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
My Legendary Girlfriend
Pulp Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I know you're asleep, I can hear the soft sound of your breathing,
So I get up, and I go to the window, Outside, I can see all the houses,
Curtains shut tight against the night, asleep beneath the roof-tiles,
And as I stand here, I wonder, I wonder how many more times,
I'm gonna come here, I wonder how many more times, I'm gonna lie here,
And most of all, most of all I wonder, I wonder what it means,
I just wanna know what it means, So I woke her,
Down deserted streets, frozen gardens grey in the moonlight,
Fences, down to the canal,
Creeping slowly past the cooling towers,
Deserted factories, looking for an adventure,
I wandered the streets calling your name, jumping walls,
Hoping to see a light in the window, let me in,
Let me come in, let me in tonight,
Oh I see you shivering in the garden,
Silver goose-flesh in the moonlight , she's balancing,
There are so many others, with unbroken eyes,
No cellulite afternoons, and she is balancing,
Balancing on the edge of ugliness tonight,
She is balancing,
Good God!
My legendary girlfriend,
She is crying tonight,
Oh no she doesn't feel right,
She's got no-one to hold,
Her love is a sham,
He is dancing somewhere.
Oh no he doen't care,
Oh well, he'll never know.
Jump, touch my hair, I wanna, I don't care, cos tonight, we could,
Maybe we, maybe we can touch the sky, do you think that we can,
Do you think that we can, touch the sky, please, I know,
I know it's not forever, but tonight I don't care,
Your skin so pale in the moonlight,
And the way your lips swell up when you're asleep,
Nothing else matters, do you know how much I want you?,
Can you feel how much I want you?,
Oh
Pitsmoor Woman
Oh let
Oh let me in tonight
My legendary girlfriend,
She is crying tonight,
Oh no she doesn't feel right,
She's got no-one to hold.
Her love is a sham,
He is dancing somewhere.
Oh no he doen't care,
Oh well, he'll never know.
And all the stars came out tonight,
And the moon came on it's face,
It shone right though the clothes she wore,
It shone right through the dress she wore.
Good God
Oh, y'know, listen, listen, please, oh, I just wanna,
I just wanna, , He falls to sleep again, no cheese tonight, she knows
My legendary girlfriend,
She is crying tonight,
Oh no she doesn't feel right,
She's got no-one to hold.
Her love is a sham,
He is dancing somewhere.
Oh no he doen't care,
Oh well, he'll never know.
And all the stars came out tonight,
And the moon came on it's face.
It shone right through the dress she wore,
It shone right through the clothes she wore.
And the stars and the moon,
And the stars all came down today.
Oh please love me tonight
Good God now!
The lyrics of Pulp's song "My Legendary Girlfriend" depict the singer's inner thoughts while lying next to his sleeping lover in bed. He observes the houses through the window, wondering how many times he will repeat the same routine. Feeling restless, he wakes his girlfriend up and they go on a midnight walk through the deserted town. He then expresses his desire for her, asking if they can touch the sky together. The song ends with a repetition of the title and the singer's plea to his lover to love him tonight.
The song captures the feeling of disillusionment and restlessness that can arise in a long-term relationship. The singer questions the meaning of his routine and longs for an adventure, which he finds in his midnight walk. The repetition of the title phrase "my legendary girlfriend" emphasizes the singer's longing for his lover, but the song's ending implies that their relationship may not be what he wants or needs.
Line by Line Meaning
You know sometimes, when we're lying together,
The singer is reflecting on moments spent with their significant other.
And I know you're asleep, I can hear the soft sound of your breathing,
The singer is observing their partner in a vulnerable and peaceful state.
So I get up, and I go to the window, Outside, I can see all the houses,
The singer is feeling introspective and seeking perspective by looking outside at the rest of the world.
Curtains shut tight against the night, asleep beneath the roof-tiles,
The artist is observing a world that's dark and sleeping.
And as I stand here, I wonder, I wonder how many more times,
The artist is pondering how many more times they will have this moment and experience with their partner.
I'm gonna come here, I wonder how many more times, I'm gonna lie here,
The singer wonders how many more times they will have this specific moment of introspection and observation with their partner.
And most of all, most of all I wonder, I wonder what it means,
The singer seeks a deeper understanding and meaning in their present experience.
I just wanna know what it means, So I woke her,
The artist is driven to interrupt their partner's rest in pursuit of cathartic experiences and deeper understanding.
And we went walking through the sleeping town,
The artist and their partner venture out to explore the still and quiet world they've observed.
Down deserted streets, frozen gardens grey in the moonlight,
The artist and their partner explore an eerie and abandoned world, spurred by a desire for adventure.
Fences, down to the canal, Creeping slowly past the cooling towers,
The singer and their partner are literally and metaphorically drawn to structures representing power and decay.
Deserted factories, looking for an adventure, I wandered the streets calling your name, jumping walls,
The artist and their partner seek adventure in exploring abandoned and derelict structures and surroundings.
Hoping to see a light in the window, let me in, Let me come in, let me in tonight,
The singer desires a sense of belonging and comfort in the present moment.
Oh I see you shivering in the garden, Silver goose-flesh in the moonlight , she's balancing,
The singer observes their partner standing in the garden, balancing between the beauty and ugliness of the world around them.
There are so many others, with unbroken eyes, No cellulite afternoons, and she is balancing, Balancing on the edge of ugliness tonight,
The singer compares their partner to people who easily pursue the pleasures and distractions of modern life, while their partner is balancing between these pleasures and the harsh but honest realities of their surroundings.
Good God! My legendary girlfriend, She is crying tonight, Oh no she doesn't feel right,
The artist's partner is distraught and feeling out of sorts.
She's got no-one to hold, Her love is a sham, He is dancing somewhere. Oh no he doen't care, Oh well, he'll never know.
The artist's partner is feeling lost and unrequited, likely caused by events happening elsewhere in their life.
Jump, touch my hair, I wanna, I don't care, cos tonight, we could, Maybe we, maybe we can touch the sky, do you think that we can, Do you think that we can, touch the sky, please, I know, I know it's not forever, but tonight I don't care,
The singer is attempting to distract their partner and themselves by whimsically feeling invincible and boundless in the present moment.
Your skin so pale in the moonlight, And the way your lips swell up when you're asleep, Nothing else matters, do you know how much I want you?, Can you feel how much I want you?
The singer is overcome with feelings of intense desire for their partner.
Oh Pitsmoor Woman, Oh let, Oh let me in tonight
The artist calls out to their partner by name, seeking intimacy and understanding.
And all the stars came out tonight, And the moon came on it's face, It shone right though the clothes she wore, It shone right through the dress she wore. Good God
The artist observes the natural world around them, and is struck by a sense of wonder and beauty.
Oh, y'know, listen, listen, please, oh, I just wanna, I just wanna, , He falls to sleep again, no cheese tonight, she knows
The artist is speaking in broken thoughts and epiphanies, being close to their partner provides comfort and stability.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Stephen Mackey, Candida Doyle, Nicholas Banks, Jarvis Cocker, Russell Senior
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind