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

In Many Ways
Pulp Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Hey
you're treading on my life
You're leaving marks, but that's alright
In a year or so, I'll look back and I'll smile
These things last only for a while
In many ways

this is a waste of time

what will become of it all?
I make you cry
know you in crowded streets
not what I wanted at all

Then
what else could I do
instead of thinking about you?
Pleasure now will justify our love
See, I even call it "love"

In many ways
there's nothing I'd rather do
one kiss makes sense of it all

And what's to come?
Let's just not think about it, it might never happen at all.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Pulp’s “In Many Ways” narrate the internal conflict and emotions of a person who is torn between wanting to live in the moment with someone they are attracted to and the looming uncertainty of the future. The first verse introduces the subject of the song, who is experiencing mixed feelings about the presence of the person they’re interested in. The line “you’re leaving marks, but that's alright,” sheds light on a physical aspect of their relationship, indicating that it is not entirely negative. The person acknowledges that their moments together are fleeting, but they choose to see the positives in the interim, knowing that they will look back on their time together fondly. The concept of timeliness runs through the song, with references to time in the chorus and the phrase “these things last only for a while” indicating the ephemeral nature of relationships.

The second verse continues the conflict within the singer, with them questioning the worth of their current situation given the unpredictability of the future. The lyric, “what will become of it all?” demonstrates that the singer is unclear about what their relationship means in the grand scheme of things. They reveal that they have feelings for this person, stating “I make you cry,” but they also note the limitations of their relationship, “know you in crowded streets, not what I wanted at all.” The final verse suggests the singer has reconciled with the ambiguity of the future and has chosen to focus on the current pleasure that their partner brings. They call it “love,” but the tone suggests an acknowledgment of its futility. The chorus reinforces this idea with lines such as “one kiss makes sense of it all” and “let’s not think about it, it might never happen at all.”

Overall, “In Many Ways” captures the fleeting nature of relationships and the conflicting emotions that come with them. It presents a painfully realistic look at the momentary nature of intimacy and the anxious longing for it to last a while.

Line by Line Meaning

Hey
Attention grabber

you're treading on my life
You are interfering in my personal space

You're leaving marks, but that's alright
You're doing damage, but I accept it

In a year or so, I'll look back and I'll smile
I'll remember this fondly in the future

These things last only for a while
This will not last forever

this is a waste of time
This is not productive

what will become of it all?
What is the outcome of this situation?

I make you cry
I am causing you emotional pain

know you in crowded streets
I see you in public, but cannot connect

not what I wanted at all
This is not my desired outcome

Then what else could I do
I am limited in my choices