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
Roadkill
Pulp Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Around your waist
The pale blue nightdress that you wore
Oh
Your hair in braids
Your sailor top
The things I don't see any more
You lost your suitcase
In my hotel room
A subway token from your Mum
The sun reflecting off the water on your face
And the way you drove your car
All these things I can't forget
No, I don't see them any more
Drove to the airport
Through a traffic jam
A deer lay dying in the road
Maybe I should have seen it as some kind of sign
'Cept I don't believe in them no more
No, no
But I believe these things I can't forget
Oh, I don't see you any more
Yeah, I believe these things I can't forget
To see them though I don't see you any more
The song "Roadkill" by Pulp is a poignant reflection on lost love and memories that still haunt the singer. The lyrics are vivid in their descriptions of intimate moments shared with a past lover, but they also touch on the fleeting and tragic nature of existence.
The first line of the song sets the stage for the melancholic tone: "The feel of my arm around your waist." It's a simple image but one that immediately conjures up a bittersweet mood. The lyrics then describe the partner's "pale blue nightdress" and "hair in braids," painting a picture of innocence and vulnerability. But these details are tinged with sadness: "The things I don't see any more." This enigmatic phrase hints at the loss and separation that have occurred since these moments were shared.
The second half of the song shifts from nostalgia to a more fatalistic outlook. The singer describes driving to the airport, only to encounter a deer dying in the road. This could be interpreted as a metaphor for the fragility of life and the inevitability of death. The singer then muses that perhaps this is a sign, before dismissively declaring that they "don't believe in them no more." The final lines of the song repeat the refrain that ties everything together: "I believe these things I can't forget / To see them though I don't see you any more." The memories of the past are indelible, even if the person they involve has moved on.
Overall, "Roadkill" is a moving meditation on the impermanence of love and life. The imagery is vivid and evocative, and the repetition of the refrain makes it clear that these memories are haunting the singer long after the relationship has ended. The song taps into universal emotions and experiences, making it a poignant and relatable piece of songwriting.
Line by Line Meaning
The feel of my arm
The touch of my arm around your waist
Around your waist
My arm wrapped around your waist
The pale blue nightdress that you wore
The pale blue nightdress that you wore on that night
Oh
Exclamation of emotion
Your hair in braids
Your hair neatly styled in braids
Your sailor top
Navy blue sailor top that you wore
The things I don't see any more
All the things I used to associate with you that I don't see anymore
No, no
Reiteration of the above
You lost your suitcase
Your suitcase got misplaced
In my hotel room
It was lost in my hotel room
A subway token from your Mum
A subway token given to you by your mother
The sun reflecting off the water on your face
Sun rays bouncing off the water and reflecting on your face
And the way you drove your car
The way you used to drive your car
All these things I can't forget
All these things I remember so vividly
No, I don't see them any more
I don't see these things happening anymore
Drove to the airport
I drove to the airport
Through a traffic jam
Amidst a traffic congestion
A deer lay dying in the road
A deer was lying lifeless on the road
Maybe I should have seen it as some kind of sign
I could have interpreted it as some kind of omen
'Cept I don't believe in them no more
I don't believe in such things anymore
But I believe these things I can't forget
However, I believe in these things that I can't seem to forget
Oh, I don't see you any more
Unfortunately, I can't see you anymore
Yeah, I believe these things I can't forget
Yes, I still believe in these memories that are etched in my mind
To see them though I don't see you any more
To reminisce on those memories regardless of not having you around anymore
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: CANDIDA DOYLE, JARVIS BRANSON COCKER, MARK ANDREW WEBBER, NICK BANKS, STEPHEN PATRICK MACKEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Rain Cloud
Pulp - this group has been so very underrated. - It's sad, they deserved so much more interest. They sang such wonderful tunes. - And Jarvis Cocker is great !
Larwood
The first 40 seconds of this song are pure bliss, what a wonderful wonderful song <3
Olaf Witte
Wish I could choose this song for my funeral.
Prince Pugh
Simple inverted guitar triads laying down underneath tender and raw moments of tension – reaching out to touch beautiful yet painful, broken, fragments – moments in time, lamenting sand lost through clutching fingers. Believed and not forgotten but sepia now in the minds-eye.... Or summats....