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 lyrics to Pulp's "Don't You Want Me Anymore?" describe the aftermath of a breakup from the perspective of the person who was left behind. The first verse sets the scene: the singer is leaving town and his former partner is crying. The way they look is described as "ugly," indicating that there is some bitterness and resentment between them. The second verse is more hopeful in tone - the singer is returning home and is determined to show everyone who's boss. They predict that their former partner will welcome them back with open arms and that the town will celebrate their return. However, the third verse reveals that things have not turned out as the singer had hoped. They have heard that their former partner has moved on and found someone new, and they are no longer welcome in the house that they once shared. The final lines of the song are a plea, in the form of a repeated question: "Don't you want me anymore?" The singer's sense of desperation is palpable as they try to hold on to what they have lost.
Line by Line Meaning
On the night that I was leaving, the moon rose in the sky
Recalling the past when he was leaving, and it was night time. The moon that rose is a reminder of his departure.
As I came to fetch my suitcase and then you began to cry
As he was grabbing his belongings to leave, she started crying. This indicates how she felt about him leaving.
I've never seen you look so ugly as the way you did that night
The way she looked that night while crying was not beautiful - this shows the emotional turmoil she was going through.
That night was eighteen months ago
The reference to a specific time period (18 months ago) shows how long it's been since he left.
Now I'm two hours from the station
He is now two hours away from reaching the station, which means he is close to returning home after a long time.
Yeah I'm coming home again
He is excited to come back home after a long time away.
I'm gonna show this town who's master soon as I get off this train
As soon as he arrives, he plans to show everyone who's in charge in the town.
You're gonna love me more than ever and the sun will shine again and I will kiss your face
He is confident that once he's back, she will love him even more and their relationship will be happy again.
And I will make you smile again and then the whole damn town will come on out to welcome Me
He believes that once he makes her happy again, everyone else in the town will welcome him back with open arms.
Oh they will open all the doors and give it all to me
He imagines everyone treating him like a hero by opening all the doors and showering him with praise.
Oh no but still your voice is ringing in my ears
Despite his excitement about returning home, her voice is still in his head, indicating his concern that she may not want him anymore.
Don't you want me anymore? Don't you want me anymore?
He is worried that she may not have the same feelings for him as she used to.
And I can't I can't believe it's happening
He can't believe that he might not have her love anymore.
I know that oh there must be some mistake
He thinks that there must be some error of judgment or something that made her change her feelings for him.
You've found yourself another lover and you're glad we made the break
He assumes that she moved on and found someone else, and she's happy that they broke up.
Oh you don't even you don't even want to see me
He is afraid that she doesn't even want to see him when he comes home.
You just wanna wave and say 'Goodbye. Go away now, and leave us alone
He thinks that she wants him to leave and never come back.
No this house is not your own.'
He is not welcome in the house he used to call home, as she has moved on.
And now the whole damn town has come around to laugh at me
He feels like everyone is mocking him now that his relationship with her is over.
Oh yeah Oh they can stare for evermore; you do not care for me
He feels like she doesn't care about him anymore, and everyone else is gawking at his misery.
Oh no Oh they can stare now for a hundred thousand years
He feels like people will always be watching him and judging him for what happened.
Don't you want me anymore?
At the core of the song, he is trying to figure out if she still loves him and wants him back.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: CANDIDA DOYLE, JARVIS COCKER, NICHOLAS BANKS, RUSSELL SENIOR, STEPHEN MACKEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind