Babies follows a simple 'Teen Angst' story-song. The song's protagonist, a teenage boy, spends platonic afternoons in a female friend's room listening to her older sister and the boys she takes to her room and, presumably, has sex with but this isn't enough for him and he hides in the elder sister's wardrobe and watches her with David, who works in a local garage. Unable to tell the younger sister, who appears to be the real object of his affections, for fear she will tell her mother the song's narrator listens outside as she proposes sex to a boy named Neve (The song's chorus is a proposal of sex 'I wanna take you home, I wanna give you children...'). Finally he comes 'home' to the disappointment that the elder sister has moved out, presumably in an act of nostalgia he re-enters the wardrobe but falls asleep and is found by the elder sister and the two have sex only to be caught by the younger sister, culminating in the boy making the pathetic excuse "I only went with her cos she looks like you".
A video for Babies was made and as of April 2004 continues to be shown with regularity on Music Video Channels in the UK, in fact with more regularity that the higher charting Common People. The Video features the band playing (including an improvised odd dance from Jarvis Cocker) interspersed with clips of two sisters fooling around on a bed as well as using text to preempt certain things i.e. 'Chorus' or 'Punch Line' before Jarvis sings "I only went with her cos she looks like you" it is currently available on the Hits DVD, and was previously included on the Sorted for Films and Vids VHS. Island Records had the band make another video to promote the Sisters EP though it is shown rarely nowadays.
Babies
Pulp Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When you lived on Stanhope Road
We listened to your sister
When she came home from school
'Cause she was two years older
And she had boys in her room
We listened outside and heard her
Alright
Well that was alright for a while
But soon I wanted more
I want to see, as well as hear
And so I, I hid inside her wardrobe
And she came home 'round four
And she was with some kid called David
From the garage up the road
I listened outside, I heard her
Alright
Oh, I want to take you home
I want to give you children
You might be my girlfriend, yeah, yeah-yeah, yeah-yeah-yeah
When I saw you next day
I really couldn't tell
'Cause you might go and tell your mother
And so you went with Neve
Oh yeah, and Neve was coming on
And I thought I heard you laughing
When his Mum and Dad were gone
I listened outside, I heard you
Alright
Oh, I want to take you home
I want to give you children
You might be my girlfriend, yeah, yeah-yeah, yeah-yeah-yeah
Oh yeah
Well, I guess it couldn't last too long
I came home one day
And all her things were gone
I fell asleep inside
I never heard her come
And when I opened up the wardrobe
And I had to get it on, yeah
Oh, listen
Oh, we were on the bed when you came home
I heard you stop outside the door
I know you won't believe it's true
I only went with her 'cause she looks like you, my god!
Oh, I want to take you home
I want to give you children
You might be my girlfriend, yeah, yeah-yeah, yeah-yeah
Oh
Yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah
Yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah
Yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah
Yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah
Yeah
Yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah
Yeah
Yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah
Oh yeah
The song "Babies" by Pulp is about a young boy who develops a crush on an older girl who he listens to through her sister's bedroom wall. The boy wishes to progress his relationship with the girl, which drives him to hide in her wardrobe, hoping to catch a glimpse of her with her male companions. Eventually, the boy and the girl sleep together, however, their affair is cut short when he finds out she has moved away. The song describes his nostalgia for the girl and his attempts to replicate their encounter through other women.
The lyrics of the song are quite direct and explicit in their descriptions, yet their significance is somewhat hidden. The song is less about sexual desire and more about the longing for intense feelings and experiences. The singer is seeking ways to connect with someone, to feel something more than his mundane existence, and to escape the dullness of his life.
The song also speaks to the nostalgia for the past and how our memories can be bittersweet. Time has passed, and the boy has grown up, but he still yearns for the feelings he had in his youth. The song captures the way the past can be romanticized, and it reveals a certain sadness in the realization that those times are gone forever.
Overall, "Babies" is a song about the desire for connection, nostalgia for the past, and the bittersweet realization that some memories cannot be relived.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, it happened years ago
This event occurred in the past
When you lived on Stanhope Road
The event happened at a specific place
We listened to your sister
The singer and others were eavesdropping on the sister
When she came home from school
The sister was coming home from school
'Cause she was two years older
The sister is older than the artist
And she had boys in her room
The sister had male visitors in her room
We listened outside and heard her
The eavesdroppers heard the sister and her visitors
Alright
The sister's actions were acceptable to the artist and others
Well, that was alright for a while
The eavesdropping was enjoyable for a time
But soon I wanted more
The artist desired something beyond listening
I want to see, as well as hear
The singer wanted to actually witness what was happening
And so I, I hid inside her wardrobe
The artist found a hiding spot to see the sister's visitors
And she came home 'round four
The sister returned home around 4PM
And she was with some kid called David
The sister's visitor was a boy named David
From the garage up the road
David lived nearby
I listened outside, I heard her
The artist listened to the sister and David
Alright
The artist and others still found the sister's actions acceptable
Oh, I want to take you home
The singer desires the sister romantically
I want to give you children
The singer wants to have a family with the sister
You might be my girlfriend, yeah, yeah-yeah, yeah-yeah-yeah
The artist wants to be in a romantic relationship with the sister
When I saw you next day
The artist encounters the sister after the previous event
I really couldn't tell
The artist is unsure of the sister's reaction
'Cause you might go and tell your mother
The sister might tell on the singer for eavesdropping
And so you went with Neve
The sister chose to be with someone else
Oh yeah, and Neve was coming on
Neve was attempting to be romantic with the sister
And I thought I heard you laughing
The singer believes the sister was laughing with Neve
When his Mum and Dad were gone
Neve's parents were absent
I listened outside, I heard you
The artist listened in to Neve and the sister
Alright
The artist and others still found the sister's actions acceptable
Well, I guess it couldn't last too long
The previous situation was temporary
I came home one day
The singer is back at their own residence
And all her things were gone
The sister is no longer living at the residence on Stanhope Road
I fell asleep inside
The artist fell asleep while hiding in the wardrobe
I never heard her come
The artist didn't hear the sister return
And when I opened up the wardrobe
The singer looked out from the hiding spot
And I had to get it on, yeah
The artist had sexual activity with the sister's clothes
Oh, listen
The singer is alerting the listener to pay attention
Oh, we were on the bed when you came home
The sister and speaker were engaged in sexual activity when interrupted
I heard you stop outside the door
The singer was aware of the sister returning
I know you won't believe it's true
The artist acknowledges the unlikelihood of their story
I only went with her 'cause she looks like you, my god!
The artist was attracted to the sister and their activities were a distorted attempt at being with her
Yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah
Repetition for emphasis
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
@noelsiwel9596
PULP • babies
Well, it happened years ago
When you lived on Stanhope Road
We listened to your sister
When she came home from school
'Cause she was two years older
And she had boys in her room
I listened outside, I heard her
Alright
Well, that was all right for a while
But soon I wanted more
I wanna see as well as hear and so I
I hid inside her wardrobe
As she came home 'round four
And she was with some kid called David
Oh, from the garage up the road
I listened outside, I heard her
Alright
Oh, I wanna take you home
I wanna give you children
And you might be my girlfriend
A-yeah, yeah yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
When I saw you next day
I really couldn't tell
'Cause you might go and tell your mother
And so you went with Neve
Oh yeah, and Neve was coming on
And I thought I heard you laughing
When his mum and dad were gone
I listened outside, I heard you
Alright
Oh, I wanna take you home
I wanna give you children
And you might be my girlfriend
A-yeah, yeah yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Oh yeah
Oh well, I guess
It couldn't last too long
I came home one day
And all her things were gone
I fell asleep inside
I never heard her come
Oh, and I opened up the wardrobe
And I had to get it on, yeah
Oh, listen
Oh, we were on the bed when you came home
I heard you stop outside the door
I know you won't believe it's true
I only went with her 'cause she looks like you
My God!
Oh, I wanna take you home
I wanna give you children
And you might be my girlfriend
A-yeah, yeah yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Oh
Yeah, yeah yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Yeah
Yeah, yeah yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Yeah
Yeah, yeah yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Oh yeah
@liawasadiver
Jarvis Cocker: The most charismatic man of the 90's.
Look, he's the only one who can can had no shirt inside a suit jacket without looking stupid!
@Hellwyck
David Bowie says you talk shit.
@amerLeVrai
No xt
@mildredsparks6684
He has Ron Mael from Sparks to thank for that.
@trevortucker4763
Best line in a song " I know you won't beleive it's true I went with her because she looks like you" pure gold.
@stevet603
"My God".....
@jackspry9736
RIP Steve Mackey (November 10, 1966 – March 2, 2023), aged 56
You will be remembered as a legend.
@SuperAnimelover100
Sorry about the bass player. :(
@federicapiottoli6922
This is what Alex Turner thought he was doing in the Cornerstone video.
@charlierowell1395
Underrated comment