John Cooper Clarke

2023 - 3 - 20

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Image courtesy of "NME.com"

John Cooper Clarke on the Arctic Monkeys-inspiring 'I Wanna Be ... (NME.com)

John Cooper Clarke speaks about 'I Wanna Be Yours' becoming a world hit after Arctic Monkeys' adaptation pushed listening into the billions.

But it’s perceived as a minority of a minority who are interested in poetry. [ Alex Turner](https://www.nme.com/artists/alex-turner) quotes from on the ‘AM’ song of the same name with a few tweaks here and there, has become a staple of wedding readings thanks to its accessible and colloquial romantic lyricism. “Any work of art,” says Clarke, “that has any lasting, transcendent value – a painting that haunts you through life – you say it’s ‘poetic’. Besides the cover making him “a lot of PRS” (in reference to royalties), he credits it with boosting his profile, as he tours sizeable UK venues this month. [The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2023/mar/20/john-cooper-clarke-arctic-monkeys-worlds-favourite-poem-i-wanna-be-yours-ford-cortina) in response to news of its billionth stream: “Is that a lot? It’s since found a new audience on TikTok and will this week pass a billion streams on [Spotify](https://www.nme.com/tag/spotify).

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Image courtesy of "Metro"

Poet John Cooper Clarke has epic response to I Wanna Be Yours ... (Metro)

John Cooper Clarke's 1980s poem I Wanna Be Yours is about to hit one billion listens on Spotify thanks to the Arctic Monkeys.

‘An American billion is different to a British billion – and I don’t know what either of them is. [Arctic Monkeys take flight case that turns into a pop-up bar on tour and it sounds incredible](https://metro.co.uk/2022/12/22/arctic-monkeys-take-pop-up-bar-case-on-tour-and-it-sounds-incredible-17982693/?ico=more_text_links) [ The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2023/mar/20/john-cooper-clarke-arctic-monkeys-worlds-favourite-poem-i-wanna-be-yours-ford-cortina). [almost one billion times ](https://metro.co.uk/2022/10/21/the-arctic-monkeys-talk-about-still-being-relevant-after-20-years-17607073/)on Spotify via the Arctic Monkeys’ adaptation. [ Spotify](https://metro.co.uk/tag/spotify/?ico=auto_link_entertainment_P1_LNK1). [choice at weddings](https://metro.co.uk/2023/02/28/these-are-10-of-the-most-instagrammed-uk-wedding-venues-18356176/); presumably to add a touch of irreverence and a very British type of romance to modern day nuptials.

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Image courtesy of "Radio X"

John Cooper Clarke reacts to Arctic Monkeys' I Wanna Be Yours ... (Radio X)

The Sheffield band's take on the poem, which featured on their 2013 AM album, has reached over a billion streams.

“This is what I do," he said. But it’s a f*** of a lot of listens." An American billion is different to a British billion – and I don’t know what either of them is.

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