Fake Tales of San Francisco
Echo through the room
More point to a wedding disco
Without a bride or groom
There’s a super cool band yeah
With their trilbies and their glasses of white wine
And all the weekend rock stars in the toilets
Practicing their lines
I don’t want to hear you
(Kick me out, kick me out)
I don’t want to hear you no
(Kick me out, kick me out)
I don’t want to hear you
(Kick me out, kick me out)
I don’t want to hear you
I don’t want to hear your
Fake Tales of San Francisco
Echo through the air
And there’s a few bored faces at the back
All wishing they weren’t there
And as the microphone squeaks
A young girl’s telephone beeps
Yeah she’s dashing for the exit
Oh, she’s running to the streets outside
“Oh you’ve saved me,” she screams down the line
“The band were fucking wank
And I’m not having a nice time”
I don’t want to hear you
(Kick me out, kick me out)
I don’t want to hear you no
(Kick me out, kick me out)
Yeah but his bird said it’s amazing, though
So all that’s left
Is the proof that love’s not only blind but deaf
He talks of San Francisco, he’s from Hunter’s Bar
I don’t quite know the distance
But I’m sure that’s far
Yeah, I’m sure it’s pretty far
Yeah, I’d love to tell you all my problem
You’re not from New York City, you’re from Rotherham
So get off the bandwagon, and put down the handbook
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Get off the bandwagon and put down the handbook
Get off the bandwagon and put down the handbook
Get off the bandwagon and put down the handbook
Get off the bandwagon and put down the handbook, yeah
Dissecting the Satire: The Meaning Behind the Lyrics
“Fake Tales Of San Francisco” by Arctic Monkeys brims with sharp wit and pointed commentary on the UK indie music scene. The lyrics mock the tendency of local bands and fans to romanticize faraway places and adopt inauthentic personas, rather than embracing their real roots. Alex Turner’s storytelling exposes the awkwardness and posturing at small gigs, highlighting characters who pretend to be something they are not, just to fit in. The recurring command to “get off the bandwagon and put down the handbook” is a call for originality and honesty, suggesting that true connection comes from authenticity, not imitation.
Song Credits
- Songwriters: Alex Turner
- Release Year: 2006
- Label: Domino Recording Company