Arctic Monkeys Why’d You Only Call Me When You’re High lyrics
Anna Pybus
I just noticed after all these years that when Alex sings : ''Ever thought of calling when you've had a few? 'Cause I always do''. Funny thing I didn't quite understood what ''you've had a few'' means here ''when you are high'' implying they no longer have the same relationship as they once did and they meet or Alex tries to when being high. This or they are just too shy to be together when sober.
Now it's three in the morning
And I'm trying to change your mind
Left you multiple missed calls
And to my message you replied
Why'd you only call me when you're high?
Hi, why'd you only call me when you're high?
Most people have been in this situation of only hearing from someone they care or love when they are under the influence of a substance. It almost feels like you're being used as a comfort or for sexual means, which is the biggest question... Why do they only call me when they're high/drunk?
The protagonist is obsessed with the idea of this girl he's infatuated with but can't "get through the gears" enough to connect with her so all he ends up with are stoned 3AM messages and missed calls and dreaming of bumping into her in the hazy scenes of his life. The way he treats the girl bores her and raises the question in her head - why'd he only call her when he's high? Is he really interested or is this just a lonely pothead's cry for comfort?
This song is awesome!!! I'm a huge Am fan lol. I think it's about a guy who did something bad to a girl (cheated on her,ignored her, etc) and he's trying to win her back, but she thinks he only thinks about her when he's on drugs or "high"
So I'm probably projecting when I say that Ithink this song is about a guy who is annoying the hell out of a woman with whom he used to be close. Now he only calls her when he's got the artificial courage.
The song is about a person trying to connect with their partner, only for them to constantly push them away. The title is a reference to the other person's tendency to only reach out when they are under the influence, rather than when they are sober which would lead to a more meaningful connection. The lyrics convey someone's emotional frustration in trying to get through to this person and make a meaningful connection. Despite all their attempts, the person they are trying to reach out to won't make themselves available and only responds when they are in a state that is not conducive to the relationship.
The lyrics of the song appear to be a conversation between two ex-lovers. The protagonist is in a state of distress, wondering why her ex-lover only called her when he was high. The song is a stream of consciousness as the vocalist recounts the conversation in his head.
The song is up for interpretation, but the underlying meaning is quite profound. The protagonist is feeling upset because he believes that his ex-lover is only calling him because she is high, and not because she genuinely wants to reconnect. The theme explores the concept of emotional unavailability, with the protagonist feeling used, lonely, and emotionally drained.
The catchy 2013 hit 'Why'd You Only Call Me When You're High?' also features on fifth record 'AM'. The title is fairly self-explanatory regarding the song's meaning - the singer is on a night out and looking for someone to spend the night with, calling a potential lover who isn't interested. Simple as. The whole song is brimming over with lust, from the clockwork drum patterns to the sexy guitar riffs. Could there also be a double meaning to the album's title 'AM'?
This can particularly be heard in the chorus lyrics: 'Now it's three in the mornin' and I'm tryin' to change your mind / Left you multiple missed calls and to my message, you reply / "Why'd you only call me when you're high?" / "Hi, why'd you only call me when you're high?"'.
It's also reflected in the music video, directed by Nabil Elderkin and starring the band along with Lamie Stewart as Stephanie, the girl Turner is pursuing. It was filmed at the Howl at the Moon pub in London and, interestingly, the first minute and a half of the video features 'Do I Wanna Know?' as the soundtrack, at which point Turner gets dizzy and hallucinates that the wall clock has melted in a nod to Dali's famous painting, The Persistence of Memory.
Watch the video on YouTube.