Arctic Monkeys and the Art of Asking Inconvenient Questions – Part 2

“R U Mine?”

Never date an artist because they won’t hesitate to hurl their insecurities, desperation, and doubts at you with a single question: “R U Mine?”. Will you be ready to answer it? Beware because your silence will light the fuse of their time-bombing hearts.

Artist – ARCTIC MONKEYS

Songs – “Why’d You Only Call Me When You’re High?”; “R U Mine?”; “Do I Wanna Know?”

Album – AM (2013)

Before anything else, if you haven’t read Part 1 of Arctic Monkeys and the Art of Asking Inconvenient Questions yet, please do so before going any further.

Now, with no further ado, welcome to the second part of this exclusive trilogy of blog posts about the most celebrated Arctic Monkeys album so far: AM. And why is this record special? Not only does it have a selection of brilliant songs, but it also poses very uncomfortable questions that no one looks forward to answering or asking at any stage of a relationship. For example, “Why’d You Only Call Me When You’re High?” addresses annoying and problematic behaviour under the guise of infatuation. Again, I advise you to read Part 1 if you have no idea what I’m talking about.

Nevertheless, despite being inconvenient, there are some urgent and necessary questions to be asked at the onset of any relationship. Sooner rather than later is the general rule. One of them is… “R U Mine?”. Personally, I wouldn’t phrase it this way, but again, it aligns with AM‘s main topic: early-morning thoughts of a restless mind who is terribly in love or obsessed with someone who might not feel the same or simply doesn’t match the intensity of their feelings.

“R U Mine?”: more than a track, a source of inspiration!

Arctic Monkeys’ AM (2013) opens with the question “Do I Wanna Know?” and closes with the certainty of “I Wanna Be Yours”. In between, feelings of obsession, insecurity, lust, longing, anxiety, confusion, suspicion and utter madness permeate through the album.

I hesitate to add ‘love’ to the list because of the main character’s state of mind: he’s so unstable and all over the place that it makes it difficult to assess if it is real love that he feels. There’s an inescapable outpouring of emotions. However, are they an expression of… love? What moves him after all: “the thrill of the chase”, as the song mentions, or deeper feelings? Ultimately, it’s chaos governing his mind and actions.

There would be no AM without “R U Mine?”

As I explained in Part I, this trilogy of blog posts came about in anticipation of AM‘s 10th anniversary, which is officially on 9 September. I’m just staying one jump ahead of everybody else. Why not, right? Besides, it’s summertime, the Arctic Monkeys are touring, playing live almost every night, and deserve all the flowers, support and appreciation they can get. And I deeply appreciate their fifth album, AM!

However, it is important to mention there would be no AM without “R U Mine?”. Although the album was released in September 2013, “R U Mine?” came out as a standalone single in February 2012 and physically in April that year for Record Store Day. Interestingly enough, it had already been recorded a couple of years prior for the Suck It and See sessions. Basically, it’s the story of a hidden gem that had been temporarily discarded to be recovered a few years later and revolutionised the whole career of a band. It sounds dramatic, but that’s what happened in practice.

Listening to Drake and Lil Wayne activates creativity

Talking to NME, vocalist Alex Turner expounded on how “R U Mine?” was pivotal for the production of AM. In the single, the band explores different lyrical techniques and vocal production, from which they later drew inspiration for their fifth album.

Not to blow my own trumpet here, but when we stumbled across that [“R U Mine?”] it was like, ‘Let’s explore this idea!’ The high vocals that we’re doing there – I call them The Cosmic Opera Melodies and these two [Helders and O’Malley] are The Space Choirboys. So we went down that road.

Alex Turner, NME

Besides “R U Mine?” showcasing Matt Helders’ (drummer) talent for a falsetto, it also introduced lyrical techniques that Alex Turner decided to play with after listening to Drake and Lil Wayne.

I like that thing they [Lil Wayne and Drake] do where they talk about something backwards, so they talk about it but then say what it actually is on the next line. It’s hard to explain but I guess it’s a little nod to that idea. So I say, ‘I’m a puppet on a string’, just before mentioning Tracy Island. That’s what it’s about – uncertainty.

Alex Turner, NME

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In sum, if AM‘s main character knew the definitive answer to the question “R U Mine?”, not only would he not beg for it, but also the other songs on the album would lose their meaning. Therefore, uncertainty is an obvious keyword here. By the way, if you didn’t grasp the technique Turner referred to above, where he finishes an idea on the following line, then try to listen to the track with the lyrics in front of you. It amazes me (better yet, excites me) the number of syllables Turner can perfectly pronounce and stress in seconds. 

DTR: Let’s… talk!

What is the most stressful part of a non-committal relationship? When one of the parties is no longer comfortable with the initial terms and conditions or is unaware of what those are in the first place. 

Negotiating terms of a romantic relationship is quite common and healthy. When you don’t know what you represent to the other person or what you’re (still) doing together, an urgent talk is in order. It’s time to DTR, or in other words, Define The Relationship. Sensitive topic? Then, having “the talk” should be high on your priority list. Otherwise, you’ll end up like Alex Turner in “R U Mine?“. I’ll explain. 

Asking someone, “Are you mine?” can be highly inconvenient and stressful for both parties: the person who poses the question and the recipient. As I said before, I’m not fond of those exact words because they manifest a degree of possessiveness that I find unhealthy. I’m yours? Am I your… what, exactly? A DTR is also useful to determine what’s missing: a label. You may shun them (labels) early on, but they might be beneficial later as the situation(ship) develops. At least, they help manage expectations and avoid tiresome, repetitive questions:

And I can’t help myself, all I

Wanna hear her say is “Are you mine?”

Well, are you mine? (Are you mine tomorrow?)

Are you mine? (Or just mine tonight?)

Are you mine? (Are you mine, mine?)

As the saying goes, misery loves company

In “R U Mine?”, the main character is clearly trying to clarify the status of his entanglement. That, or he’s expressing the selfish desire to see the other party show before him the same level of suffering and uncertainty in a manifestation of ‘my torment needs company’. If that’s the case, it’s screaming ‘unhealthy and immature relationship’ that both should walk away from. 

That he’s projecting his insecurities on her through a question to which he desperately seeks an answer is evident. The issue has been burning inside him for far too long, occupying most of his thoughts. Will a reply take him out of his misery and break the cycle of chaos that feeds the turbulence of his emotions? Does he really, deep inside, want an answer? There’s a reason why the album opens with “Do I Wanna Know?”.  

Inquiring “Are you Mine?” comes across in this track as an act of desperation. The main character’s confident, steady, sensual tone and attitude contrast with the uncertainty expressed in his words. It’s a façade. It’s posturing. Behind the sunglasses, the rockabilly quiff, and the strong sex appeal (see video), insecurity and doubt rear their ugly heads and expose his impatience, frustration and anxiety. 

He wants clarity. Is this a friendship with benefits, casual dating, or a ‘proper’ relationship that hasn’t been officially declared yet? “Are you mine?”, he says repeatedly (I counted 17 times in total), until he finally reveals his fervent wish: “Just wanna hear you say, ‘You got me, baby/ Are you mine?'”. But why should the other person say it and ask that question when his anguish is so… pleasurable? Pain-induced creativity is one of the best assets of an artist!

A surprising revelation

At this point, I realise that I find the power she holds over him tantalising, and I suspect he relishes it: “I’m a puppet on a string”, he confesses in the first line. He knows he’s in a dangerous position, but the “thrill of the chase” has long overpowered him. On the other hand, if I were in the other person’s shoes, I’d defer my answer to the dreadful question as much as possible. And guess what? I think I’d enjoy it!

Honestly, “R U Mine?” and “Do I Wanna Know?” bring the most sadistic instincts out of me. It’s as if they pull an invisible mask off my face that I didn’t realise was there in the first place. Never Date an Artist because they’ll expose a side of your character you’ve successfully repressed to the point of being unaware of it. Shame on them, obviously!

After listening to the track so many times, I can’t help but visualise the main character having a conversation with himself late at night, imagining how “the talk” would unfold. After all, the album title, AM, is suggestive of it. 

Insomnia and sleep deprivation are assailants of a sound mind and judgement and threaten sanity. Moreover, they may release demons you’re not ready to confront or even get acquainted with. Then, a torrent of difficult decisions and risky actions ensues, such as brooding over the question, “R U Mine?”.