Pulp is an alternative rock band that formed in 1978 in Sheffield, England,… Read Full Bio ↴Pulp is an alternative rock band that formed in 1978 in Sheffield, England, United Kingdom. The band's best known and most stable lineup consists of Jarvis Cocker (vocals), Russell Senior (guitar, violin), Mark Webber (guitar), Candida Doyle (keyboards), Steve Mackey (bass) and Nick Banks (drums). Although many members have had a long tenure with the band, the only constant member has been Cocker. In 2011, it was announced on Pulp's official website that the band's classic lineup would reunite and perform at several festivals, including Isle of Wight, that year.

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

Boats & Trains
Pulp Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Would you like to hear
About the things I fear?
About my life, and loves too?
Well why should I tell you?
If I told you a secret
You'd be sure to leak it
You couldn't keep it inside
No matter how hard you tried

On boats and trains and
And boats and trains and
Funny things and

Funny things and
La la la

Overall Meaning

In the first stanza of Pulp's song Boats and Trains, the singer is addressing someone who is asking about his fears, life, and loves. The lyrics imply that the singer does not trust this person enough to disclose such personal information as they believe that this person cannot keep a secret to themselves even if they tried. The song's overall tone is one of a person who has experienced disappointment and loss at the hands of someone they trusted.

Throughout the rest of the song, the singer goes on to describe the melancholic aspects of their life, such as travelling on boats and trains and the strange and funny things that happen in those situations. The song contains a feeling of isolation and dissatisfaction with life, accompanied by a sense of resignation to those feelings.

Line by Line Meaning

Would you like to hear
Do you desire to listen

About the things I fear?
Regarding the topics that cause me apprehension?

About my life, and loves too?
Regarding my existence and affections as well?

Well why should I tell you?
What reason do I have to disclose to you?

If I told you a secret
Suppose I shared confidential information with you

You'd be sure to leak it
It's a certainty that you would divulge it to others

You couldn't keep it inside
It would be impossible for you to retain it privately

No matter how hard you tried
Your utmost efforts would not be enough

On boats and trains and
During voyages on maritime vessels and locomotives

And boats and trains and
Again while on boats and trains

Funny things and
Amusing occurrences