Cornerstone

Arctic Monkeys' song 'Cornerstone' is a poignant narrative of longing and the struggle to move on from a past relationship. The lyrics, penned by frontman Alex Turner, convey a story of a person who repeatedly thinks they see their former lover in different places, only to be met with strangers who bear a resemblance. The repeated encounters with look-alikes serve as a metaphor for the protagonist's inability to let go of the past and the haunting presence of their lost love.

The song's chorus, which mentions elongating the lift home and smelling the former lover's scent on the seatbelt, suggests a deep yearning and the clinging to any connection, however small, to the person they're missing. This act of taking the long way home symbolizes the internal journey the protagonist is on, avoiding the reality of their situation and instead indulging in the comfort of their memories. The mention of keeping shortcuts to oneself could imply a reluctance to find a quicker way to heal, preferring the longer, more painful path that allows them to dwell on what once was.

The final verse introduces the lover's sister, who is approached as a last resort in an attempt to find some semblance of the person they miss. The sister's reluctant agreement to let the protagonist call her by the lost lover's name underscores the desperation and the blurring of lines between reality and wishful thinking. The song ends without resolution, leaving listeners with a sense of the protagonist's ongoing struggle with acceptance and the lingering hope for a connection to the past.