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
After You
Pulp Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The scriptures foretell of a party in Hackney
In a dimly lit room crammed with loathing and hate
They're selling their souls and I just can't wait
I shrivel inside at the sight of her beauty
I fall to the floor as she's shaking her booty
The rain makes me shiver, the wind turns me blue
I knew it was wrong, I began to suspect
When she reached over and pressed the eject
I was up to the gunnels against your advice
I felt so ashamed that I did it twice
From disco to disco, from Safeway to Tesco
We're shopping around from the cradle til death row
From Tesco it's down to the 7-11
To chase through the night time, to chase through the night after you
After you
I can't explain why I need to be free
But if you need to be naked that's alright by me
It's the fast track express to the graveyard, I know
So what are you waiting for? Hey ho, let's go
From disco to disco; from Safeway to tesco
We're shopping around from the cradle til death row
Don't stop til the train has pulled into the station
I'll hold the door for you no, I insist, after you
After you
After you
The lyrics to Pulp's song "After You" are filled with vivid and imaginative imagery that suggests a night of recklessness and abandon. The song begins by referencing the "last night on earth," a time when the horses are said to run free, and describes a party in Hackney that is filled with "loathing and hate." Despite the negativity that seems to surround this event, the singer is eager to attend as they believe that people at the party will be "selling their souls."
The second stanza introduces a female character that the singer finds captivating, but also intimidating. They explain that they "shrivel inside" at the sight of her beauty and "fall to the floor" when she starts to dance. The weather also gets increasingly harsh, with rain causing shivers and winds making the singer cold. Despite the discomfort, they seem willing to endure it all for the chance to be with this woman, even if it means engaging in some unsavory behavior to make it through the night.
The song's third stanza touches on themes of consumerism and seeking pleasure at any cost. The singer lists several locations, from discos to grocery stores, suggesting that they are constantly searching for something to fill the void in their life. They seem aware that this lifestyle is ultimately leading them to an early grave, but they are not willing to stop until they have attained some fleeting moment of satisfaction.
Overall, "After You" is a bleak yet strangely alluring depiction of a night spent pursuing pleasure and escape. It portrays a world where people are willing to do almost anything to avoid facing the emptiness of their existence.
Line by Line Meaning
On the last night on earth when the horses run free
On the final day of existence with no inhibitions
The scriptures foretell of a party in Hackney
Biblical texts described a gathering in a London borough
In a dimly lit room crammed with loathing and hate
A poorly illuminated space filled with disgust and animosity
They're selling their souls and I just can't wait
People sacrificing morals and principles for fun
I shrivel inside at the sight of her beauty
I feel small and inadequate upon seeing her attractiveness
I fall to the floor as she's shaking her booty
I am overwhelmed by her dancing and fall to the ground
The rain makes me shiver, the wind turns me blue
The weather causes me to feel cold and uneasy
Oh the things we get up to, to get through the night after you
The things we do to pass the time after being with you
I knew it was wrong, I began to suspect
I had an inkling that our actions were not morally right
When she reached over and pressed the eject
When she stopped the music abruptly by hitting the eject button
I was up to the gunnels against your advice
I went beyond what was recommended, and I regret it
I felt so ashamed that I did it twice
I was so embarrassed that I repeated my mistake
From disco to disco, from Safeway to Tesco
From one club to another, from one supermarket to another
We're shopping around from the cradle til death row
We're constantly looking for new experiences from birth to death
From Tesco it's down to the 7-11
From one supermarket chain to another
To chase through the night time, to chase through the night after you
To pursue something or someone throughout the night
I can't explain why I need to be free
I am unable to articulate why I desire freedom
But if you need to be naked that's alright by me
If being nude is what you need, I have no issues with it
It's the fast track express to the graveyard, I know
I am aware that living a reckless lifestyle leads to death
So what are you waiting for? Hey ho, let's go
Let's not waste any time, let's get going
From disco to disco; from Safeway to tesco
Continuing to explore various places
We're shopping around from the cradle til death row
We're constantly seeking new things from birth to death
Don't stop til the train has pulled into the station
Keep going until the journey is over
I'll hold the door for you no, I insist, after you
I'll let you go first, it's my pleasure
After you
Please go ahead
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Candida Doyle, Jarvis Branson Cocker, Mark Andrew Webber, Nick Banks, Stephen Patrick Mackey
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind