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
Blue Glow
Pulp Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
As it bathes me in your
Blue midnight glow
I wonder why you're not sleeping
And I wonder
If you could know
Tonight
Tonight
Make it tonight
Crouched down by a bush at the roadside
I watch as
You pass me by
Lost down by the side of the river
And no light comes
From the empty sky
Tonight
Make it tonight
Tonight
Make it tonight
I left home at midnight
Made for the horizon
No sense of direction
I walked on for miles,
Oh I hope that I find you
I hide from the headlamps
No lights in the window
The whole town is sleeping and somewhere you lie,
Oh, I wish I could find you
Oh I'm lost by the river
My clothes are in tatters
My face scarred by branches
I shiver with cold,
No, I don't think I'll find you
Tonight
Make it tonight
Tonight
Make it tonight
Won't you make it tonight?
Oh say you'll meet me tonight
Won't you make it tonight?
Say you'll meet me tonight.
The song "Blue Glow" by Pulp is a melancholic tale of unrequited love and longing. The singer is obsessed with someone who doesn't seem to return his feelings. He stays up late at night, looking up at the person's window, wondering why they're not sleeping and if they could ever love him. The imagery of the "blue midnight glow" suggests that the person is probably still up, perhaps lost in their own thoughts. The singer wants tonight to be the night that they finally come together, that the person would acknowledge his feelings and reciprocate.
However, his hopes are dashed as he hides crouched down, watching the person pass him by. He is lost by the river, his clothes are in tatters, and his face is scarred by branches. It's clear that he's been searching for a long time but has been unsuccessful in finding what he's looking for. The song ends with the singer still pleading for the person to meet him tonight, though there's no indication that this will ever come to fruition.
The song is a poignant expression of unfulfilled desire and the pain it can bring. The singer's feelings are never explicitly stated, but the yearning is palpable. The repetition of the phrase "make it tonight" reinforces the desperation and urgency of his desire. The recurring imagery of the blue glow creates a sense of a dream-like world where anything is possible, but it's a world that's ultimately out of reach.
Line by Line Meaning
So late looking up at your window
It's late and I'm outside your window, gazing up at the blue light coming from inside your room.
As it bathes me in your
The blue light is enveloping me.
Blue midnight glow
The blue light coming from inside your window is shining into the dark, night sky.
I wonder why you're not sleeping
I'm curious as to why you're not asleep at this late hour.
And I wonder
I'm also curious if you're aware that I'm outside your window.
If you could know
I'm wondering if you have any idea that I'm here, looking up at your window.
Crouched down by a bush at the roadside
I'm now hidden behind a bush on the side of the road.
I watch as
I'm observing your movements.
You pass me by
You walk by me without noticing that I'm there.
Lost down by the side of the river
I'm feeling lost and aimlessly wandering by the river.
And no light comes
The sky is dark and there's no light coming from anywhere.
From the empty sky
The night sky is vast and empty.
I left home at midnight
I left my home at the stroke of midnight.
Made for the horizon
I'm heading towards the horizon.
No sense of direction
I'm lost and have no idea where I'm going.
I walked on for miles,
I've been walking for miles on end.
Oh I hope that I find you
I have a strong desire to find you.
I hide from the headlamps
I'm avoiding being seen by any car headlights.
No lights in the window
There are no lights on in any of the windows I pass by.
The whole town is sleeping and somewhere you lie,
The whole town is asleep and I believe you are somewhere in it.
Oh, I wish I could find you
I really want to find you but it's proving difficult.
Oh I'm lost by the river
I'm still wandering around aimlessly by the river.
My clothes are in tatters
My clothes are torn and broken.
My face scarred by branches
My face is marked by scratches from tree branches.
I shiver with cold,
I'm cold and shivering.
No, I don't think I'll find you
At this point, I'm losing hope of finding you.
Won't you make it tonight?
I'm asking you to meet me tonight.
Oh say you'll meet me tonight
Please say that you'll come out and meet me tonight.
Won't you make it tonight?
I'm once again asking you to meet me tonight.
Say you'll meet me tonight.
Please tell me that you'll come out and meet me tonight.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: CANDIDA DOYLE, JARVIS COCKER, PETER MANSELL, RUSSELL SENIOR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
DJ Lunatic Dreyfuss
Still sounds good
haesklar3
toniiiiiiiiiight yesyesss