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On this B-side to Fluorescent Adolescent, Alex sings about the despairing moments before a breakup with someone who’s fallen out of love with him. Also proving once again that his most poetic lyrics come from B-sides.

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He’s finally come to terms with what’s going to happen: they’re gonna eventually break up. Which means no more spooning for Alex.


Spooning is just another word for cuddling; usually done how Alex has described it, with the woman in the man’s arms and her back up against his chest.

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Alex relates their personal connection to having a warm drink on a chilly day – a match made in Heaven.

thermos flask

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While they’re in bed together, she keeps to her side; not moving around or showing any physical affection towards him so he’s unable to tell if she’s awake or already asleep. Alex just wants to know if she still loves him. He just wants to go back to the way things were. He just wants a simple kiss to know that they’re gonna be alright.
#Is that too much to ask for?

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Just when the girl was getting to the part where she may have explained what was bugging her, Alex decided to cut her off (and it bothered her). Maybe Alex was afraid of what she had to say. Or maybe Alex was appalled at the thought that she’s not 100% sure that he loves her.

Of course he does, he clearly does.

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At this part of the song, Alex wants to take her out on a date but she’s finding reasons to stay in. This adds to the suspicion that she’s fallen out of love with Alex and would rather not spend time with him.

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Couples argue; it’s natural. Words are said, tears are shed, but at the end of the day – they make up and everything’s fine. But in this situation, Alex believes that something is seriously bothering her and it’s not something that’s gonna disappear the next day.

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Alex feels that the spark in the relationship is starting to fade. Before, their fights were nothing more than just little disagreements but now he’s paranoid that she’s unhappy.

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B-side to “Fluorescent Adolescent” off of Favourite Worst Nightmare.

The song details the loneliness and issues of faceless girls at shows. Considering the time of release, it was probably written hot off the heels of a world tour – a life totally removed from his one two years ago.

In some ways, this is almost the reversal of “You Couldn’t See For the Lights…” on their first record. Every night, he’s in a new town looking out to a new audience. And every night there’s a pretty young thing looking back at him. Nothing could ever happen, so he fantasises about seeing them in an inane setting, without his band. However, Alex is a realist: if it weren’t for the band, she never would’ve given him the time of day.

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She keeps staring at him and he keeps staring at her. Romance is in the air but nothing is done about it.

Their situation can be interpreted as a “Skinny Love” which is defined by urbandictionary as

When two people love each other but are too shy to admit it but they still show it


Or perhaps Alex is using the term “stalemate” to describe how it’s literally impossible to advance their staring games into something more; not because they’re shy, but because one of them are already in a relationship.

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