A Little Soul
Pulp Lyrics

Hey, man
The singer addresses the listener, asking about their treatment of a woman.

How come you treat your woman so bad?
The singer questions the listener's negative treatment of the woman in their life.

That's not the way you do it
The singer believes that the listener's treatment of their woman is incorrect.

No, no, no, you shouldn't do it like that
The artist emphasizes that the way the listener is treating their woman is wrong.

I could show you how to do it right
The artist offers to show the listener a better way to treat their woman.

I used to practice every night on my wife, now she's gone
The singer practiced treating their own wife well, but it didn't prevent her from leaving.

Yeah, she's gone
The singer's wife has left them.

You see, her mother and me
The artist has had issues with their wife's mother.

We never got along that well, you see
The artist and their wife's mother didn't have a good relationship.

I'd love to help you
The artist still wants to help the listener.

But everybody's telling me you look like me
Other people are pointing out similarities between the singer and the listener.

But please don't turn out like me, you look like me
The artist doesn't want the listener to make the same mistakes they did, despite their similarities.

But you're not like me I know
The singer acknowledges that the listener might not be like them.

I had one, two, three,
The singer is about to describe their own experience.

Four shots of happiness, I look like a big man
The singer felt happy and important after drinking.

But I've only got a little soul
Despite his outward appearance, the artist feels empty on the inside.

Yeah, I wish I could be an example
The artist wishes they could be a positive influence for the listener.

Wish I could say I stood up for you
The singer wishes they had advocated or fought for the listener's well-being.

And fought for what was right
The singer wishes they had stood up for morals and justice.

But I never did
The artist admits they did not act according to their own wishes and beliefs.

I just wore my trenchcoat and stayed out every single night
The artist was distant and uninvolved in their own life.

You think I'm joking?
The artist challenges the listener's doubt about their words.

Try me
The singer is urging the listener to test their words.

Try me
The artist again urges the listener to test their words.

Yeah come on, try me tonight
The singer is inviting the listener to test their words that very evening.

I did what was wrong though I knew what was right
The singer made bad choices even though they knew what the right choices were.

I've got no wisdom that I want to pass on
The singer feels they have no valuable knowledge to share with the listener.

Just don't hang round here, no, I'm telling you son
The artist urges the listener to avoid them and their negative influence.

You don't want to know me
The artist is telling the listener that they don't want to be associated with someone like them.

Oh, that's just what everybody's telling me
The singer has heard that other people also advise the listener to avoid them.

And everybody's telling me you look like me
The singer is again acknowledging the similarity between themselves and the listener.

But please don't turn into me
The artist again urges the listener not to become like them.

You look like me
The artist sees visual similarities between themselves and the listener.

But you're not like me I hope
Despite their similarities, the artist hopes that the listener won't become like them.

I have run away form the one thing that I ever made, now
The singer has avoided or abandoned the one significant thing they accomplished in their life.

Only wish that I could show you
Despite their flaws, the artist still wishes they could help the listener.

Wish I could show a little soul
The singer wants to demonstrate and share genuine emotion or compassion with the listener.