Originally called "Arabicus Pulp" (although they shortened it to Pulp within a year), the band achieved sudden success some thirteen years after their formation and became known during the Britpop era as much for their music as for frontman Cocker's antics (notably conducting a stage invasion during Michael Jackson's performance of Earth Song at the 1996 BRIT Awards).
Achieving little success off the back of a Peel session in 1981, Pulp were finally able to release their debut album, It, in 1983. This album and its 1986 follow-up, Freaks, showcased a Pulp keen on Nick Drake (notably on the It single, My Lighthouse), with strong folk roots and little sign of the tendencies for storytelling and acid house music which would eventually bring forth success.
After the release and commercial flop of "Freaks", the band disbanded for a year, but reformed a year later to record a third album, Separations. Delayed for three years after its recording, Separations showed Cocker's increasing exposure to acid house, featuring multiple synths, and a hit single, My Legendary Girlfriend, which helped Pulp's career start to rocket.
Their next single, Babies, which would eventually feature on their 1994's commercial breakthrough His 'n' Hers, and it was the first example of the Pulp-sound most listeners associate with the band--cheap synths, rolling guitars, and Cocker's deadpan vocals telling a story. "His 'n' Hers" in sound, was lumped in with the Britpop movement of the time, receiving commercial and critical acclaim. However, it was the 1995 single Common People, which finally saw them become known, eventually charting at number 2 in the UK charts. Awash with Britpop guitars, catchy keyboard lines and that trademark Cocker vocal performance it has remained a favorite. A successful appearance at Glastonbury that summer cemented their fame, and their success was subsequently confirmed by the release of Different Class, which arrived at the peak of the Britpop movement and featured this song and other UK hits as Disco 2000 and Sorted for E's & Wizz.
Their last two albums, 1998's darker This Is Hardcore, -an album that marked the end of the Britpop era- and 2001's more downbeat We Love Life were commercial successes, but Pulp were no longer as famous or trendy as they had been in the height of Britpop. Following their curation of a music festival, Auto, in 2002, the band announced that they would be embarking on an "indefinite hiatus".
In 2003, Jarvis Cocker released an album as Relaxed Muscle and then two solo efforts, 2006's Jarvis and 2009's Further Complications.
On 8th November 2010, it was announced that the band with its most relevant lineup will reform to play a series of gigs in summer 2011.
Discography:
It 1983
Freaks 1986
Separations 1992
His 'n' Hers 1994
Different Class 1995
This Is Hardcore 1998
We Love Life 2001
Official website:
http://www.pulppeople.com
03. 97 Lovers
Pulp Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Twisted out of shape
And just one kiss
Could set them straight
Ninety-seven lovers
Twisted out of shape
And just one kiss
Could set them straight
I know a woman
With a picture of Roger Moore
In a short towel and dressing-gown
Pinned to her bedroom wall
She married a man
Who works on a building site
Now they make love beneath Roger
Every Friday night
Ninety-seven lovers
Twisted out of shape
And just one kiss
Could set them straight
Ninety-seven lovers
Rose to meet the sun
And when the day was over
There were only ninety-one
Another I know
Well, she laughs too loud with her friends
Playing it safe on the surface
To give her heart time to mend
And then one day without warning
He walks unannounced through the door
And he picks her heart up off the table
And he watches it smash on the floor
Ninety-seven lovers
Twisted out of shape
And just one kiss
Could set them straight
Ninety-seven lovers
Rose to meet the sun
And when the day was over
There were only ninety-one.
The song "97 Lovers" by Pulp talks about the complexities of love and relationships. The lyrics depict a world where there are 97 lovers, all twisted and distorted in their own unique way. However, a simple kiss could set them straight and bring them back to their senses. This imagery suggests that love has the power to make things right even when things seem difficult and complicated.
The song tells the story of two women, both struggling in their relationships. The first woman has a picture of Roger Moore on her wall and makes love to her husband beneath it every Friday night. This suggests that she is unsatisfied in her relationship and is seeking solace in someone else's image. The second woman laughs too loud and plays it safe with her friends to avoid getting hurt. But when a man comes into her life unexpectedly, he picks up her heart and watches it shatter on the floor, leaving her vulnerable and exposed.
The refrain in the song is "ninety-seven lovers twisted out of shape, and just one kiss could set them straight." This suggests that all these lovers are going through the same thing but are too caught up in their own problems to see that they are not alone. The song ends with the line "and when the day was over, there were only ninety-one," implying that some of these lovers may have found their way back to each other, while others were left behind.
Overall, "97 Lovers" is a powerful tribute to the complexities of love and relationships. It shows that love has the power to heal and mend, but it can also hurt and leave us vulnerable.
Line by Line Meaning
Ninety-seven lovers
There were ninety-seven people who entered into a romantic relationship.
Twisted out of shape
The love they shared was complicated and dysfunctional.
And just one kiss
All they needed was a single affectionate gesture to fix their issues.
Could set them straight
That gesture of love could help them put their relationship back on track.
I know a woman
The singer is aware of a specific person.
With a picture of Roger Moore
She has a photograph of Roger Moore, a popular actor, in her room.
In a short towel and dressing-gown
The picture shows Roger Moore wearing minimal clothing.
Pinned to her bedroom wall
The picture is attached to her room's wall.
She married a man
The woman became wedded to someone.
Who works on a building site
The man is a laborer working on a construction site.
Now they make love beneath Roger
She and her husband engage in sexual activity underneath the picture of Roger Moore every Friday night.
Every Friday night
This act happens specifically on Fridays.
Ninety-seven lovers
There were ninety-seven people who entered into a romantic relationship.
Rose to meet the sun
They began their relationship in the morning with high hopes.
And when the day was over
When the evening arrived,
There were only ninety-one
Only ninety-one couples remained as their relationships could not survive the day's events.
Another I know
The singer is aware of someone else.
Well, she laughs too loud with her friends
This woman attempts to mask her true feelings by laughing boisterously with her companions.
Playing it safe on the surface
She tries to protect herself by remaining shallow and not expressing any deep passion.
To give her heart time to mend
She holds back on her emotions to help recover from a past relationship.
And then one day without warning
Unexpectedly, one day,
He walks unannounced through the door
A man enters the room without prior communication.
And he picks her heart up off the table
He wins her heart through a romantic gesture.
And he watches it smash on the floor
Unfortunately, he destroys her heart and ends up ruining the relationship.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: CANDIDA DOYLE, JARVIS COCKER, PETER MANSELL, RUSSELL SENIOR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind