Secret Door

Album: Humbug (2009)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • On this oddly time-signatured and orchestrated lullaby, songwriter Alex Turner pays romantic homage to a female companion, presumably the singer's TV presenter girlfriend, Alexa Chung.
  • This is one of two Humbug tracks to be produced by Simian Mobile Disco's James Ford, a veteran of Favourite Worst Nightmare and Turner's 'side project' The Last Shadow Puppets' The Age of the Understatement. The Last Shadow Puppets certainly inspired this pop ballad's uplifting orchestration.
  • The Monkeys recorded this song at The Integraton a 38-foot high wooden dome a half hours drive south of Joshua Tree in the Mojave Desert where they were based. Turner explained to Uncut Magazine: "Yeah, we were mostly locked up in this little house doing the record, but we had time for a little bit of recreation! Later on in the recording we did a trip to this place called the Integratron. It's a structure erected by a fellow called George Van Tassel who had a visit in the night from some kind of being who instructed him to build an acoustically sound dome involving an electro-magnet. I haven't got the diagram here but it's believed that the objective in building this thing was to recharge or rejuvenate human cells, except he never finished it before he died. Because it's acoustically sound, if someone talks across from you it sounds like they're right by your ear. It's a mad place. We did a little recording of 'Secret Door' there one night."

Comments: 2

  • Ricardo Delgado from CoahObviously it is a relationship, "there is absolutely nothing for us here" she is an honest girl, the "fools in the parade" is a way of describing the "normal" couples in which there is no real commitment but they try to pretend it (to the spectators of the parade) by mere social protocol
  • Ehren from Bray, IrelandThis is my favourite song on Humbug!
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Barney Hoskyns Explores The Forgotten History Of Woodstock, New York

Barney Hoskyns Explores The Forgotten History Of Woodstock, New YorkSong Writing

Our chat with Barney Hoskyns, who covers the wild years of Woodstock - the town, not the festival - in his book Small Town Talk.

Robert DeLeo of Stone Temple Pilots

Robert DeLeo of Stone Temple PilotsSongwriter Interviews

Stone Temple Pilots bass player Robert DeLeo names the songs that have most connected with fans and tells the stories behind tracks from their Tiny Music album.

Song Cities

Song CitiesMusic Quiz

Nirvana, Billy Joel and Bruce Springsteen are among those who wrote songs with cities that show up in this quiz.

Movie Stars In Music Videos

Movie Stars In Music VideosSong Writing

Johnny Depp, Angelina Jolie, Mila Kunis and John Malkovich are just a few of the film stars who have moonlighted in music videos.

John Kay of Steppenwolf

John Kay of SteppenwolfSongwriter Interviews

Steppenwolf frontman John Kay talks about "Magic Carpet Ride," "Born To Be Wild," and what he values more than awards and accolades.

Paul Stanley of Kiss, Soul Station

Paul Stanley of Kiss, Soul StationSongwriter Interviews

Paul Stanley on his soul music project, the Kiss songs with the biggest soul influence, and the non-make-up era of the band.