Cornerstone

Cornerstone is a poignant exploration of grief, denial, and the inability to let go of a past relationship. The song operates on a literal level as a narrative about a man visiting various pubs, but on a deeper level, it serves as an allegory for the psychological state of obsession.

The central theme is the protagonist's refusal to accept that his relationship is over (or that his lover is gone). He actively seeks out doppelgängers—women who bear a physical resemblance to his ex—in an attempt to recreate the past. The recurring question, "Can I call you her name?", reveals that he is not interested in these women as individuals; he only wants them to serve as vessels for his memories. He is looking for a proxy, a "cornerstone" to anchor his crumbling reality.

The ending offers a complex resolution. When he meets the ex's sister at The Cornerstone, her acceptance of his request ("You can call me anything you want") is often interpreted in two ways: it is either a moment of shared grief where both find comfort in the memory of the lost woman, or a disturbing capitulation where the protagonist settles for the next best thing. The ambiguity of whether the ex-girlfriend has died or simply left him adds a layer of darkness to the otherwise melodic and sweet-sounding track.

The narrator embarks on a solitary and somewhat desperate pub crawl, ostensibly to catch a glimpse of a former lover. He begins his journey at a bar called The Battleship, where he believes he spots her smoking. Upon approaching the woman, he realizes his mistake—she is merely a lookalike. Undeterred by the reality, he asks this stranger if he might call her by his ex-lover's name, a request that results in a swift rejection as she walks away.

Continuing his search, he visits The Rusty Hook. Here, he observes another woman huddled in a corner, whom he initially mistakes for his lost love due to her familiar posture. As he draws closer, the illusion fades, yet he repeats his strange plea, asking to project his ex's identity onto her. This woman, too, recoils from the suggestion, leaving him to move on to the next venue.

At The Parrot's Beak, the pattern repeats. He sees a woman by the erratic lights of the mesmerizing fruit machine and is momentarily convinced it is her. However, as he approaches, he sees the face of a stranger. Once again, he asks if he can address her by the name of the woman he misses, and once again, he is left alone. Throughout this journey, he reflects on his own pathetic state, noting how he intentionally extended his taxi ride just to linger in the scent she left on the seatbelt.

Finally, he arrives at a place called The Cornerstone. Here, he thinks he sees her again, but it turns out to be her sister. In a twist of resigned grief and mutual understanding, the sister allows him to call her whatever he wishes, granting him a hollow victory in his search for a ghost.

Written by frontman Alex Turner, "Cornerstone" was released as the second single from the Arctic Monkeys' third album, Humbug (2009). While much of the album was produced by Josh Homme in the Mojave Desert and features a heavier, stoner-rock sound, "Cornerstone" was produced by James Ford in a separate session, contributing to its distinctively lighter, pop-oriented feel.

Turner wrote the song one morning in quickly, aiming to write something in a major key that wasn't "cheesy." He cited country music, specifically the songs of Patsy Cline, as an inspiration for the song's structure, noting how country verses often end with a repeated refrain or hook. The specific line "I smelt your scent on the seatbelt" was inspired by a real experience Turner had while sitting in the back of a taxi.

The music video, directed by Richard Ayoade (of The IT Crowd fame), became instantly iconic for its deliberate awkwardness. It features Turner alone in a white room, wearing a red jumper and headphones, singing into a cassette recorder. The low-budget, intimate aesthetic was a sharp contrast to the high-production rock videos of the era and highlighted the vulnerability of the lyrics.

The song follows a fairly consistent ABAB rhyme scheme in the verses, which gives it a traditional, song-like quality suitable for a ballad. The rhymes are often perfect rhymes (e.g., "smoke"/"joke", "hook"/"look"), reinforcing the simple, fable-like structure of the story.

Rhythmically, the song is in 4/4 time with a moderate, swaying tempo. The vocal rhythm is conversational but melodic, allowing Turner to fit detailed narrative lines into the musical bars without rushing. The pacing is steady, mirroring the walking pace of the narrator's pub crawl, until the final verse where the resolution brings a sense of musical and narrative closure.

Literary Techniques: Turner employs a narrative structure reminiscent of folk storytelling, guiding the listener through a sequence of events. He uses wit and irony to undercut the sadness, such as the self-deprecating admission of elongating his taxi ride. The use of direct address ("I saw your sister") creates an intimate, conversational tone, as if he is speaking directly to the lost lover.

Musical Techniques: The song is composed in A major, creating a warm, nostalgic sound that contrasts with the melancholic lyrics—a technique often used in pop music to evoke a "smiling through tears" emotion. The arrangement features baroque pop elements, including a prominent synthesizer string section and a clean, melodic guitar solo that mimics the vocal melody. Turner's vocal delivery is a departure from his earlier rapid-fire delivery, adopting a slower, crooning style that emphasizes melody and vulnerability.

"Cornerstone" is widely regarded as one of the Arctic Monkeys' best written songs and a fan favorite. It marked a significant turning point in Alex Turner's songwriting, showcasing a maturity and a move towards more abstract, character-driven storytelling compared to the observational realism of their first two albums.

The music video has achieved meme status in internet culture, particularly the image of Alex Turner with the headphones and red turtleneck, which is frequently used to represent a mood of awkward, retro-styled heartbreak. While the song only reached #31 on the UK Singles Chart, its legacy has far outstripped its initial commercial performance, becoming a staple in the band's live setlists.

The Pub Names: The names of the pubs—The Battleship, The Rusty Hook, The Parrot's Beak—serve as metaphorical waypoints in the narrator's journey. They sound like traditional English pubs but carry connotations of conflict (Battleship), decay (Rusty Hook), and mimicry (Parrot's Beak), mirroring the narrator's internal state. The Cornerstone represents the foundation or the final resting place of his search.

The Seatbelt Scent: The sensory detail of smelling a scent on a seatbelt symbolizes how grief attaches itself to the mundane. It represents the lingering, invisible presence of a person who is physically absent, turning a shortcut into a "long way 'round" just to dwell in the memory.

The Sister: The sister represents the ultimate compromise. She is genetically similar to the lost love (a "cornerstone" of the same family structure) but is fundamentally not her. Her presence at "The Cornerstone" (which real-world fans note shares a name with a Sheffield counseling center) suggests that she, too, might be grieving or seeking solace, making their union a shared act of mourning.

"Can I call you her name?" serves as the central lyrical motif. Its repetition at the end of the first three verses emphasizes the narrator's fixation and the cyclical nature of his rejection. It transforms the song from a simple story of looking for someone into a study of psychological projection.

"I saw your sister in the Cornerstone" acts as the twist or the "punchline" to the recurring setup. By breaking the established pattern of rejection, this final variation resolves the tension, albeit in a morally ambiguous way.