Automatic Stop

About this song

"Automatic Stop" is the third track on The Strokes' second album, Room on Fire. The text notes that the band was known for being fairly intimate with one another early in their career, and it quotes Julian Casablancas on that closeness, which the piece connects to the song's bisexual undertones.

What it's about

The song is a slow-paced story told from two people's different perspectives on their relationship. Some listeners read it as reflecting Julian's conflicted sexuality, pointing to lines like "That's just a phase" and "She wanted him, he wanted me."

Fun facts

• Sampled in 1 other song, like “bobby mangrove by wasting shit”.
• Covered once, including “Automatic Stop by Wearing Paper Bags”.
• Written by Albert Hammond Jr. and Julian Casablancas.
• Produced by Gordon Raphael.
• Recorded at TMF Studios.