Why the title Suck It And See caused a problem for Arctic Monkeys

31 October 2025, 19:00

By Radio X

@RadioX

We celebrate Arctic Monkeys' fourth studio album by delving into the story behind its unusual name. Was it inspired by Stanley Kubrick or some medicinal tablets?

Arctic Monkeys' Suck It And See album was released on 6th June 2011.

The Sheffield band's fourth offering was followed by its title track on 31st October, with its accompanying music video featuring drummer Matt Helders in the guise of an unruly American biker.

Watch it below:

Arctic Monkeys - Suck It And See (Official Video - Clean Edit)

However, Helders' hell raising and boisterous personality wasn't the most controversial thing about Suck It and See.

In fact, in the United States some copies of the album caused such offence that they were covered with a big Arctic Monkeys sticker in the centre, making its Beatles White album-esque cover appear even more plain.

But why were they so bothered by the record? Find out below...

Why did Arctic Monkeys' Suck It And See have a sticker over it in the United States?

Well, if you hadn't already guessed the answer to this congrats for being as pure as the driven snow!

Despite the fact we speak the same language as our American cousins, not everything quite translates.

In Britain, the phrase "suck it and see" generally means you've got to try something out first before giving a judgement on it.

Andrew's Antacid tablets also used a variation on the phrase in the 90s and 00s with this hilarious TV ad!

Andrews Antacid Suck Them & See TV Advert 2000s 00s UK

There's also a hint at where Alex Turner may have found the title in the 1971 film A Clockwork Orange. The frontman proved he was a huge fan of Stanley Kubrick with the numerous references to the legendary director on the 2018 album Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino, but it appears Turner may have been giving a nod to the filmmaker a few years earlier.

In the controversial film adaptation of Anthony Burgess' novel, there's a scene where the thuggish, immoral protagonist Alex (played by Malcolm McDowell) meets with his "droogs" in the foyer of the tower block where he lives. In this dystopian future, the flats are adorned with extravagant murals depicting athletic Roman or Greek figures, which - given the breakdown of society depicted in the film - have been defaced with obscenities and graffiti.

As Alex tries to calm down a power struggle within his gang, we can see one of these daubings over the shoulder of Georgie (James Marcus): a muscular male figure stands over a topless woman, whose nipple is now dripping milk, thanks to the graffiti of some local hoodlum. A speech bubble comes from her mouth, saying "SUCK IT AND SEE". Elsewhere, the artwork is further ruined by crude comments like "IF IT MOVES, KISS IT".

However, this saying didn't quite exist in the same way across the pond, so you can imagine why the American audiences may have taken the harmless English saying for a sex act instead...

But what did the Sheffield band think of it?

Speaking to John Kennedy back in June 2011, frontman Alex Turner admitted it had not travelled very well saying: "They think it is rude, disrespectful and they're putting a sticker over it in America in certain stores, big ones."

Despite the misunderstanding, it didn't do the album any harm, with Arctic Monkeys' popularity with American audiences growing stronger and stronger.

They didn't make the same mistake when AM was released two years later, keeping things very simple for the album title which included Stateside favourites in the likes of Do I Wanna Know?, One For The Road, Arabella and R U Mine?

While Suck It And See wasn't a huge controversy, those nifty Arctic Monkeys stickers sure did come in handy, allowing the band to break the American market without too many obstacles in their way.

READ MORE: Arctic Monkeys recall moment I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor hit No. 1