Arctic Monkeys
“505” is the stunning closing track of Arctic Monkeys’ 2007 album Favourite Worst Nightmare, widely recognized as one of the band’s most beloved and enduring songs. It combines yearning, cinematic organ, and poetic lyricism in a moody meditation on love and longing.
Song Details
- Artist: Arctic Monkeys
- Album: Favourite Worst Nightmare (2007)
- Writers: Alex Turner
- Producers: James Ford, Mike Crossey
- Length: 4:13
- Release: Album released April 23, 2007; the track gained renewed popularity in 2022
Background and Popularity
“505” was not a major hit upon initial release, peaking at number 73 on the UK Singles Chart. However, it became a “sleeper hit,” growing into a fan favorite and centerpiece of the band’s live shows. The song experienced a viral resurgence in 2022 due to TikTok, and as of May 2025, it is the Arctic Monkeys’ third-most streamed song on Spotify, trailing only “Do I Wanna Know?” and “I Wanna Be Yours,” with over 2.2 billion streams1.
Musical and Lyrical Highlights
- Instrumentation:
“505” is built around a haunting organ sample from Ennio Morricone’s The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, played by Alex Turner. The track features moody, atmospheric guitar work, with additional guitar by Miles Kane. - Composition:
Written in C major, in common time, at 140 BPM. - Lyrics and Theme:
The song explores themes of yearning and romantic longing, with Turner singing about returning to “505”—interpreted both as a literal hotel room and a metaphorical place of emotional comfort or a specific person.- Key lines include: “I’m going back to 505 / If it’s a seven-hour flight or a forty-five-minute drive / In my imagination, you’re waiting lying on your side / With your hands between your thighs...”
- Interpretation:
Turner described it as the band’s “first proper love song,” sparked by personal longing for a former lover. The emotional vulnerability and cinematic melancholy are widely praised by critics.
Cultural Impact and Legacy
- Since its release, “505” has become a staple in Arctic Monkeys’ live setlists and is often performed as a closing number—sometimes featuring Miles Kane.
- The song is celebrated for its raw vulnerability and maturity, marking a shift in Turner's songwriting.
- Its late-blooming chart success, partly thanks to TikTok, underscores its generational crossover appeal.
- In 2023, Rolling Stone and Paste ranked "505" among the band’s very best work; Radio X listeners voted it the fourth-best British song of all time.
Personnel
| Member | Role |
|---|---|
| Alex Turner | Vocals, organ |
| Jamie Cook | Guitar |
| Nick O’Malley | Bass |
| Matt Helders | Drums, percussion |
| Miles Kane | Additional guitar |
Notable Facts
- Live Releases: A live version—recorded at Royal Albert Hall—was released in 2020, with proceeds to charity.
- Influence: The song is cited as both forward-looking (“evoking a romanticism... seen in AM”) and rooted in the band’s Sheffield origins.
“505” endures as a moody, emotional anthem, capturing the tension between distance and intimacy, and is a perennial highlight for fans of both the band and modern indie rock.
