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
Space
Pulp Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Well is this enough for you? ...
This is what you've waited for ...
No dust collecting in the corners ...
No cups of tea that got cold before you drank them ...
Tonight ... traveling at the speed of thought ...
We're going to escape into the stars ...
It doesn't matter if the lifts are out of order ...
We're rising up ... above the city ... over forests ... over fields ...
Rivers and lakes ... into the clouds ... and up above us ...
The whole universe is shining a welcome ...
Did you ever really think this day would happen ...
After days trying to sell washing-machines on your own? ...
It looked like we never left the ground ...
But we're weightless ... floating free ...
We can go wherever we want ... solar systems ... constellations ... galaxies ...
I'll race you to the nearest planet ...
How may times have you wished upon a star? ...
Now you can touch it ... you can touch the stars ...
Go on ... don't be afraid ...
"I only wanted some space" ...
Well is this enough for you? ... Is it ? ...
Well the stars are bright ... but they don't give out any heat ...
The planets ... are lumps of rock ... floating in a vacuum ...
Yeah, space is cold ... when you're on your own ...
I think it's time to go home ... pulling my strings ...
Like a kite that flew too high ... and now it's time to come down ...
Look out below ...
Wait 'til I get back ...
You can see something ...
You can see space ... but now I know ... it's O.K. ...
Space is O.K. ... but I'd rather ... I'd rather get my ...
I'd rather get my kicks down below ... oh yeah ... come on ...
Pulp's "Space" is a song about escaping from reality and wanting some space. The song reflects a desire to leave behind the mundane and the ordinary, and to explore the wonders of the universe. At the beginning of the song, the singer talks about how someone wanted some space. He then proceeds to describe what this "space" might look like, saying that it is free from all the typical mess and clutter of everyday life.
The song takes the listener on a journey through space, traveling at the speed of thought, and escaping into the stars. The singer has a sense of awe as he sees the whole universe shining a welcome. It is only in space that he can come to appreciate the wonder and beauty of the world.
Yet, despite the beauty of the universe, the singer recognizes that space is cold and lonely, and ultimately decides that he'd rather get his kicks down below. The final lines of the song suggest that even though space is a great escape, in the end, it is always better to return home.
Overall, "Space" is a song about escapism, about wanting to leave behind the troubles and worries of life, and traveling to a place where you can truly appreciate the universe and its wonders.
Line by Line Meaning
You said you wanted some space ...
You wanted some distance from me...
Well is this enough for you? ...
Is being in space far away from me enough space for you?...
This is what you've waited for ...
This is the moment you have been hoping for...
No dust collecting in the corners ...
There is no dirt around to bother us...
No cups of tea that got cold before you drank them ...
No unfinished business on earth to bother us...
Tonight ... traveling at the speed of thought ...
We are leaving earth tonight and traveling at a super high speed...
We're going to escape into the stars ...
We are going to run away to space and forget everything that bothers us...
It doesn't matter if the lifts are out of order ...
It doesn't matter if things are wrong on earth...
Or the car won't start ...
Or if we can't use cars anymore...
We're rising up ... above the city ... over forests ... over fields ...
We are flying above cities and forests and fields leaving all of those behind...
Rivers and lakes ... into the clouds ... and up above us ...
We are looking at rivers and lakes from a high point above the clouds...
The whole universe is shining a welcome ...
The whole universe seems to be welcoming us to this place...
Did you ever really think this day would happen ...
Did you ever think the day will come when we can escape to space?
After days trying to sell washing-machines on your own? ...
After spending a lot of time and effort selling washing machines?
It looked like we never left the ground ...
It seems like we are still on the ground although we are high above it...
But we're weightless ... floating free ...
But we are not affected by gravity anymore and we feel free...
We can go wherever we want ... solar systems ... constellations ... galaxies ...
We can travel to wherever we desire like the other solar systems, constellations and galaxies...
I'll race you to the nearest planet ...
Let's have a competition to reach the closest planet first...
How may times have you wished upon a star? ...
How many times have you wished on stars for something magical to happen?
Now you can touch it ... you can touch the stars ...
Now we are so close that we can touch the stars...
Go on ... don't be afraid ...
Continue because there is nothing to be afraid of...
"I only wanted some space" ...
"All I wanted was some space from you"...
Well is this enough for you? ... Is it ? ...
Was escaping to space from me enough space for you?...
Well the stars are bright ... but they don't give out any heat ...
Although the stars are bright, they do not provide any warmth...
The planets ... are lumps of rock ... floating in a vacuum ...
The planets are made of rocks and they float in a vacuum with no air...
Yeah, space is cold ... when you're on your own ...
Space seems cold and unfriendly when you are alone...
I think it's time to go home ... pulling my strings ...
I think it's time to come back to earth, as if something is pulling me back...
Like a kite that flew too high ... and now it's time to come down ...
It's time to come back to earth just like how a kite falls down after flying high...
Look out below ...
Be ready as we fall back to earth...
Wait 'til I get back ...
Wait for me until I return...
You can see something ...
You can experience something amazing while looking at space...
You can see space ... but now I know ... it's O.K. ...
You can see how beautiful and amazing space is, but I now realize it's okay to come back to earth...
Space is O.K. ... but I'd rather ... I'd rather get my ...
Even though space is okay, I prefer to do something else...
I'd rather get my kicks down below ... oh yeah ... come on ...
I would rather have fun back on earth, let's go back...
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