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
Don't You Want Me Anymore
Pulp Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
As I came to fetch my suitcase and then you began to cry
I've never seen you look so ugly as the way you did that night
That night was eighteen months ago
Now I'm two hours from the station
Yeah I'm coming home again
I'm gonna show this town who's master soon as I get off this train
And I will make you smile again and then the whole damn town will come on out to welcome
Me
Oh they will open all the doors and give it all to me
Oh no but still your voice is ringing in my ears
Don't you want me anymore? Don't you want me anymore?
And I can't I can't believe it's happening
I know that oh there must be some mistake
You've found yourself another lover and you're glad we made the break
Oh you don't even you don't even want to see me
You just wanna wave and say 'Goodbye. Go away now, and leave us alone
No this house is not your own.'
Yeah
And now the whole damn town has come around to laugh at me
Oh yeah Oh they can stare for evermore; you do not care for me
Oh no Oh they can stare now for a hundred thousand years
Don't you want me anymore?
Don't you want me anymore?
Don't you want me anymore?
Don't you want me anymore?
The song "Don't You Want Me Anymore" by Pulp tells a story of a narrator who left their partner 18 months ago and is now returning to their hometown. As the singer is leaving their partner, they witness them crying, looking ugly and questioning whether their partner wants them anymore. The singer returns to their hometown to prove themselves to be a master and win back their partner's love. However, when they arrive, they are confronted with the fact that their partner has moved on, found a new lover, and is no longer interested in them. The town's people, who were once welcoming, now mock and stare at the singer. The song ends with the repeated question of whether the partner still wants the singer.
The song captures the feelings of longing, regret, and the desire to return to a once familiar home. The singer's hope of winning back their partner is evident, but their illusion is shattered when the partner rejects them. The contrast between the partner's initial tears and the apathy towards the singer's return is harrowing. This portrays the raw emotions that often accompany breakups and the difficulty of moving on from past relationships.
Line by Line Meaning
On the night that I was leaving, the moon rose in the sky
The night he left, there was a full moon
As I came to fetch my suitcase and then you began to cry
When he was getting his things to leave, she cried
I've never seen you look so ugly as the way you did that night
She looked very upset and not attractive that night
That night was eighteen months ago
It has been 18 months since he left
Now I'm two hours from the station
He is two hours away from home
Yeah I'm coming home again
He is returning home
I'm gonna show this town who's master soon as I get off this train
He wants to prove he is in charge when he arrives
You're gonna love me more than ever and the sun will shine again and I will kiss your face
He wants her to love him more than ever and be happy again
And I will make you smile again and then the whole damn town will come on out to welcome me
He wants to make her happy and have everyone celebrate his return
Oh they will open all the doors and give it all to me
He expects to be welcomed back by everyone
Oh no but still your voice is ringing in my ears
He still hears her telling him to leave
Don't you want me anymore? Don't you want me anymore?
He wonders if she still loves him
And I can't I can't believe it's happening
He can't believe she has moved on
I know that oh there must be some mistake
He thinks it's a misunderstanding that she has found someone else
You've found yourself another lover and you're glad we made the break
She has found someone else and is happy they broke up
Oh you don't even you don't even want to see me
She doesn't want to see him anymore
You just wanna wave and say 'Goodbye. Go away now, and leave us alone
She wants him to leave and never come back
No this house is not your own.' Yeah
He doesn't belong in their home anymore
And now the whole damn town has come around to laugh at me
Everyone is now making fun of him
Oh yeah Oh they can stare for evermore; you do not care for me
They can stare all they want, she doesn't care about him anymore.
Oh no Oh they can stare now for a hundred thousand years
Even if they stare for a long time, it won't change anything
Don't you want me anymore?
He still wonders if she wants him back
Don't you want me anymore?
He is still unsure if she has moved on
Don't you want me anymore?
He is desperate to know if she still loves him
Don't you want me anymore?
He can't accept that she has moved on without him
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind