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
Acrylic Afternoons
Pulp Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And had a dream about a small child,
In dungarees,
Who caught his hands in the doors of the Paris metro.
Then my face cracked open and you were there,
You were there dressed in green,
Saying something obscene.
But that's why I came here in the first place,
Can I stay here,
Lying under the table together with you now?
Can I hold you?
Forever in acrylic afternoons
I want to hold you tight
Whilst children play outside
And wait for their mothers to finish with lovers
And call them inside for their tea.
Cushions and TV,
And the table set for tea.
One for you, one for me.
Come and lie down on the settee,
In that green jumper,
You can have anything you want.
And the clock is saying,
It's half past four but you know,
I want to stay a little more.
Can I stay here,
Lying under the table together with you now?
Can I hold you?
Forever in acrylic afternoons
I want to hold you tight
Whilst children play outside
And wait for their mothers to finish with lovers
And call them inside for their tea.
On a pink quilted eiderdown,
I want to pull your knickers down.
Net curtains blow slightly in the breeze.
Lemonade light filtering through the trees.
It's so soft and it's warm.
Just another cup of tea please (one lump thanks).
Can I stay here,
Lying under the table together with you now?
Can I hold you?
Forever in acrylic afternoons
I want to hold you tight
Whilst children play outside
And wait for their mothers to finish with lovers
And call them inside for their tea.
Oh Kevin, Shane, Julie, Diane, Wayne, Frank,
Heather, Rachel, Chelsea, Leanne, come home.
It's time for your tea.
The song Acrylic Afternoons by Pulp is a love song that describes the desire of the singer to hold his lover tight in the soft and warm world of acrylic afternoons – a world of domesticity and comfort. The singer falls asleep on his lover's sofa and has a dream about a small child who caught his hands in the doors of the Paris metro. When his face cracks open, his lover dressed in green is there, saying something obscene. The singer admits that this is why he came there in the first place – to be with the person he loves, and also to have tea.
The lyrics are full of references to domesticity – cushions and TV, table set for tea, net curtains blowing slightly in the breeze – and the desire for intimacy and closeness. The singer wants to hold his lover tight while they lie under the table together, waiting for the children to come inside for their tea. The imagery is full of soft and warm textures, with a pink quilted eiderdown and lemonade light filtering through the trees.
The song is a celebration of the simple pleasures of life and the comfort of being with the person you love. The singer wants to stay a little longer in this world of acrylic afternoons and hold his lover tight forever. The song ends with a list of names, calling the children home for their tea, emphasizing the theme of domesticity and the importance of family.
Line by Line Meaning
I fell asleep on your sofa,
I drifted off into a slumber on your couch.
And had a dream about a small child,
In my sleep, I had a vision of a little kid.
In dungarees,
He was wearing overalls.
Who caught his hands in the doors of the Paris metro.
The boy's hands got stuck in the subway doors in Paris.
Then my face cracked open and you were there,
Suddenly, my visage broke apart and you appeared before me.
You were there dressed in green,
You were present clad in green attire.
Saying something obscene.
You uttered vulgar language.
But that's why I came here in the first place,
However, that is exactly why I came to this location initially.
Oh well that and the tea.
Well, that and the hot beverage.
Can I stay here,
May I remain at this spot.
Lying under the table together with you now?
Be next to you under the table currently?
Can I hold you?
May I embrace you?
Forever in acrylic afternoons
Always during these afternoons accompanied by acrylic colors.
I want to hold you tight
I wish to clasp you snugly.
Whilst children play outside
Meanwhile, kids are frolicking outside.
And wait for their mothers to finish with lovers
Holding out for their mothers to conclude their amorous dalliances.
And call them inside for their tea.
And gather them indoors for their meal.
Cushions and TV,
Soft objects to rest on and a television receiver,
And the table set for tea.
Along with a set table for the tea.
One for you, one for me.
One set up for you and one for me.
Come and lie down on the settee,
Join me and recline on the couch.
In that green jumper,
Wear that green sweater.
You can have anything you want.
You're welcome to take whatever you please.
And the clock is saying,
Furthermore, the clock is indicating,
It's half past four but you know,
At present, it is half past four but as you well know,
I want to stay a little more.
I desire to prolong our stay a bit more.
On a pink quilted eiderdown,
Reclined on a pink stitched bedspread,
I want to pull your knickers down.
I yearn to remove your underwear.
Net curtains blow slightly in the breeze.
The mesh drapes sway gently in the wind.
Lemonade light filtering through the trees.
A soft, warm light filters through the trees like lemonade.
It's so soft and it's warm.
It feels incredibly soft and warm.
Just another cup of tea please (one lump thanks).
I'll have another cup of tea, please. One sugar, thanks.
Oh Kevin, Shane, Julie, Diane, Wayne, Frank,
Oh, Kevin, Shane, Julie, Diane, Wayne, Frank,
Heather, Rachel, Chelsea, Leanne, come home.
Heather, Rachel, Chelsea, Leanne, return to the house.
It's time for your tea.
It's time for you to have your meal.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Candida Doyle, Jarvis Branson Cocker, Nick Banks, Russell Senior, Stephen Patrick Mackey
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind