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
She's Dead
Pulp Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Everybody came to see
She's falling
And I know I'll never see her face again
And I don't really know
Just why she's leaving
All she ever said
Was she just had to go
As she walks away from me
Yeah, I can see her
Then I know that in a moment she'll be gone
Yeah, she'll be gone and
And then I'll say
"You've got to understand
She's not really breathing
No not at all
Those years of endless rain
They just washed her away."
Oh and I know she's leaving
Yeah she's going for good
Oh and I'd love to go with you
But I never would
Face it
You've blown it this time round
Now I understand
Just why she's leaving
Oh
If she'd have hung around with me
Well you know she'd never go, no nonono
Oh and I know she's leaving
Yeah, she's going for good
And I'd love to go with you
But I never would
Oh and I know she's leaving
Yeah, she's going for good
And I'd love to go with you
Oh but I never would
No I never would
No I never would
No I never would
Oh no
Dadadada dadada
She's never coming back
Face it
She's gone
Oh
Lalalala lalala
No I never would
No I never would.
The lyrics of Pulp's song She's Dead tell the story of a woman who is dying or has already died. The singer watches as she walks away from him, knowing that she will soon be gone forever. He struggles to understand why she is leaving, but all she ever told him was that she had to go. The last verse of the song reveals that she is not just leaving, but has passed away, and that the years of endless rain have washed her away. The singer realizes that he has blown his chance with her and that he will never see her again.
On a deeper level, the song can be interpreted as a commentary on the impact of depression and mental illness on a person's life. The line "those years of endless rain, they just washed her away" could be seen as a metaphor for the way that mental illness can erode a person's life and make them feel like they are disappearing. The song also touches on the idea of missed opportunities and regret, as the singer laments that if she had stayed with him, she would still be alive.
Overall, Pulp's She's Dead is a haunting and thought-provoking song that explores themes of loss, regret, and the impact of mental illness.
Line by Line Meaning
She's dying
The woman is close to death
Everybody came to see
Many people have gathered to witness her passing
She's falling
Her health is deteriorating quickly
And I know I'll never see her face again
The artist realizes that this is the last time he'll ever see her
And I don't really know
The artist is unsure of the reason behind her departure
Just why she's leaving
The singer is unaware of the circumstances of her departure
All she ever said
The woman didn't provide any explanation for her leaving
Was she just had to go
She felt it was necessary to leave
And I watch her
The artist observes her as she leaves
As she walks away from me
She is physically departing from the artist
Yeah, I can see her
The singer has a clear view of her leaving
Then I know that in a moment she'll be gone
The artist realizes that she will soon be out of sight
Yeah, she'll be gone and
Her departure is imminent
And then I'll say
The singer plans to say something after she's gone
"You've got to understand
The singer wants to impart some insight for the situation
She's not really breathing
The woman has passed away
No not at all
She's no longer alive
Those years of endless rain
The circumstances of her life have caused her demise
They just washed her away.
Her years of despair caused her death
Oh and I know she's leaving
The artist has accepted that she is departing
Yeah she's going for good
She is not coming back
Oh and I'd love to go with you
The artist wishes he could join her
But I never would
He knows he can't follow her
Face it
The artist tells himself to accept reality
You've blown it this time round
The singer recognizes that he missed his chance with her
Now I understand
The singer has gained insight into the reasons behind her leaving
Just why she's leaving
He now knows the reason why she had to depart
If she'd have hung around with me
The artist thinks that if she stayed with him longer
Well you know she'd never go, no nonono
She would have stayed with him forever
She's never coming back
The singer confirms that she will not return
Lalalala lalala
The singer hums in mourning
No I never would
The artist reiterates that he would never follow her
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: CANDIDA DOYLE, JARVIS COCKER, NICHOLAS BANKS, RUSSELL SENIOR, STEPHEN MACKEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind