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
His 'n' Hers
Pulp Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
and lick the smile off your face, the smile off your face
Though we know that it''s wrong / towel sets / matching combs
Oh it looks so good but does it turn you on?
Oh... / I want you now / and I want you here / so lie down by the fire
and if the neighbours hear, the neighbours hear
''cos they don''t understand / what you''ve got / in your hand
Oh it looks so good but does it turn you on?
Sideways? / I was still in the queue when you came
Delivered me from his ''n'' hers / you pulled the units down
Delivered me from his ''n'' hers / and when I saw his face
oh it made me feel better / Oh now it''s gone too far / we gave up hope
and the future''s bleak / just a soap on a rope, a soap on a rope
Put the rope around his neck
Pull it tight / he''s erect / oh and it looks so good but does it turn you on?
Oh... yeah! / Are we going to do it again?
Shove it in sideways / I was still in the queue when you came
Delivered me from his ''n'' hers / you pulled the units down
Delivered me from his ''n'' hers / and when I saw his face
oh it made me feel better
So we laid in bed afterwards and / she asked me
what made me frightened / and I said
"I''m frightened of Belgian chocolates / I''m frightened of pot pourri
I''m frightened of James Dean posters
I''m frightened of twenty-six inch screens / I''m frightened of remote control
I''m frightened of endowment plans / I''m frightened of figurines
I''m frightened of evenings in the Brincliffe Oaks searching for a conversation."
"Oh you''re stupid," she said / and she took my hand
she took my hand and she said / "I want
I want you / I want you to / I want you to touch
I want you to touch me / I want you to touch me."
Oh... / Are we going to do it again? / Shove it in sideways
I was still in the queue when you came
Delivered me from his ''n'' hers / you pulled the units down
Delivered me from his ''n'' hers / and when I saw his face
you know it made me feel better.
The lyrics of Pulp’s song “His” are intriguingly ambiguous, and the true meaning behind them is open to interpretation. The song describes a sexual encounter that is filled with passion, but at the same time, the two people involved know that what they’re doing is wrong. The singer is clearly aroused by his partner, and he wants her to know it. He talks about how he wants to “wipe her down” and “lick the smile off her face,” but at the same time, he questions whether what they’re doing is really turning her on.
The lyrics then take a slightly darker turn as the singer talks about “delivering” himself from somebody else’s possessions, in particular an “his ’n’ hers” set. The imagery is violent, as the singer talks about “put[ting] the rope around his neck” and “pull[ing] it tight.” It’s unclear who the “he” in the song is referring to, but it seems that the singer is using this violent imagery to express his desire to be free from something that is holding him back.
The final verse of the song is perhaps the most intriguing, as the singer talks about his fears of mundane objects like Belgian chocolates and potpourri. His partner reassures him that he’s being silly and encourages him to touch her. This final verse could be interpreted as a commentary on the banality of modern life and how it can be difficult to find meaning and excitement in a world filled with trivial objects and routines.
Line by Line Meaning
I've got the time
I am available to engage in sexual activity
and you've got the space
You have a place for us to engage in sexual activity
I'm gonna wipe you down and lick the smile off your face, the smile off your face
I am going to pleasure you orally and make you orgasm
Though we know that it's wrong / towel sets / matching combs / Oh it looks so good but does it turn you on?
We both know that our affair is immoral, yet the thrill of it turns us on
I want you now / and I want you here / so lie down by the fire / and if the neighbours hear, the neighbours hear
I desire to have sex with you immediately and in your home, regardless of the risk of being heard
'cos they don't understand / what you've got / in your hand / Oh it looks so good but does it turn you on?
Our neighbors are blissfully unaware of the erotic activity happening right next to them, but does the prospect of discovery excite you?
Are we going to do it again? / Sideways? / I was still in the queue when you came / Delivered me from his 'n' hers / you pulled the units down
Will we engage in sexual activity again, possibly in a different position? I was still waiting in line when you arrived and rescued me from my mundane life. You brought excitement and passion into my life.
Delivered me from his 'n' hers / and when I saw his face / oh it made me feel better
You saved me from the boring, conventional lifestyle of marriage and monogamy. When I saw the face of my former partner, it made me feel relieved and grateful for the escape you provided.
Oh now it's gone too far / we gave up hope and the future's bleak / just a soap on a rope, a soap on a rope / Put the rope around his neck
Our affair has escalated to a point of no return. We have lost all hope in a future together and our lives are as mundane as soap on a rope. The only way to escape is to end our past lives and start anew, by getting rid of the partner we no longer desire.
Pull it tight / he's erect / oh and it looks so good but does it turn you on?
As we strangle my former partner, he becomes erect. Does the knowledge of his demise and our erotic activity excite you?
So we laid in bed afterwards and / she asked me what made me frightened / and I said / "I'm frightened of Belgian chocolates / I'm frightened of pot pourri / I'm frightened of James Dean posters / I'm frightened of twenty-six inch screens / I'm frightened of remote control / I'm frightened of endowment plans / I'm frightened of figurines / I'm frightened of evenings in the Brincliffe Oaks searching for a conversation."
After our sexual activity, she asked me about my fears. I listed various mundane objects and experiences that do not excite me like our affair does.
"Oh you're stupid," she said / and she took my hand / she took my hand and she said / "I want / I want you / I want you to / I want you to touch / I want you to touch me / I want you to touch me."
She dismissed my fears and reaffirmed her desire for my touch.
Are we going to do it again? / Shove it in sideways / I was still in the queue when you came / Delivered me from his 'n' hers / you pulled the units down / Delivered me from his 'n' hers / and when I saw his face / you know it made me feel better.
Our sexual activity was so exhilarating that we wish to repeat it. I was still waiting in line when you entered my life, bringing a fresh sense of excitement and liberation from my previous life.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: CANDIDA DOYLE, JARVIS BRANSON COCKER, NICK BANKS, RUSSELL SENIOR, STEPHEN PATRICK MACKEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind