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
Cousins
Pulp Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Every object touched before
Possessed
Depressed
I shouldn't have to call you
I've got the key to your door
I'll take a look inside
You lie
You lie
You lie
You cry
You cry
You cry
You cry
Oh, I'll talk to your mother
I'll will smile at your father
who is sleeping on his feet
Waiting for an accident
I'll take you on the table
I will creep into your garden
But I'm standing on the pavement
walking round and round and round and round and...
Lie
You lie
You lie
You lie
You lie
You cry
You cry
You cry
Took you six years to achieve this state
Hopelessly staring at your fate
Well, it's all too clear
It's all too bare
Well, you fell in love with something that isn't there
And you see your father lying on the floor
in a hopeless state you can't ignore
And you mother's weighted down with the drinks she's tried
Got 16 years hanging on her side
You walk into the air and you shut the door
And there's no use in crying, you can do no more
And you put yourself in an airless flat
You think it might be a place to hide
You read somewhere it's been done before
By someone in 1964
And you can't escape the blood and shit
You can't escape, you're stuck with it
Then again it might just die away
Oh, then again it might just die away
Then again it might just die away
Die away
Die
The lyrics of Pulp’s “Cousins” depict a grim picture of depression and hopelessness. The singer is tired of seeing everything around him/her tainted by a sense of possession, depression, and sadness. The line, “I’ll take a look inside” can be interpreted as a metaphorical glimpse into the person’s mind, curiosity to understand what’s going on, and perhaps an attempt to offer support. However, throughout the song, the singer is haunted by a sense of futility and ultimate failure. The repeated use of lines “You lie,” and “You cry” may show a sense of disappointment and deception regarding the people in the person’s life.
The second verse of the song presents a more tragic scene with the singer offering a false sense of hope to the people around them. The reference to the father sleeping on his feet, waiting for an accident may suggest a situation where one has given up on life or is hoping for something tragic to happen. The singer tries to reach out to the person and even tries to console their mother but ends up feeling helpless and powerless to make a difference. The last lines of the verse indicate that the singer is stuck in a loop, unable to break free from the cycle of disappointment and despair.
Overall, “Cousins” captures the emotional turmoil of feeling trapped in a world that’s often governed by feelings of hopelessness, despair, and deception. It depicts the singer’s battle with their own mind and their helplessness in offering support to the people around them.
Line by Line Meaning
Sick of the sight
Tired of seeing the same things over and over again
Every object touched before
Every single thing feels like it's been used excessively before
Possessed
Feeling like you're controlled or influenced by something
Depressed
Feeling extremely sad and hopeless
I shouldn't have to call you
I shouldn't have to be the one to make all the effort in this relationship
I've got the key to your door
I have access to everything you hide behind locked doors
I'll take a look inside
I'll investigate your secrets and figure out what makes you tick
I lie
I'm not truthful in this relationship
You lie
You're also not truthful in this relationship
You cry
You're emotionally unstable and prone to crying
Oh, I'll talk to your mother
I'll try to connect with your family to understand you better
I'll will smile at your father
I'll act friendly and approachable towards your father
who is sleeping on his feet
Your father is extremely tired and overworked
Waiting for an accident
Your father feels like something bad is bound to happen
I'll take you on the table
I'll have sex with you on the kitchen table
I will creep into your garden
I'll sneak into your backyard without you knowing
But I'm standing on the pavement walking round and round and round and round and...
But in reality, I'm just going in circles and not getting anywhere
Took you six years to achieve this state
It took you six years to become so damaged and depressed
Hopelessly staring at your fate
Feeling hopeless as you realize all the bad things you've created for yourself
Well, it's all too clear
It's obvious what's happening, even if we don't want to admit it
It's all too bare
The truth is too exposed and vulnerable
Well, you fell in love with something that isn't there
You fell in love with an idealization that doesn't exist in reality
And you see your father lying on the floor
You see your father in a severely depressed state on the ground
in a hopeless state you can't ignore
You can't avoid the realization that your father is beyond help
And you mother's weighted down with the drinks she's tried
Your mother is burdened by the alcohol she's been drinking to cope
Got 16 years hanging on her side
She's still burdened by the fact that she's been caring for you for 16 years
You walk into the air and you shut the door
You isolate yourself and shut down emotionally
And there's no use in crying, you can do no more
Crying won't solve anything, as there's nothing you can do to change the situation
And you put yourself in an airless flat
You live in a small, confined space without fresh air
You think it might be a place to hide
You hoped your living space would give you some respite from your problems
You read somewhere it's been done before
You read that others have taken similar actions to escape their problems
By someone in 1964
The person you read about took these steps in the year 1964
And you can't escape the blood and shit
You can't get away from the ugliness and harsh realities of your life
You can't escape, you're stuck with it
You're stuck in the situation you've created for yourself
Then again it might just die away
Maybe this pain and suffering will just fade away eventually
Die away
Fade away, disappear, cease to exist
Contributed by Austin K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
punchdrunkassassin
I love being able to find all this old stuff on YouTube, this is easily one of my favourite Pulp eras! I wish there was a more definitive collection of these kinds of tracks, especially the early 80's stuff, besides just the '81 Peel Sessions, and the bonus disc for Freaks.