Featuring Stefan Babcock on vocals and guitar, Steve Sladkowski on guitar and vocals, Nestor Chumak on bass and vocals, and Zack Mykula on drums and vocals, all longtime friends who met in elementary school, PUP formed in 2010 under the name Topanga. The original name was a reference to Topanga Lawrence, a character played by Danielle Fishel on the '90s sitcom Boy Meets World, but when the members learned Fishel would be reviving the character in 2014 in a spin-off titled Girl Meets World, they chose to change the name to PUP, standing for "Pathetic Use of Potential." Topanga released a digital EP titled Oceans, and positive press and attention from other bands helped create a buzz about the group. In 2013, they became PUP, releasing their self-titled debut album through the Royal Mountain label. The album was a hit with both critics and fans, with the group being named Best Live Show and Best New Artist by CBC Radio 3. The band toured extensively, playing throughout Canada and making their way to England and the United States. By the end of 2013, PUP had signed a record deal with the well-established punk label Side One Dummy, and spent much of 2014 and 2015 touring in support of Side One Dummy's reissue of their debut LP, launching their first headlining tours of the United States and Canada, as well as making their Australian debut.
In February 2016, PUP teased a new single called "DVP" in advance of their second full-length album, The Dream Is Over. Released in May of that year, the album's title is a reference to a prognosis Babcock received from his doctor: he'd severely damaged his vocal cords after enduring years of non-stop touring. In true punk fashion, PUP used the doctor's glib comment as the rallying cry for another set of hard-hitting, self-deprecating punk tunes. The band promoted the effort with an international tour over the next year before returning to the studio to write and record a follow-up. They spent most of 2018 working on the album, which saw release in April 2019. Titled Morbid Stuff, the record was produced with Dave Schiffman (the Mars Volta, Weezer) and lyrically focused on Babcock's struggles with depression. A year later, PUP offered up their commentary on the state of the world with This Place Sucks Ass, a six-song EP whose title referenced one of their long-standing touring inside jokes. With COVID-19 putting a halt to live performances, the group returned to the studio in 2021 to record their fourth album. Produced by Peter Katis (the National, Frightened Rabbit), 2022's wild The Unraveling of Puptheband saw the group augmenting their normally guitar-based sound with synthesizers, piano, and horns.
Biography by Mark Deming
There is another artist using the same name:
2) PUP is a Chinese-Korean rapper.
Free at Last
PUP Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Wet from your nose as it started to drip, it was
Twenty below and you were shaking
I was a compass without a map, I was
A drifter on the side of the tracks, I was
Free at last, thought I could escape it
But I can't
And I won't, she keeps saying
Just 'cause you're sad again, it doesn't make you special at all
Just 'cause you're sad again, it doesn't make you special
Motivation, it comes and goes
Keepin' expectations low
So when I let you down, I won't feel so bad
Sloppy Steffy back at it again, callin' you up at 5AM
"Have you been drinking?" Well of course I have
Why the hell would I be here if I wasn't?
Just 'cause you're sad again, it doesn't make you special at all
Just 'cause you're sad again, it doesn't make you special
I'm wakin' up again, knowing nothing really matters at all
Just 'cause you're sad again, it doesn't make you special
Woo!
Oooh
Oooh
Oooh
Just 'cause you're sad again, it doesn't make you special at all
Just 'cause you're sad again, it doesn't make you special
I'm wakin' up again, knowing nothing really matters at all
Just 'cause you're sad again, it doesn't make you special
In "Free at Last," PUP explores the idea of freedom and its limitations. The opening lines set a scene of two people in a cold environment, with the singer kissing their partner while they are shivering. The imagery of the compass without a map and the drifter on the side of the tracks highlights the singer's feeling of being lost and without direction. The phrase "free at last" suggests that the singer had previously felt trapped and confined, but had somehow found a way to break free. However, the following line, "thought I could escape it, but I can't, and I won't," shows that, despite seeking freedom, the singer has not completely freed themselves from their struggles.
The chorus of "Just 'cause you're sad again, it doesn't make you special at all" challenges the idea that being sad is unique or special. The line suggests that everyone feels sadness, and it is not a unique experience. The verse following the chorus touches on the idea of motivation coming and going and keeping expectations low to avoid disappointment. The singer describes a scenario with a person named "Sloppy Steffy" and dismisses their concerns about being drunk by asking why they would be there if they weren't.
Overall, the song portrays a sense of resignation and acceptance of life's hardships, with the chorus acting as a reminder that sadness is not unique or special.
Line by Line Meaning
I was kissing your salty lips
I was intimately involved with you
Wet from your nose as it started to drip, it was
Your nose was running and your lips were salty
Twenty below and you were shaking
It was cold and you were shivering
I was a compass without a map, I was
I was directionless
A drifter on the side of the tracks, I was
I was aimlessly wandering
Free at last, thought I could escape it
I thought I had broken free from something
But I can't
I am unable to escape it
And I won't, she keeps saying
She keeps reminding me
Just 'cause you're sad again, it doesn't make you special at all
Being sad doesn't make you unique
Motivation, it comes and goes
Motivation is inconsistent
Keepin' expectations low
I am not expecting much
So when I let you down, I won't feel so bad
When I disappoint you, I won't feel too guilty
Sloppy Steffy back at it again, callin' you up at 5AM
Steffy is calling you early in the morning again while being drunk
"Have you been drinking?" Well of course I have
"Have you been drinking?" is a rhetorical question as it is obvious
Why the hell would I be here if I wasn't?
The reason why I'm here is that I'm drunk
I'm wakin' up again, knowing nothing really matters at all
I am waking up without any purpose or direction
Woo!
Expression of excitement
Oooh
Expression of pleasure or satisfaction
Just 'cause you're sad again, it doesn't make you special at all
Being sad doesn't make you unique
I'm wakin' up again, knowing nothing really matters at all
I am waking up without any purpose or direction
Just 'cause you're sad again, it doesn't make you special
Being sad doesn't make you unique
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Zack Mykula, Nestor Chumak, Steve Sladkowski, Stefan Babcock
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@noidea7523
LYRICS
I was kissing your salty lips
Wet from your nose as it started to drip, it was
Twenty below and you were shaking
I was a compass without a map, I was
A drifter on the side of the tracks, I was
Free at last, thought I could escape it
But I can't
And I won't, she keeps saying
Just 'cause you're sad again, it doesn't make you special at all
Just 'cause you're sad again, it doesn't make you special
Motivation, it comes and goes
Keepin' expectations low
So when I let you down, I won't feel so bad
Sloppy Steffy back at it again, callin' you up at 5AM
"Have you been drinking?" Well of course I have
Why the hell would I be here if I wasn't?
Just 'cause you're sad again, it doesn't make you special at all
Just 'cause you're sad again, it doesn't make you special
I'm wakin' up again, knowing nothing really matters at all
Just 'cause you're sad again, it doesn't make you special
Woo!
Oooh
Oooh
Oooh
Just 'cause you're sad again, it doesn't make you special at all
Just 'cause you're sad again, it doesn't make you special
I'm wakin' up again, knowing nothing really matters at all
Just 'cause you're sad again, it doesn't make you special
@mochtaufik4455
Pup - Free at last lyrics
I was kissing your salty lips
Wet from your nose as
It started to drip, it was
20 below, and you were shaking
I was a compass without a map, I was
A drifter on the side of the tracks, I was
Free at last, thought I could escape it
But I can't
And I won't, she keeps saying
Just 'cause you're sad again
It doesn't make you special at all
Just 'cause you're sad again
It doesn't make you special
Motivation, it comes and goes
Keepin' expectations low
So when I let you down
I won't feel so bad
Sloppy Steffy back at it again
Callin' you up at 5:00 a.m.
"Have you been drinking?"
Well, of course I have
Why the hell would I be here if I wasn't?
Just 'cause you're sad again
It doesn't make you special at all
Just 'cause you're sad again
It doesn't make you special
I'm wakin' up again
Knowing nothing really matters at all
Just 'cause you're sad again
It doesn't make you special
Just 'cause you're sad again
It doesn't make you special at all
Just 'cause you're sad again
It doesn't make you special
I'm wakin' up again
Knowing nothing really matters at all
Just 'cause you're sad again
It doesn't make you special
@butchxr4545
Only pup can make me feel happy by calling me unoriginal and not special. I love you guys so much. <3
@TheConker99
man tyler really let him self go
@marxh_hare
Preach dude lmao
@ambrose_orman
so true!
i wanted to like this comment but it has 666 likes. already perfect.
@kuntdestroyer5093
also an Alcoholic
@Ty-zi7we
i am so impressed with the very last submission at the end of the video, he knew he was gonna be embarrassed and still had the balls to submit it. he has determination, a fitting trait for a listener of PUP
@wallywutsizface6346
Lmao thanks! I had only looked at it for like 2 minutes beforehand
@hiroprotagonist921
@Wallywutsizface you made my day man, you got huge balls to submit that and have a great sense of humor about it
@wallywutsizface6346
I’m the guy at the end!! Thank you so much for including me!!!
@tarkus7033
Wallywutsizface Nice job dude!