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
Someone Like The Moon
Pulp Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
As it travels through the sky,
'Cause she's heard that it's romantic,
Though she really can't see why.
Someone should have helped her through the day.
Someone like the moon.
And telephones a friend,
And she asks if she can make it,
So this night will never end.
Someone should have helped her through the day.
Someone like the moon.
But the light comes,
And the day bleeds through the sky,
And the sun,
The sun makes it hard to get through,
And the radio only plays love songs so she cries,
Though she knows it's such a bad thing to do.
In the evening it gets better,
And she thinks how it's not right,
That someone so stupid,
Can so easily screw up your life.
Someone should have helped her through the day.
Someone like the moon.
But the light came,
And the day bled through the sky,
And the sun, the sun made it hard to get through,
And the radio only played love songs so she cried,
Though she knew it's such a bad thing to do.
Can't you see?
Can't you see?
Someone should have helped her through the day.
Someone like the moon.
The song "Someone Like The Moon" by Pulp tells the story of a girl who seeks solace in the moonlight because she finds it romantic but cannot understand why. She calls a friend asking if she can make it through the night, hoping that it would never end. The girl cries as love songs play on the radio, knowing that it is not the right thing to do. She believes that someone so foolish could easily ruin one's life. Throughout the song, the singer appeals to the moon as the one who could have helped her through the day.
This song appears to be a critique of the modern world's people, who are so desperate for companionship that they seek solace in anything they can grasp. The girl in the song is going through something, maybe depression or loneliness or an unrequited love, we are never really told. We only see her looking out into the night sky for the moon, the only thing that can give her a brief moment of joy and happiness. The moon becomes a symbol of hope, calmness, and relief that she desires.
In conclusion, Pulp's "Someone Like The Moon" portrays the fact that sometimes we all need someone to help us through the day, and sometimes it can be anyone, including the moon. The song reflects the universal desire to find comfort and happiness in someone or something.
Line by Line Meaning
She likes to watch the moon,
She finds solace in watching the moon, as it travels through the sky.
As it travels through the sky,
The moon moves across the sky.
'Cause she's heard that it's romantic,
She thinks watching the moon is a romantic thing to do.
Though she really can't see why.
She does not fully understand why she finds watching the moon so romantic.
So she drinks a cup of coffee,
She drinks coffee to help her stay awake and alert.
And telephones a friend,
She calls a friend for emotional support.
And she asks if she can make it,
She asks her friend if she can endure the night.
So this night will never end.
She wishes the night would never end, as the day brings her pain.
But the light comes,
Dawn arrives.
And the day bleeds through the sky,
The light of the day gradually fills the sky.
And the sun,
The sun rises.
The sun makes it hard to get through,
The sunlight makes it difficult for her to cope.
And the radio only plays love songs so she cries,
The songs being played on the radio bring her to tears, as they remind her of the love she has lost.
Though she knows it's such a bad thing to do.
She is aware that crying will only make her feel worse, but cannot stop herself from doing so.
In the evening it gets better,
As the day progresses, she feels better.
And she thinks how it's not right,
She reflects on how unfair life can be.
That someone so stupid,
Someone who has made poor decisions.
Can so easily screw up your life.
Can have such a detrimental effect on your life.
Can't you see?
Can you not understand what she is going through?
Someone should have helped her through the day.
She feels like she needed someone's support to help her cope with the day's challenges.
Someone like the moon.
Someone who can provide comfort and emotional support, like the moon provides light and comfort in the darkness.
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
EmanuelJose710
His 'N' Hers es una maravilla, infravalorado sin duda o se la poca importancia, este disco es punto de inflexion en Pulp. Esta cancion en especial parece inspirada en los maestros compositores Mexicanos, Peruanos, Argentinos, etc. Me recuerda mucho su sonido, que maravilla es Pulp.
becky
His 'N' Hers is a wonder, undoubtedly underrated or unimportant, this album is a turning point in Pulp. This song in particular seems inspired by the Mexican, Peruvian, Argentine master composers, etc. It reminds me a lot of his sound, what a wonder Pulp is.
julieta lopez
i like this... <3
Guillaume HARDY
His N Hers album is THE gem...
The Talking Penguin
Pink Floydish, lovely.