Outside the café by the cracker factory
You were practicing a magic trick
And my thoughts got rude
As you talked and chewed
On the last of your pick’n’mix
Said, “You’re mistaken if you’re thinking that I haven’t been called ‘cold’ before”
As you bit into your strawberry lace
And offered me your attention in the form of a gobstopper
It’s all you had left and it was going to waste
Your past times consisted of the strange
And twisted and deranged
And I loved that little game you had called “Crying Lightning”
And how you like to aggravate the ice-cream man on rainy afternoons
The next time that I caught my own reflection
It was on its way to meet you
Thinking of excuses to postpone
You never looked like yourself from the side
But your profile could not hide
The fact you knew I was approaching your throne
With folded arms you occupied the bench like toothache
Stood and puffed your chest out like you’d never lost a war
And though I tried so not to suffer the indignity of a reaction
There was no cracks to grasp or gaps to claw
And your past times consisted of the strange
And twisted and deranged
And I hate that little game you had called “Crying Lightning”
And how you like to aggravate the icky man on rainy afternoons
Uninviting
But not half as impossible as everyone assumes
You are crying lightning
Your past times consisted of the strange
Twisted and deranged
And I hate that little game you had called “Crying Lightning”
“Crying Lightning”
“Crying Lightning”
“Crying Lightning”
Your past times consisted of the strange,
And twisted and deranged
And I hate that little game you had called “Crying…”
Unpacking the Mood of “Crying Lightning”
Arctic Monkeys’ “Crying Lightning” masterfully paints a picture of complex relationships marinated in nostalgia and ambiguity. The song’s narrator recalls moments with someone whose quirks and unpredictable behaviors oscillate between charming and unsettling. The recurring mention of childhood sweets and playground games creates a vivid sense of youthful mischief, contrasting with the emotional distance and guardedness of adulthood. The title phrase itself, “Crying Lightning,” encapsulates this paradox—expressing vulnerability through a tough, almost tempestuous exterior.
Symbolism and Emotional Contrast
Throughout the track, Alex Turner’s lyrics dive into the strange rituals and emotional games that define the pair’s connection. The ice-cream man, the pick’n’mix, and the strawberry lace serve as metaphors for innocence lost and the bittersweet tension of growing up. The narrator’s struggle to avoid reacting reveals a deeper longing and frustration, highlighting how intimacy can become a battleground of posturing and hidden feelings.
Song Credits
Songwriters: Alex Turner
Release Year: 2009
Label: Domino Recording Company