Fluorescent Adolescent – English Lyrics

• By: Arctic Monkeys
• Album: Favourite Worst Nightmare

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the lyrical genius of Arctic Monkeys with "Fluorescent Adolescent," a song that beautifully captures the universal experience of nostalgia for youth. Its vivid storytelling and relatable themes make it an excellent choice for English language learners, offering a rich vocabulary of emotions and everyday situations, all set to an energetic indie rock soundtrack.

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
fishnets /ˈfɪʃ.nets/ B2	noun - stockings or tights with a coarse, open mesh pattern.
nightdress /ˈnaɪt.dres/ B1	noun - a loose dress worn in bed.
nights /naɪts/ A1	noun - the period from sunset to sunrise.
crisis /ˈkraɪ.sɪs/ B2	noun - a time of intense difficulty or danger.
hole /hoʊl/ A2	noun - an opening through something.
past /pæst/ A2	noun - the time before the present.
rascal /ˈræs.kəl/ B2	noun - a mischievous person or animal, especially a child or dog.
slag /slæɡ/ C2	noun - an offensive term for a promiscuous woman.
memory /ˈmem.ər.i/ A2	noun - something remembered from the past.
dreams /driːmz/ A2	noun - a series of thoughts, images, and sensations occurring in a person's mind during sleep.
love /lʌv/ A1	noun - an intense feeling of affection.
book /bʊk/ A1	noun - a written or printed work consisting of pages glued or sewn together along one side and bound in covers.
tips /tɪps/ B1	noun - a small piece of advice or a helpful hint.
boys /bɔɪz/ A1	noun - a male child or young man.
electric /ɪˈlek.trɪk/ B1	adjective - charged with or generating electricity.

Key Grammar Structures

• You used to get it in your fishnets

  ➔ Used to + infinitive

  ➔ "Used to" describes a past habit or state that is no longer true. It signifies something that regularly happened in the past but does not happen anymore.

• Everything's in order in a black hole

  ➔ Genitive 's to show possession/attribute. Contraction of 'Everything is'

  ➔ "Everything's" is a contraction of "Everything is." The song is making a point about the unexpected order even in a chaotic situation (black hole).

• Nothing seems as pretty as the past though

  ➔ Comparative structures with "as...as"

  ➔ The structure "as + adjective + as" is used to compare two things, saying that they are equal in some way. Here, it says that the present does not seem as pretty as the past.

• Remember when you used to be a rascal?

  ➔ Interrogative sentence, "used to + infinitive"

  ➔ This is an interrogative sentence using "used to" to inquire about a past behavior. The speaker is asking if the listener remembers a time when they were mischievous or rebellious.

• The best you ever had is just a memory

  ➔ Relative clause with omitted relative pronoun. Superlative adjective 'best'

  ➔ "The best you ever had" is a relative clause where the relative pronoun (that/which) is omitted. It modifies the noun 'memory'. "Best" is the superlative of "good".

• Aren't as daft as they seem

  ➔ Negative question tag and comparative with "as...as"

  ➔ "Aren't as daft as they seem" is a negative question tag that implies the speaker is questioning whether something is actually as foolish as it appears. It uses the comparative structure "as + adjective + as".

• Likes her gentlemen not to be gentle

  ➔ Infinitive of purpose with 'to be'

  ➔ Here, 'to be gentle' serves as an infinitive expressing purpose or a desired state. It clarifies what characteristic the person *doesn't* want in her gentlemen.