar ways
Bigger Boys and Stolen Sweethearts
Oh I'm better off without her anyway
I said I wasn't sad to see her go
But I'm only pretending, you know
Yeah, I'm only pretending, you know
Yeah, I'm only pretending, you know
Oh I was only pretending, you know
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