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
Joyriders
Pulp Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Past the Leisure Center, left at the lights.
We don't look for trouble,
But if it comes we don't run.
Looking out for trouble,
Is what we call fun.
Hey you, you in the Jesus sandals,
Over and watch some vandals smashing up someone's home?
We can't help it, we're so thick we can't think,
Can't think of anything but shit, sleep and drink.
Oh, and we like women;
"Up the women" we say,
And if we get lucky,
We might even meet some one day.
Hey you, you in the Jesus sandals,
Wouldn't you like to come
Over and watch some vandals smashing up someone's home?
Mister, we just want your car,
'Cause we're taking a girl to the reservoir.
Oh, all the papers say,
It's a tragedy, but don't you want to come and see?
Mister, we just want your car,
'Cause we're taking a girl to the reservoir.
Oh, all the papers say,
It's a tragedy, but don't you want to come and see?
Mister, we just want your car,
'Cause we're taking a girl to the reservoir.
Oh, all the papers say,
It's a tragedy, but don't you want to come and see?
Mister, we just want your car,
'Cause we're taking a girl to the reservoir.
Oh, all the papers say,
It's a tragedy, but don't you want to come and see?
The song "Joyriders" by Pulp captures the hedonistic and reckless lifestyle of a group of young people who find fun in driving around at night, looking out for trouble, and getting drunk. The lyrics describe their weekend adventures, driving past the leisure center and not seeking out any trouble but not running from it when it comes. In fact, they claim that looking for trouble is what they consider to be fun. The lyrics specifically reference one person, identified as wearing Jesus sandals, inviting them to come along and watch some vandals smashing up someone's home. The song is not glamorous, and the singer admits that they can only think about a few basic things: "shit, sleep, and drink," but they also like women and hope to meet some someday.
The lyrics take a darker turn in the chorus, where the young people in the car apparently spot a man with a car and decide to steal it to take a girl to the reservoir. They offer the man an invitation to come and see the "tragedy" in hopes of making light of the serious crime they are committing. The lyrics are written from the perspective of the young people involved in the joyriding, and they portray a sense of youthful recklessness, boredom, and desperation for excitement that leads them to take risks and do dangerous things.
Overall, "Joyriders" is a cautionary tale about the dangers of meaningless rebellion and the consequences of thoughtless behavior. The song reminds its listeners that youthful recklessness can sometimes have serious consequences and that there is real danger in seeking out trouble.
Line by Line Meaning
We like driving on a Saturday night,
We enjoy driving around on Saturday nights.
Past the Leisure Center, left at the lights.
We usually drive past the Leisure Center and turn left at the lights.
We don't look for trouble,
We are not intentionally looking for trouble.
But if it comes we don't run.
But if we encounter trouble, we won't back down from it.
Looking out for trouble,
Actively seeking trouble.
Is what we call fun.
We actually enjoy getting into trouble.
Hey you, you in the Jesus sandals,
Hey, you with the religious-looking sandals,
Wouldn't you like to come
Wouldn't you want to join us
Over and watch some vandals smashing up someone's home?
To watch some people destroying someone's property?
We can't help it, we're so thick we can't think,
We can't help it, we're not very intelligent people.
Can't think of anything but shit, sleep and drink.
We are not capable of much thought beyond basic bodily functions and alcohol consumption.
Oh, and we like women;
We are also attracted to women;
"Up the women" we say,
We have a crude saying about women.
And if we get lucky,
And if we are fortunate enough
We might even meet some one day.
We might even find a woman to have relations with someday.
Mister, we just want your car,
Excuse me, we are interested in taking your car,
'Cause we're taking a girl to the reservoir.
Because we are planning on taking a girl to the reservoir in your car.
Oh, all the papers say,
Though news reports state
It's a tragedy, but don't you want to come and see?
It's a tragic situation, but don't you want to witness it?
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Candida Doyle, Jarvis Branson Cocker, Nick Banks, Russell Senior, Stephen Patrick Mackey
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind