Alex Turner thought I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor was "reet boring": "They're not our best lyrics"

23 January 2026, 10:29 | Updated: 23 January 2026, 16:52

John Kennedy turned back the clock to January 2006, when he was joined by Alex Turner and Matt Helders to talk through Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not.

John Kennedy turns back the clock to January 2006, when he was joined by Alex Turner and Matt Helders to talk through Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not in full! Listen on Global Player here.

Alex Turner wasn't overly impressed with I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor.

Arctic Monkeys' debut single - which was released on 17th October 2005 - propelled the Sheffield band into the mainstream and created an incredible buzz about the band ahead of the release of their debut album Whatever People Say I Am, That's I'm Not.

However, in a special archive track by track interview with John Kennedy, frontman Turner and drummer Matt Helders believed the song wasn't their best.

"That's a really old one," the frontman said of the single. "That's probably just after I started thinking about, like, writing lyrics."

"I don't know, something happened," he went on when quizzed on the song's meaning. "Again, it's reet boring... There was a girl and I fancied her a bit. They're not our best lyrics."

Helders added: "Only by our standards."

Arctic Monkeys - I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor (Official Video)

Read more:

• How Chris McClure ended up appearing on the cover of Arctic Monkeys' debut album
• Arctic Monkeys - Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not: The stories behind each song
• Arctic Monkey share new song Opening Night - the band's first track in four years & the first HELP (2) single

The special archive X-Posure Album Playback from January 2006 - also saw the pair discuss the genesis of the Monkeys, the writing of their earliest songs and reveal how their first outing is essentially a concept album about nights out in Sheffield.

Along the way, they touch upon the origin of the album's name, its cover art and their favourite song title on the record.

Among the gems, Turner also reveals how his driving instructor played a part in the creation of Mardy Bum, which song saw them try and do something "a bit special," and how the guy who rented them their Neepsend practice room gave them the title for When The Sun Goes Down.

Listen to Arctic Monkeys' Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not X-Posure Album Playback below:

Arctic Monkeys - Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not | X-Posure Album Playback

Read more:

• What are Arctic Monkeys' biggest songs?
• Who came up with the title of Arctic Monkeys' debut album?
• The story of Arctic Monkeys' When The Sun Goes Down and why it's the band's bleakest song to date