“I was sitting there with my four-track and there was this riff that I had. I started singing this melody and saying that line, ‘I want to be yours…’ And I remembered the poem”: How Arctic Monkeys’ most popular song was created from early-’80s punk poetry

Arctic Monkeys.

In the 12 years since the release of Arctic Monkeys’ multi-million-selling fifth album AM, the hit singles Do I Wanna Know?, R U Mine and Arabella remain fan favourites to this day – but more surprisingly, a simple album track has grown to tower above the rest in terms of worldwide popularity.

Closing the album is an atmospheric interpretation of I Wanna Be Yours, written by English ‘punk poet' John Cooper Clarke – a humorous, spoken-word ode transformed by the Sheffield band into a moody, yearning love song that has become both artists’ signature work in the process.