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
It's A Dirty World
Pulp Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
but she had a proper job by day
Charlie Chaplin knew her father
before he passed away
She asked could I help her with a problem
She doesn't get out much no more
"I'm not looking for a lover - no, no, no
I wanna dance that's all
I wanna dance that's all
I wanna dance that's all
And all around the world are people singing "hallelujah"
And every man in town wants to do it to you
With your back up against the cigarette machine
Oh, it's bad for your health if you know what I mean - oh yeah
Oh yeah
And the guys at the front have seen your act one million times before
And nobody does it quite the same, so they're sitting down for more
But you're making them feel so useless and dumb
'cos they've seen it all and they still can't come
Oh, let me tell you - it's a dirty world
Oh, it's a dirty world
It's a dirty world
It's a dirty world
It's a dirty world
And everybody in the house says "whoah"
And everybody in the house says "yeah!"
And everybody in the house says "whoah"
And everybody in the house says "yeah!"
With the period features and original dust and the china everywhere
And you dance 'til the place goes up in flames
And you lay down in the charred remains
That's where I come in with my second-hand excuse for technique, yeah
Technique, yeah
Well, ain't that a treat, yeah?
And everybody in the house says "whoah"
And everybody in the house says "yeah!"
And everybody in the house says "whoah"
And everybody in the house says "yeah!"
You see, I always wanted to be a dancer
but I just could not get it right
And it got me down at parties
so I used to sit and drink all night
Now I see it's not so hard
all I needed was a partner
Someone even dirtier than me
And I'm so glad I found you
Yeah, I'm so glad I found you
Oh, it's a dirty world
It's a dirty world
It's a dirty world
It's a dirty world ...
And everybody in the house says "whoah"
And everybody in the house says "yeah!"
And everybody in the house says "whoah"
And everybody in the house says "yeah!" ...
The song "It's A Dirty World" by Pulp is about a woman who wanted to dance, but had a proper day job. The singer meets her and she asks him for help with a problem as she doesn't get out much anymore. She clarifies that she's not looking for a lover - she just wants to dance. The song suggests that dancing is a form of escape from the real world, and it can be dangerous as well.
The lyrics also focus on the woman's provocative act that causes men to be mesmerized by her dance moves. The chorus talks about people singing "Hallelujah", and every man in town wanting to do it to her. The song shows how her performance has become repetitive and mundane for the men who've seen it too many times. However, they keep asking for more, making them feel useless and dumb. The song suggests that this is a dirty world where people take pleasure in watching the same thing over and over again.
The last few lyrics reveal a personal touch to the song. The singer admits that he always wanted to dance but could never get it right. He'd sit and drink all night at parties. However, the woman he met has changed it all for him. She's a partner who's dirtier than him, and he's glad he found her. The song ends with the chorus, where everybody in the house is saying "whoah" and "yeah!", suggesting that dancing brings people together.
Line by Line Meaning
She said she trained to be a dancer
She claimed to have been trained as a dancer
but she had a proper job by day
but she had a regular day job
Charlie Chaplin knew her father
Charlie Chaplin had known her father
before he passed away
before he died
She asked could I help her with a problem
She asked me if I could help her
She doesn't get out much no more
She doesn't go out often anymore
"I'm not looking for a lover - no, no, no
"I'm not seeking a romantic relationship"
I wanna dance that's all"
"I just want to dance"
And all around the world are people singing "hallelujah"
People all around the world are singing "hallelujah"
And every man in town wants to do it to you
Every man in town wants to sleep with you
With your back up against the cigarette machine
With your back pressed against the cigarette machine
Oh, it's bad for your health if you know what I mean - oh yeah
It's not healthy, if you catch my drift - oh yeah
And the guys at the front have seen your act one million times before
The men at the front have seen you perform many times before
And nobody does it quite the same, so they're sitting down for more
No one does it like you do, so they're staying for more
But you're making them feel so useless and dumb
But you're making them feel worthless and foolish
'cos they've seen it all and they still can't come
Because they've experienced it all and still can't orgasm
Oh, let me tell you - it's a dirty world
Let me tell you, the world is dirty
And everybody in the house says "whoah"
And everyone in the house says "whoah"
And everybody in the house says "yeah!"
And everyone in the house says "yeah!"
With the period features and original dust and the china everywhere
With the vintage decor, dust, and china present everywhere
And you dance 'til the place goes up in flames
And you dance until the place burns down
And you lay down in the charred remains
And you lie down in the burnt debris
That's where I come in with my second-hand excuse for technique, yeah
That's where I come in with my mediocre dance skills
Technique, yeah
Mediocre skills, yeah
Well, ain't that a treat, yeah?
Isn't that just wonderful, yeah?
You see, I always wanted to be a dancer
I always dreamed of being a dancer
but I just could not get it right
But I couldn't seem to get it right
And it got me down at parties
And it brought me down at parties
so I used to sit and drink all night
So I used to just sit and drink all night
Now I see it's not so hard
But now I see it's not as hard as I thought
all I needed was a partner
All I needed was a dance partner
Someone even dirtier than me
Someone even more willing to dance provocatively than I am
And I'm so glad I found you
And I'm happy I found you
Oh, it's a dirty world
Oh, the world is dirty
And everybody in the house says "whoah"
And everyone in the house says "whoah"
And everybody in the house says "yeah!"
And everyone in the house says "yeah!"
Contributed by Chloe L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@nukikakuch2367
Прекрасно, как всегда!!!!!👍
@collettelynch3926
This is a fantastic powerful song!! I love it 💕😀
@tomotomic7208
Svaka čast Luna
@renaantonovic1257
JA prvi put ovo čujem! Zašto? Zaboga! A, Luna!