The Age of the Understatement (song)

{{Infobox song

| name = The Age of the Understatement

| cover = Theageoftheunderstatement1.jpg

| alt =

| border = yes

| type = single

| artist = The Last Shadow Puppets

| album =
The Age of the Understatement

| released = 15 April 2008

| recorded = August 2007 – December 2007

| studio =

| venue =

| genre = Indie rock, country rock, alternative country, symphonic rock

| length =

| label = Domino

| writer = Alex Turner, Miles Kane

| producer = James Ford

| prev_title =

| prev_year =

| next_title = Standing Next to Me

| next_year = 2008

| misc = {{Extra album cover

| header = Alternative cover

| type = single

| cover = Theageoftheunderstatement2.jpg

| border = yes

| alt =

| caption =

}}

{{Extra track listing

| album = The Age of the Understatement

| type = single

| tracks =

"The Age of the Understatement"
"Standing Next to Me"
"Calm Like You"
"Separate and Ever Deadly"
"The Chamber"
"Only the Truth"
"My Mistakes Were Made for You"
"Black Plant"
"I Don't Like You Anymore"
"In My Room"
"The Meeting Place"
"Time Has Come Again"

}}

"The Age of the Understatement" is the first single released by The Last Shadow Puppets. It was released on 14 April 2008 in the United Kingdom on Domino Records. The song is the title track from the band's debut album The Age of the Understatement.

Music video

The video was shot in Moscow, Russia by French director Romain Gavras, and features Turner and Kane walking through the Russian capital. Gavras chose to shot in Russia, as the song had "a western feel to it," and "Russia is kind of like the new Wild West." He described it as, "The most difficult shot, I've ever done." due to the long hours, the cold temperatures, and the fact they had, "to bribe a few people - including the police, who were with us all the time when we were filming."{{cite news|title=Behind the Video: The Last Shadow Puppets – The Age of the Understatement|work=NME|date=22 March 2008}} Gavras would later describe the shoot as "crazy" saying: "On the other side of the camera, it was a training camp with tanks shooting all the time, totally unsafe."{{cite web|url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/arctic-monkeys-414-1320931|title=Alex Turner and Miles Kane’s brush with Russian Army|work=NME|date=3 March 2008}}{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2010/sep/25/romain-gavras-born-free|title=Romain Gavras: Born Free director is no stranger to Stress|work=The Guardian|date=25 September 2010|accessdate=22 May 2022|last=Cochrane|first=Lauren}} The video won Best Cinematography at the 2008 UK Music Video Awards,{{cite web|url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/bjork-125-1330096|title=Bjork scores hat-trick at UK Music Video Awards|work=NME|date=15 October 2008}} and was featured on Pitchfork's Top 40 Music Videos of 2008 list.{{cite web|url=https://pitchfork.com/features/lists-and-guides/7565-top-40-music-videos-of-2008/?page=2|title=Top 40 Music Videos of 2008|work=Pitchfork|date=4 December 2008|accessdate=18 May 2023|last=Plagenhoef|first=Scott|last2=Richardson|first2=Mark}}

Track listing

{{Track listing

| headline = CD RUG288CD

| all_lyrics = Alex Turner and Miles Kane, except where noted

| all_music = The Last Shadow Puppets

| title1 = The Age of the Understatement

| length1 = 3:07

| title2 = Two Hearts in Two Weeks

| length2 = 2:16

| title3 = Wondrous Place

| note3 = Lewis/Giant

| length3 = 2:46

}}

{{Track listing

| headline = 7" RUG288

| title1 = The Age of the Understatement

| length1 = 3:07

| title2 = Two Hearts in Two Weeks

| length2 = 2:16

}}

{{Track listing

| headline = 7" RUG288X

| title1 = The Age of the Understatement

| length1 = 3:07

| title2 = In the Heat of the Morning

| note2 = Bowie

| length2 = 2:40

}}

Charts

scope="row"\|Australia (ARIA){{cite Ryan\|page=161}} \|align="center"\|86
class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" \|+Chart performance for "The Age of the Understatement" !scope="col"\|Chart (2008) !scope="col"\|Peak position
{{single chart\|Flanders Tip\|2\|artist=The Last Shadow Puppets\|song=The Age of the Understatement\|rowheader=true\|access-date=19 August 2022}}
{{single chart\|Wallonia Tip\|19\|artist=The Last Shadow Puppets\|song=The Age of the Understatement\|rowheader=true\|access-date=19 August 2022}}
scope="row"\|European Hot 100 Singles (Billboard){{cite web \|url=http://www.billboard.com:80/bbcom/charts/chart_display.jsp?f=European+Hot+100+Singles&pageNumber=Top+11-50&g=Singles \|title=Billboard.com - Charts - Singles - European Hot 100 Singles \|access-date=10 May 2024 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080506125528/http://www.billboard.com:80/bbcom/charts/chart_display.jsp?f=European+Hot+100+Singles&pageNumber=Top+11-50&g=Singles \|archive-date=6 May 2008 \|url-status=dead }} \|align="center"\|26
{{single chart\|France\|81\|artist=The Last Shadow Puppets\|song=The Age of the Understatement\|rowheader=true\|access-date=19 August 2022}}
{{single chart\|Ireland3\|34\|artist=The Last Shadow Puppets\|rowheader=true\|access-date=19 August 2022}}
{{single chart\|Dutch100\|97\|artist=The Last Shadow Puppets\|song=The Age of the Understatement\|rowheader=true\|access-date=19 August 2022}}
{{single chart\|Spain\|3\|artist=The Last Shadow Puppets\|song=The Age of the Understatement\|rowheader=true\|access-date=19 August 2022}}
{{single chart\|UK\|9\|date=20080420\|rowheader=true\|access-date=19 August 2022}}
{{single chart\|UKindie\|1\|date=20080420\|rowheader=true\|access-date=3 April 2025}}

class="wikitable" ! width="28" rowspan="2"\| Year ! width="257" rowspan="2"\| Title ! colspan="3"\| Chart positions
width="86"\| UK Singles Chart
2008 \| "Wondrous Place" (download only) \| align="center"\| 187
2008 \| "Two Hearts in Two Weeks" (download only) \| align="center"\| 182
2008 \| "In The Heat of the Morning" (download only) \| align="center"\| 111

class="wikitable"

! width="28" rowspan="2"| Year

! width="257" rowspan="2"| Title

! colspan="3"| Chart positions

width="86"| UK Singles Chart

2008

| "Wondrous Place" (download only)

| align="center"| 187

2008

| "Two Hearts in Two Weeks" (download only)

| align="center"| 182

2008