Arctic Monkeys - Why'd You Only Call Me When You're High? Lyrics | SongMeanings (2024)

Arctic Monkeys

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The mirror's image
Tells me it's home time
But I'm not finished
'Cause you're not by my side
And as I arrived I thought I saw you leavin'
Carryin' your shoes
Decided that once again I was just dreamin'
Of bumpin' into you

Now it's three in the mornin'
And I'm tryna 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?"

Somewhere darker
Talkin' the same shite
I need a partner (high)
Well, are you out tonight?
It's harder and harder to get you to listen
More I get through the gears
Incapable of makin' alright decisions
And havin' bad ideas

Now it's three in the mornin'
And I'm tryna change your mind
Left you multiple missed calls
And to my message you reply (message you reply)
"Why'd you only call me when you're high?"
(Why'd you only call me when you're)
"Hi, why'd you only call me when you're high?"

And I can't see you here, wonder where I might
It sort of feels like I'm runnin' out of time
I haven't found what I was hopin' to find
You said you gotta be up in the morning
Gonna have an early night
And you're starting to bore me, baby
Why'd you only call me when you're high?

Why'd you only ever phone me when you're high?
Why'd you only ever phone me when you're high?
Why'd you only ever phone me when you're high?
Why'd you only ever phone me when you're (high)?

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Lyrics submitted bySongMeanings, edited by takenusername

Why'd You Only Call Me When You're High? Lyrics as written by Alex Turner

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

Why'd You Only Call Me When You're High? song meanings

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  • +10

    My Interpretation

    The song is about the terrible on and off relationship of two individuals. They both have history together and have gone through this multiple times.

    The guy is clearly in love or infatuated with this girl but for whatever reason only contacts her when he's under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

    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?

    • 1 ReplyLog in to reply

  • +6

    General Comment

    Well I think it's pretty clear what the song is about and I kinda feel like I've been there before hahaAnyway, I came here to say that, in my opinion, this sounds like a song that Justin Timberlake would sing and I think it's kinda funny, but anyway, ARCTIC MONKEYS always make it really good no matter what kind of music, what they're talking about on their songs, etc... and this is the proof :)

    (I'm sorry if my english is not perfect, I'm spanish!)

    Cheers!

    Nusquikon August 08, 2013Link

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  • +2

    My Interpretation

    This song reminds me of the relationship I had with my girlfriend before we started dating.

    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?

    There's excellent dialogue going on in this song between the guy and the girl and they both seem to have a hard time understanding the emotions of both each others and themselves. I know exactly what this is like from personal experience and all I can say is I'm glad I eventually pulled myself together enough to make my point clear. Brilliant song anyways and I love the psychedelic rap vibes going on which really emphasize the drugged up atmosphere of the song

    turtleninja69on May 07, 2014Link

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  • +1

    General Comment

    Perfect, as always.

    Marty33on July 30, 2013Link

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  • +1

    General Comment

    It's a great song definitely, but I want a Humbug-esque song on the new album, y'know, the ones with lyrics just pouring with meaning.

    JustOneIn24on August 12, 2013Link

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  • +1

    General Comment

    it's:Why'd you only call me when you're high?Hi, why'd you only call me when you're high?

    Underdark74on January 07, 2014Link

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  • General Comment

    Nice song, the guitar riff and the rhytm background gives a rap feeling. With some added pop flavor and mild psychedelia.

    Not a hard song to understand.

    I think this is a smart line:

    Gets harder and harderTo get you to listen

    At first it sounds likes hes talking something else

    goombarioon September 10, 2013Link

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  • General Comment

    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"

    Nikiamon January 13, 2014Link

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  • General Comment

    this song is a lil gross imho.

    "I need a partner, well are you out tonight?" hes just calling her for a one night stand, he just wants sex not a relationship.

    "Now it's 3 in the morning, and I'm trying to change your mind" he is persistent and wont leave her alone when she tells him no

    im a huge am fan but this song is p upsetting

    claramon September 02, 2014Link

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  • My Interpretation

    I had a friendship like this. Any time he did blow, he'd call and go on and on like he was emptying his head. At first, it was exciting and even inspiring in a way. But it got old after a while, and I realized that any promises he made or ideas he had while he was high were going to be empty.

    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.

    I think it's a pretty common scenario. The song has a cocaine-y feel, though. I don't see pot here.

    Interpolioon September 06, 2014Link

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  • Artists - A
  • Arctic Monkeys
  • AM
  • Why'd You Only Call Me When You're High? Lyrics

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Arctic Monkeys - Why'd You Only Call Me When You're High? Lyrics | SongMeanings (2024)

FAQs

What is the most listened to Arctic Monkeys song? ›

The most popular song by Arctic Monkeys is “Do I Wanna Know?” with a total of 5.4M page views.

Why do you only call me when you're high genre? ›

What is the least popular Arctic Monkeys song? ›

To celebrate the forthcoming release, we have rounded what we believe are the five most underrated Arctic Monkeys tracks.
  • “Despair in the Departure Lounge” –Who The F*** Are The Arctic Monkeys? ...
  • “Secret Door” – Humbug. ...
  • “Riot Van” – Whatever People Say I'm Not, That's What I Am. ...
  • “Dance Little Liar” – Humbug.
Aug 30, 2022

What does Arctic Monkeys stand for? ›

Early on Turner played guitar, including in an instrumental band with Helders, who played drums. Nicholson played bass. Guitarist Jamie cook was also a member. The name Arctic Monkeys was Cook's idea and is likely a play on the term “northern monkey,” which is a derogatory term for someone from northern England.

What is the Arctic Monkeys least popular album? ›

I Gotta Tell You the Truth” (General Analysis): Humbug is often an overlooked piece in Arctic Monkeys' discography. Although it's the weakest album they have released thus far, it's still an integral part of the band's style and history. It's important to recognize what this record did for the band.

Have Arctic Monkeys had a number one song? ›

'When the Sun Goes Down' Released in 2006 as the second single from their debut album 'Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not', 'When the Sun Goes Down' became an instant classic, with the iconic hit flying straight to the Number 1 spot on the UK Singles chart.

Where is why do you only call me when you're high filmed? ›

Music video

The video shows Alex Turner, Jamie Cook, Nick O'Malley and Matt Helders in the 'Howl at the Moon' pub in East London, Hoxton Street, having a drink.

What genre of music is she's so high? ›

She's So High
"She's So High"
GenrePower pop
Length3:44
LabelColumbia
Songwriter(s)Tal Bachman
13 more rows

Why do I want to listen to music when I'm high? ›

Stoned Science

Research has found that using cannabis and listening to music activate pleasure receptors in the brain and body, like those found in the spinal column and cortex. Cannabis' CB1 receptors are also ready to fire at a moment's notice, relaying enjoyment back to the brain.

Why is Arctic Monkeys so popular now? ›

The Arctic Monkeys began to gain popularity as they handed out CDs, containing their 18 demo tracks, at various gigs. The group also gained quite the following on the social media platform MySpace, and are now described as one of the first bands to come to the public's attention through the Internet.

What band should I listen to if I like Arctic Monkeys? ›

  • The Last Shadow Puppets. 1,374,760 listeners. Related Tags. ...
  • Alex Turner. 741,373 listeners. ...
  • Miles Kane. 548,055 listeners. ...
  • The Strokes. 4,730,681 listeners. ...
  • Miles Kane and the Death Ramps. 55,009 listeners. ...
  • Alexandra Savior. 441,393 listeners. ...
  • Catfish and the Bottlemen. 725,883 listeners. ...
  • The Fratellis. 1,958,820 listeners.

What was Arctic Monkeys biggest gig? ›

On 28–29 July 2007 the band played their biggest concert to date with two sell out shows at the 55,000 capacity Old Trafford Cricket Ground in Manchester. Billed as being the group's own 'mini-festivals' both date saw support sets for Supergrass, The Coral, Amy Winehouse and Japanese Beatles tribute act The Parrots.

What was Arctic Monkeys' biggest hit? ›

POSTITLEYEAR
1WHATEVER PEOPLE SAY I AM THAT'S WHAT I'M NOT2006
2AM2013
3FAVOURITE WORST NIGHTMARE2007
4SUCK IT AND SEE2011
2 more rows
Oct 25, 2022

What genre is Deftones? ›

Their sound has been described as alternative metal, art rock/art metal, experimental rock, shoegaze, nu metal, post-punk, post-hardcore, alternative rock, dream pop, drone rock, post-metal, post-rock, progressive metal, stoner rock, math metal, hard rock, trip hop, glitch, funk metal, psychedelia, emo, metalcore and ...

What ethnicity is Arctic Monkeys? ›

Arctic Monkeys are an English rock band formed in 2002 in High Green, a suburb of Sheffield. The band consists of Alex Turner (lead vocals, rhythm/lead guitar), Matt Helders (drums, vocals), Jamie Cook (lead/rhythm guitar) and Nick O'Malley (bass, backing vocals).

Where are Arctic Monkeys most popular? ›

While Arctic Monkeys' rise in the United Kingdom happened rapidly, it was a different story in the US. Despite their household name status following their record-breaking debut album, Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not, it took numerous records before they began to gain popularity in the States.

What record did Arctic Monkeys break? ›

Technically Arctic Monkeys still hold the record for the fastest selling album by a group/band, Leona has the record for solo female.

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