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
Streetlights
Pulp Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Behind the cinema in the rain, in the subway
Where the walls crumble and cover you in fine dust
'Cause we haven't got a home to go to
Touch me on the back seat, on the top deck
Talk dirty on the back row, can you feel me against you?
Oh no, we shouldn't, we shouldn't, we shouldn't, I want to
What you gonna do if you go home and he's not there?
It wouldn't be the same if we didn't know it was wrong
Oh, touch me and then go wherever he takes you
Oh yeah, leave me and I'll walk it off in the rain somehow, yeah
Someone wants to watch by the side of Alena Stores
In the doorway, in the rain did he see us? Do you care?
Pull the night time tight around us and we can keep each other warm
Whilst the cars drive by en-route to dried up dinners
And strip-lit kitchens and the smell of gas and potato peelings
What you gonna do if you go home and he's not there?
It wouldn't be the same if you didn't know it was wrong
Oh, touch me and then go wherever he takes you
Oh yeah, leave me and I'll walk it off in the rain somehow, yeah
We've got to go on meeting like this
I don't want to live with you or anywhere near you
I want to catch you unawares
Undressing in front of a window maybe
Impressed with those things I drive by
Did you see me? Could you tell that I was watching?
Did it make it feel better? Yeah, it was good for me too
Did you think about me? Did you close your eyes?
Think that maybe it was my hand that was touching you
My breath against your face and when you opened your eyes
Did the world tip off its axis for a few seconds?
And you thought you'd caught a tiny glimpse of someone
Something here with it's shoulders moving towards you
Yeah, I did too and it felt good, and it felt good, and it felt good
In a strange kind of way
In a way that things that aren't supposed to feel good
Sometimes do, oh, take it away, yeah
What you gonna do if you go home and he's not there?
It wouldn't be the same if you didn't know it was wrong
Oh, touch me and then go wherever he takes you
Oh yeah, leave me and I'll walk it off in the rain somehow, yeah
What you gonna do if you go home and he's not there?
It wouldn't be the same if you didn't know it was wrong
Oh, touch me and then go wherever he takes you
Oh yeah, leave me and I'll walk it off in the rain somehow, yeah
The lyrics to Pulp's song "Streetlights" describe a clandestine affair between two people who don't have a home to go to. They meet up in various locations, such as behind a cinema in the rain, in the subway where the walls are crumbling, and on the back seat or top deck of a bus. They know what they're doing is wrong and shouldn't be happening, but they can't resist each other. The lyrics also suggest that this affair has been going on for a while, as they talk about meeting up like this all the time and wanting to catch each other unawares. The song is both sensual and melancholic, with the rain and the fading streetlights adding to the atmosphere of longing and desperation.
One interpretation of the song is that it's about the thrill and danger of living life on the edge. The two people in the affair are caught in a cycle of desire and guilt, unable to break free from each other but also unable to be together openly. The rain and the run-down locations suggest a kind of seediness and hopelessness, while the streetlights represent a fleeting sense of illumination and possibility. The lyrics also suggest a sense of resignation, as the two people know that what they have is ultimately doomed and they'll have to go back to their separate lives eventually.
Line by Line Meaning
Doorways corners and the streetlights dance in your eyes
The setting around us seems to affect you deeply, and the way the streetlights shine in your eyes is enchanting.
Behind the cinema in the rain, in the subway
We're hiding in a secretive, intimate place - behind a cinema in the rain or in the subway - to be together away from prying eyes.
Where the walls crumble and cover you in fine dust
The places we come to are worn down and decaying, and the fine dust that covers us is a metaphor for our illicit actions and the secrecy that surrounds us.
'Cause we haven't got a home to go to
Our lives are complicated and we feel displaced, like we have nowhere to belong, so we seek comfort in each other.
Touch me on the back seat, on the top deck
We're in the midst of a taboo love affair, and we find opportunities to be intimate with each other in the most unexpected places, like the back seat of a car or the top deck of a bus.
Talk dirty on the back row, can you feel me against you?
We're whispering lewd words to each other in the back row of some public place, and the physical sensation of being in close proximity turns us on.
Oh no, we shouldn't, we shouldn't, we shouldn't, I want to
We're aware that what we're doing is wrong and goes against societal expectations, but the attraction between us is too strong to resist.
What you gonna do if you go home and he's not there?
We both have other people in our lives, and we wonder about what could happen if we were caught or if our significant others found out about our affair.
It wouldn't be the same if we didn't know it was wrong
The thrill and excitement of doing something forbidden adds to the intensity of our relationship, and without it, things wouldn't be as exciting.
Oh, touch me and then go wherever he takes you
We're caught up in the moment and the passion of our affair, and we're asking each other to seize the opportunity to be together whenever the chance arises.
Oh yeah, leave me and I'll walk it off in the rain somehow, yeah
We know that our affair can't last forever, and if it ends, we'll find a way to move on, despite the pain and heartache.
Someone wants to watch by the side of Alena Stores
We're paranoid that someone is watching us or that others are aware of our relationship, and we're trying to stay hidden.
In the doorway, in the rain did he see us? Do you care?
We're questioning whether someone saw us together in a compromising position or if they know about our affair, and we're wondering if it matters to either of us.
Pull the night time tight around us and we can keep each other warm
We're finding solace in each other, even when the outside world is cold and unwelcoming.
Whilst the cars drive by en-route to dried up dinners
We're contrasts in the lives of others, and while they go about mundane tasks like going to dinner, we're caught up in a passionate love affair.
And strip-lit kitchens and the smell of gas and potato peelings
The lives of others are mundane and dull, filled with everyday tasks like cooking and peeling potatoes, while our relationship is exciting and indulgent.
I want to catch you unawares
The thrill of spontaneous and unexpected encounters adds to the excitement of our relationship, and we want to catch each other by surprise.
Undressing in front of a window maybe
We're thinking about risky and daring ways to be together, like undressing in front of a window where we could potentially be caught by others.
Impressed with those things I drive by
We're both fascinated and distracted by the objects and sights we see around us as we drive or walk by.
Did you see me? Could you tell that I was watching?
We're watching each other intently, even from a distance, and we're wondering if the other person is aware of our gaze.
Did it make it feel better? Yeah, it was good for me too
The thrill of being watched or even just thinking about being watched is exciting to us and adds to the passion of our relationship.
Did you think about me? Did you close your eyes?
We're thinking about each other constantly, even when we're apart, and wondering if the other person is doing the same.
Think that maybe it was my hand that was touching you
Even when we're not physically together, we're still imagining the intimate moments between us and fantasizing about our relationship.
My breath against your face and when you opened your eyes
We're thinking about the small, intimate moments between us, like breathing against each other's faces, that are significant and meaningful to us.
Did the world tip off its axis for a few seconds?
These moments between us feel so intense and significant that we wonder if the world is affected by them or if they change the course of our lives in some way.
And you thought you'd caught a tiny glimpse of someone
We're both searching for something more meaningful in our lives, and we think we've found it in each other.
Something here with its shoulders moving towards you
The world around us is constantly changing and uncertain, but we feel that our relationship is one thing we can count on.
Yeah, I did too and it felt good, and it felt good, and it felt good
Our relationship is intense and exciting, and we both feel like we've found something meaningful that makes us feel alive and passionate.
In a strange kind of way
Our relationship is unconventional and strange, but it feels right to us.
In a way that things that aren't supposed to feel good sometimes do, oh, take it away, yeah
We know that our relationship is taboo and goes against societal norms, but it feels good to us anyway, and we want to keep indulging in it.
Contributed by Mia I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.