Are Arctic Monkeys Christian?

Written by Jeff Campbell in Alternative Rock Last Updated November 17, 2022

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Arctic Monkeys are among the most influential bands in England right now. People from all walks of life and religions are their fans. But what religion is AM? Are Arctic Monkeys Christian?

Arctic Monkeys are not practicing Christians and are most likely atheists despite newer albums displaying themes of Christianity. But bandleader Alex Turner has been accused of being a Scientologist.

In fact, tracks like “Jesus in the Day Spa” from their album “Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino” mention Jesus filling out an information form to get his hair done.

And according to fans, it’s highly questionable that a person who believes in Christianism would ever throw Jesus’ name into a parody. Let’s find out if there are any other instances that can confirm if the Arctic Monkeys are a Christian band or not.

What religion is Alex Turner?

Arctic Monkeys’ frontman and vocalist Alex does not have a defined religion. His critics, on the other hand, mostly describe him as a Scientologist.  

For those who don’t know, “Scientology” is a cult-like non-religion that espouses self-knowledge through study and training. And it is not without a lot of controversies.

It was created by science fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard. The religion emerged from a non-particular self-help book called “Dianetics.”

Interestingly, Alex also dedicated a song to Hubbard through a track called “Science Fiction” on his 2018 album “Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino”. The track is said to be about Hubbard and Turner’s obsession involving anything associated with science fiction.

Here are the first few lines of the track:

Religious iconography giving you the creeps?

I feel rougher than a disco lizard tongue along your cheek

The rise of the machines

I must admit you gave me something momentarily

In which I could believe

But the hand of harsh reality’s ungloved

And it’s on its way back in to scoop you up

Not on my watch

Many fans assume that Turner’s soul is connected to Scientology somehow, which is also the reason he behaves so erratically on stage sometimes. His fans believe that Turner knows so much more about time and space and often struggles to express it in words.

Anyway, Turner is a talented musician with no stable religion.

Does Alex Turner make fun of Christianity?

Alex Turner doesn’t make fun of Christianity. He is an artist with an enigmatic style who expresses what he experiences, whether it is politics or religion.

Hailing from a small suburb called Sheffield, Turner had always been a class apart. He was a quiet person from the beginning. But as he transgressed from adolescence to adulthood, his irregularities and hesitations disappeared. Today, he brings out the most unique charisma with his lyrics that are hard to parallel. He’s made a fortune for himself.

But when it comes to religion, he is a believer in God. According to Turner:

“I believe that God—as we think of it, or him or them –is some kind of truth, and it resides in, comes from, or forms, our very core. I believe all religions stem from the idea-or that their values and principles are formed around them.”

The confusion that he makes fun of Christianity could have arisen from the fact that Turner mentioned Jesus in tracks like “Jesus in the Day Spa“, doing worldly things like filing a form to get his hair done. Many of his fans give Turner the benefit of the doubt because they feel his erratic behavior is mostly because of his drug abuse in the past.

I also wanted to find out if other members of Arctic Monkeys also did drugs.

So, I created a separate post about it. Check out my recent article to learn about AM’s drug use. What really surprised me was how many current and former band members are actually sober.

Just click that link to read it on my site.

Do any members of Arctic Monkeys attend church?

Arctic Monkeys have maintained a private lifestyle, and their fans can hardly spot them making public appearances outside of their shows. So, whether or not they attend church, I’m not sure.

But I did read that Arctic Monkeys did a concert at the Masonic Temple back in 2018. The most impressive part of the show was Arctic Monkeys singing the songs randomly over the course of the show.

Overall, it seems like the band is apprehensive about showcasing their religious beliefs openly. So, you hardly spot any of the band members attending any church.

Is there religious imagery in Alex Turner’s lyrics?

Alex Turner, who is also known for his sharp perspective, sometimes includes religious imagery and symbols in some of his songs, like Jesus in his Day Spa and Science Fiction. But he mostly avoids it.

You don’t need me to tell you that Alex Turner is one of the most amazing lyricists in rock and roll history. Whatever he writes has meaning that is beyond beautiful.

But staying on the same subject, I was curious to know if a writer like Turner had ever used religious imagery in his music.

Digging deeper, I found there is a limited range of songs where you can see religious imagery in his songs. But one of the albums that he repeatedly uses it in is “Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino”.

The entire album is by far the most notable album in terms of brilliant imagery clearly meant to be experimental in sound.

What are the biggest influences on Arctic Monkeys?

In their teens, the Arctic Monkeys’ members enjoyed listening to groups like The Coral, The Strokes, The Libertines, The Clash, and The Jam. They were also highly inspired by UK’s hip-hop Roots Manuva.

Alex Turner once told an American journalist, “We don’t have influences.” But just like teens of the 90s era, the members loved listening to hip-pop, Britpop, rock ‘n’ roll, and garage rock.

But what the band produced as a combination was nothing like any other genre. From their name, they proved that they were going to be a group mixing the sounds of the jungle and polar freeze.

They emphasized lyrical simulation by combining their observations with a great hold on everyday emotions. They moved in a different direction in every way.

Whether it was producing music or the songwriting process, they felt ready to play. The group released a string of songs on the internet, which caught the instant attention of the audience.

Band member Matt says, “When we started the band, none of us played anything. We just put it together.” But what they put together, they had no idea exactly.

For example, Alex’s (Arctic Monkeys’ frontman) musical life began with musicians like “Oasis”, “Pulp and Blur”, and he even named Craig Nicholas as a powerful inspiration.

Here are some other artists AM sought inspiration from:

  • Nick Cave 
  • The Prodigy 
  • The Velvet Underground 
  • Leonard Cohen 
  • George Jones 
  • Johnny Cash 
  • Hank Williams

Conclusion

Arctic Monkeys has a long history of genre exploration and success, spanning decades of writing. They never failed to impress their audience.

Their music suited all ages, and they were loved by millions of people for their unique lyricism. However, the same aspect that helped them stand apart from the rest also brought them under fire for various reasons. Many critics have questioned what religion they are. Are they even Christians?

But Arctic Monkeys have proved that they may or may not belong to Christianity.

They do, however, believe in humanity. The band never shies away from talking about mankind as the subject and their opinions about religion and politics.

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

Photo which requires attribution under CC2.0

Arctic Monkeys @ the Wiltern by Neon Tommy was cropped, edited, and had a text overlay added.

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