Sank into their calculations and snorted on a stench
A bare arithmetic
Look for the boy who was hanging his head low
More trophies and ideas
To follow their pretend
With a scowl in his pocket and a smile on his face
He followed with obedience and fell in the nettles
I flew in some spiky whispers and he bought his own rope
And skipped against the rode
Did start not to find the dark lead and catch that man i hope
Devices man are closed
He lost all his foot holes
And with a scowl in his pocket and a smile on his face
He followed with obedience and fell in the nettles,
Fell in the nettles,
Fell in the nettles
He was a toothpick and the garlic and the cinder upon the path
Failed to blunt or hinder, a slow collapse
And clinging to the door frame he was trapped
After a reminder of where he had been
With a smile in his pocket and a scowl on his face
There was nowhere to flee
Just had to tent in the nettles
Unpacking the Metaphors in “Nettles”
“Nettles” by Arctic Monkeys offers a moody reflection on conformity, struggle, and the pain that comes from following without questioning. The imagery of “falling in the nettles” becomes a metaphor for the consequences of blind obedience and the discomfort that follows. The protagonist is depicted as someone who suppresses his true feelings, hiding a “scowl in his pocket and a smile on his face,” suggesting a life led by external expectations rather than internal desires. The song’s winding narrative and sharp, poetic lines conjure a sense of entrapment, where the character’s efforts to escape only lead him further into trouble. Arctic Monkeys weave together vivid scenes—a slow collapse, clinging to the door frame, and the sting of nettles—to evoke the emotional toll of not standing up for oneself, making this track both haunting and deeply relatable.
Song Credits
Artist: Arctic Monkeys
Songwriters: Alex Turner
Release year: 2009