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

dUg Pinnick of King's X

dUg Pinnick of King's XSongwriter Interviews

dUg dIgs into his King's X metal classics and his many side projects, including the one with Jeff Ament of Pearl Jam.

Deconstructing Doors Songs With The Author Of The Doors Examined

Deconstructing Doors Songs With The Author Of The Doors ExaminedSong Writing

Doors expert Jim Cherry, author of The Doors Examined, talks about some of their defining songs and exposes some Jim Morrison myths.

Kerry Livgren of Kansas

Kerry Livgren of KansasSongwriter Interviews

In this talk from the '80s, the Kansas frontman talks turning to God and writing "Dust In The Wind."

Little Richard

Little RichardFact or Fiction

Was Long Tall Sally a cross-dresser? Did he really set his piano on fire? See if you know the real stories about one of rock's greatest innovators.

Sugarland

SugarlandSongwriter Interviews

Meet the "sassy basket" with the biggest voice in country music.

Jesus Christ Superstar: Ted Neeley Tells the Inside Story

Jesus Christ Superstar: Ted Neeley Tells the Inside StorySong Writing

The in-depth discussion about the making of Jesus Christ Superstar with Ted Neeley, who played Jesus in the 1973 film.