{{Short description|2009 single by Arctic Monkeys}} {{Use British English|date=August 2012}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Infobox song | name = Crying Lightning | cover = crying_lightning.jpg | alt = | type = single | artist = Arctic Monkeys | album = Humbug | B-side = * "Red Right Hand" * "I Haven't Got My Strange" | released = 6 July 2009 | recorded = | studio = *Pink Duck (Burbank, California) *Rancho De La Luna (Joshua Tree, California) | genre = <!-- Do not add unsourced genres -->{{flatlist| *Psychedelic rock<ref>{{cite web|date=31 August 2009|title=Album Review: Arctic Monkeys – Humbug|url=https://consequence.net/2009/08/album-review-arctic-monkeys-humbug/|url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260312015019/https://consequence.net/2009/08/album-review-arctic-monkeys-humbug/|archive-date=12 March 2026 |access-date=22 April 2026 |work=Consequence}}</ref> *stoner rock<ref>{{cite web|last=Fletcher|first=Alex|date=29 August 2009|title=Arctic Monkeys: 'Humbug'|url=https://www.digitalspy.com/music/album-reviews/a174425/arctic-monkeys-humbug/|url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230401134756/https://www.digitalspy.com/music/album-reviews/a174425/arctic-monkeys-humbug/|archive-date=1 April 2023 |access-date=22 April 2026 |work=Digital Spy}}</ref>}} | length = 3:43 | label = Domino | composer = * Jamie Cook * Matt Helders * Nick O'Malley * Alex Turner<ref name= liner>{{Cite AV media notes |title=Humbug |others=Arctic Monkeys |date=2009 |type=CD liner notes |publisher=Domino}}</ref> | lyricist = Alex Turner | producer = Josh Homme | prev_title = Teddy Picker | prev_year = 2007 | next_title = Cornerstone | next_year = 2009 | misc = {{External music video | type = single | header = Music video | 1 = {{YouTube|fLsBJPlGIDU|"Crying Lightning"}} }} }}
"'''Crying Lightning'''" is a song by the English indie rock band Arctic Monkeys, released as the first single from their third album ''Humbug''. It was first played on Zane Lowe's show on BBC Radio 1 on 6 July 2009 and was then made available on iTunes to download the same day. Physical copies of the single were made available on 17 August, one week before the release of the album.<ref>[http://www.dominorecordco.com/uk/news/06-07-09/arctic-monkeys--crying-lightning--download-on-itunes Arctic Monkeys – Crying Lightning – Download on itunes]</ref> The vinyl was made available in Oxfam shops and sold with a download code for fans to get a free MP3 version of the song.<ref>[https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/8182093.stm Monkeys to release Oxfam single]</ref>
The single debuted at number 12 on the UK Singles Chart on 12 July 2009 by downloads alone.
==Music video== The music video for the single debuted on Channel 4 in UK on 24 July 2009.
The music video, directed by Richard Ayoade (who worked with the band previously on the video for "Fluorescent Adolescent", as well as their ''At the Apollo'' live DVD), shows the band performing the song on a boat on a rough sea. During a short instrumental interlude, a large figure rises up from the sea in the form of frontman, Turner. He falls to his knees where the boat passes between his legs before the other three band members (Cook, Helders and O'Malley) also rise up out from the water.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.promonews.tv/videos/2009/08/05/arctic-monkeys%E2%80%99-crying-lightning-richard-ayoade/3108|title= Arctic Monkeys' Crying Lightning by Richard Ayoade|date= August 5, 2009|access-date= December 17, 2023|work= Promonews}}</ref>
==Track listing== {{track listing | headline = 10", MP3 digital download | title1 = Crying Lightning | length1 = 3:43 | lyrics1 = Alex Turner | music1 = Arctic Monkeys | title2 = Red Right Hand | length2 = 4:19 | lyrics2 = Nick Cave | music2 = {{flatlist| * Nick Cave * Mick Harvey * Conway Savage * Thomas Wydler }} | title3 = I Haven't Got My Strange | length3 = 1:29 | lyrics3 = Alex Turner | music3 = Arctic Monkeys | all_writing = | title4 = | length4 = | title5 = | length5 = | title6 = | length6 = | title7 = | length7 = | title8 = | length8 = | title9 = | length9 = | title10 = | length10 = | total_length = }}
{{track listing | headline = 7" | title1 = Crying Lightning | length1 = 3:43 | lyrics1 = Alex Turner | music1 = Arctic Monkeys | title2 = Red Right Hand | length2 = 4:19 | lyrics2 = Nick Cave | music2 = {{flatlist| * Nick Cave * Mick Harvey * Conway Savage * Thomas Wydler }} | all_writing = | title3 = | length3 = | title4 = | length4 = | title5 = | length5 = | title6 = | length6 = | title7 = | length7 = | title8 = | length8 = | title9 = | length9 = | title10 = | length10 = | total_length = }}
==Personnel== Personnel taken from ''Humbug'' liner notes.<ref name= liner>{{Cite AV media notes |title=Humbug |others=Arctic Monkeys |date=2009 |type=CD liner notes |publisher=Domino}}</ref>
'''Arctic Monkeys''' <!-- Do not add individual instruments for each member without a source --> *Alex Turner *Jamie Cook *Nick O'Malley *Matt Helders
'''Additional musician''' *John Ashton – keyboards, backing vocals
'''Technical''' *Joshua Homme – production *Alain Johannes – engineering *Justin Smith – engineering assistance *Claudius Mittendorfer – additional engineering *Rich Costey – mixing *Howie Weinberg – mastering
==Charts== {| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! Chart (2009) ! Peak<br>position |- |align="left"|Austrian Singles Chart<ref>[http://www.austriancharts.at/showitem.asp?interpret=Arctic+Monkeys&titel=Crying+Lightning&cat=s Austrian Singles Chart]</ref> | style="text-align:center;"|70 |- |align="left"|Belgium Singles Chart (Flanders)<ref>[https://www.ultratop.be/nl/song/91e92/Arctic-Monkeys-Crying-Lightning Belgium Flanders Singles Chart]</ref> | style="text-align:center;"|63 |- |align="left"|Belgium Singles Chart (Wallonia)<ref>[https://www.ultratop.be/fr/song/91e92/Arctic-Monkeys-Crying-Lightning Belgium Wallonia Singles Chart]</ref> | style="text-align:center;"|49 |- |align="left"|Canadian Singles Chart | style="text-align:center;"|15 |- |align="left"|French Singles Chart<ref>[http://lescharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Arctic+Monkeys&titel=Crying+Lightning&cat=s French Singles Chart]</ref> | style="text-align:center;"|23 |- |align="left"|Japan Hot 100 (''Billboard'')<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.billboard-japan.com/artists/detail/353966|title=Arctic Monkeys - Artist - Billboard Japan|language=Japanese|work=Billboard Japan|accessdate=18 December 2024}}</ref> | style="text-align:center;"|44 |- |align="left"|Switzerland Airplay (Swiss Hitparade)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://hitparade.ch/charts/airplay/35-2009|title=Schweizer Airplay Charts 35/2009 – hitparade.ch |publisher=hitparade.ch |access-date=2 March 2022}}</ref> | style="text-align:center;"|86 |- |align="left"|UK Indie Chart | style="text-align:center;"|1 |- |align="left"|UK Singles Chart | style="text-align:center;"|12 |- |}
==Certifications== {{Certification Table Top}} {{Certification Table Entry|region=Canada|type=single|artist=Arctic Monkeys|title=Crying Lightning|award=Gold|relyear=2009|certyear=2025|access-date=February 12, 2025}} {{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|type=single|artist=Arctic Monkeys|title=Crying Lightning|award=Platinum|relyear=2009|certyear=2024|id=15447-1053-1|access-date=25 October 2024}} {{Certification Table Entry|region=United States|type=single|artist=Arctic Monkeys|title=Crying Lightning|award=Gold|relyear=2009|certyear=2025|id=15447-1053-1|access-date=October 4, 2025}} {{Certification Table Bottom|nosales=true|noshipments=true|streaming=true}}
==References== {{reflist}}
{{Arctic Monkeys singles}}
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Category:2009 singles Category:Arctic Monkeys songs Category:Charity singles Category:Songs written by Jamie Cook Category:Songs written by Matt Helders Category:Songs written by Nick O'Malley Category:Songs written by Alex Turner (musician) Category:2009 songs Category:Music videos directed by Richard Ayoade Category:UK Independent Singles Chart number-one singles