When the Sun Goes Down
Encyclopedia
"When the Sun Goes Down" is a song and the second single
by the English indie rock
band Arctic Monkeys
, released on 16 January 2006. The song, about prostitution in the Neepsend
district of Sheffield
, was originally known as "Scummy" and followed debut single "I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor
" to UK Number One. The track is featured on the band's debut album, Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not
, released the week after this single.
Original reports suggested its name would be simply "Sun Goes Down", but the full name was confirmed on the band's website. The line, "and he told Roxanne to put on her red light," is a reference to The Police
song, "Roxanne
".
The cover image shows a street in Sheffield.
or a 'client' who is picking her up for sex. The last line "I hope you're not involved at all," is either the narrator expressing his disappointment that the girl has turned to prostitution or a person to whom the narrator is telling the story, who also may be involved with the scummy man.
was directed by Paul Fraser and premiered on MTV Two on December 21, 2005. It starred Lauren Socha
and Stephen Graham
.
The music video used footage from a longer film, Scummy Man
, which used the same actors who appeared in the music video to tell the story of 'Nina', the nameless "that girl there" from the song.
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
by the English indie rock
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
band Arctic Monkeys
Arctic Monkeys
Arctic Monkeys are an English indie rock band. Formed in 2002 in High Green, a suburb of Sheffield, the band currently consists of Alex Turner , Jamie Cook , Nick O'Malley and Matt Helders...
, released on 16 January 2006. The song, about prostitution in the Neepsend
Sheffield Neepsend (UK Parliament constituency)
Sheffield Neepsend was a short-lived Parliamentary constituency in the City of Sheffield, England. The constituency was created in 1950 and abolished in 1955, presumably due to its low number of electors - never exceeding 50,000...
district of Sheffield
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
, was originally known as "Scummy" and followed debut single "I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor
I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor
-Charts:-External links:* Mapped on Platial....
" to UK Number One. The track is featured on the band's debut album, Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not
Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not
Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not is the debut album by English indie rock band Arctic Monkeys, released on 23 January 2006. The album became the UK's fastest selling debut album, shifting over 360,000 copies in its first week, and remains the fastest selling debut album by a band. It...
, released the week after this single.
Original reports suggested its name would be simply "Sun Goes Down", but the full name was confirmed on the band's website. The line, "and he told Roxanne to put on her red light," is a reference to The Police
The Police
The Police were an English rock band formed in London in 1977. For the vast majority of their history, the band consisted of Sting , Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland...
song, "Roxanne
Roxanne (song)
"Roxanne" is a hit song by the rock band The Police, first released in 1978 as a single and on their album Outlandos d'Amour. It was written from the point-of-view of a man who falls in love with a prostitute.- History :...
".
The cover image shows a street in Sheffield.
Content
The song is told from the point of view of a concerned individual who is approached by a scantily-clad girl, heavily implied to be a prostitute. The prostitute propositions the song's narrator and he turns her down politely; he then observes a "scummy man" who has been hanging around the neighbourhood; the man is implied to be either the prostitute's pimpPimp
A pimp is an agent for prostitutes who collects part of their earnings. The pimp may receive this money in return for advertising services, physical protection, or for providing a location where she may engage clients...
or a 'client' who is picking her up for sex. The last line "I hope you're not involved at all," is either the narrator expressing his disappointment that the girl has turned to prostitution or a person to whom the narrator is telling the story, who also may be involved with the scummy man.
Music video
The song's videoMusic video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
was directed by Paul Fraser and premiered on MTV Two on December 21, 2005. It starred Lauren Socha
Lauren Socha
Lauren Marie Socha is a BAFTA award winning English actress, best known for her starring role in the E4 comedy-drama television series Misfits and a co-starring role in the Channel 4 drama The Unloved. She attended St. George's RC Primary School, Burton College and Saint Benedict School and...
and Stephen Graham
Stephen Graham (actor)
Stephen Graham is an English actor from Kirkby, Liverpool. He is best known for his roles as Tommy in the movie Snatch, Combo in This Is England and its four-part television sequel This Is England '86, Danny Ferguson in Occupation, Billy Bremner in The Damned United, notorious bank robber Baby...
.
The music video used footage from a longer film, Scummy Man
Scummy Man
Scummy Man is a short film, written and directed by Paul Fraser and produced by Mark Herbert and Diarmid Scrimshaw, based on the song "When the Sun Goes Down" by the Arctic Monkeys, and released on DVD on 10 April 2006 by Domino Records...
, which used the same actors who appeared in the music video to tell the story of 'Nina', the nameless "that girl there" from the song.
Track listing
Release history
| Country | Date |
|---|---|
| United Kingdom United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages... |
16 January 2006 |
| United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
14 February 2006 |
Charts
| Charts (2006) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
1 |
| Australian Singles Chart ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
26 |
| Netherlands Singles Chart | 72 |
| Irish Singles Chart Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured... |
11 |
External links
- Arctic Monkeys Worldtour 2006 Mapped on Platial.
- Music video