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
Styloroc
Pulp Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A land of happy hours where the skies are grey and the food exceptionally greasy.
We drank strange brown liquids, and our stomachs swelled up like balloons.
A thousand fake orgasms every night behind thick draylon curtains.
They go on and on and on and on.
Oh! We sank back into long PVC sofas.
Outside dogs roamed the streets and the roof-tops, plus it would rain
Stay we must, sprouting black hair beneath bry-nylon underwear.
Yes, you will stay; these nights of suburbia go on and on
And on and on and on and on and on.
They go on and on and on and on and on and on and on.
Yeah, oh, I'm feeling greasy.
Oh, I can't hear you. Oh, you're fading away. Oh no. Oh...
The lyrics to Pulp's song Styloroc describe the experience of the singer and their companions as travelers who have found themselves lost in a strange, mundane world that they see as an escape from the chaos and struggles of their previous existence. The “wilderness” they refer to was perhaps their old way of life or a highly stressful period, and this new, bleak place with its dull monotonous routines and greasy food offers them the solace they crave.
The verse goes on to describe the numerous pleasures they indulge in every day; drinking exotic ‘brown liquids’ and faking orgasms every night, behind thick curtains. They laze around in PVC sofas and watch the rain and dogs wander through the streets outside. All of these actions leave them feeling content, though they seem to be steadily gaining weight and falling into a listless lifestyle.
The chorus gets more expressive as the singer repeatedly sings “on and on and on”, which encapsulates the tedium of their existence in this new world. The final verses convey the realization that they are unable to leave and must remain in this strange land, sprouting black hair beneath bry-nylon underwear, and as the song fades out, the singer's voice trails off into oblivion, indicating the loss of control over their own life.
Line by Line Meaning
After many weeks in the wilderness we came upon a strange, exotic life.
We discovered a new place that's different from where we've been staying for weeks.
A land of happy hours where the skies are grey and the food exceptionally greasy.
We stumbled upon a place where people enjoy themselves even if the environment doesn't look good, and where the food is heavy.
We drank strange brown liquids, and our stomachs swelled up like balloons.
We consumed beverages we're not familiar with and it made our stomachs bloat.
A thousand fake orgasms every night behind thick draylon curtains.
There are many false expressions of pleasure happening every night and it's being concealed by thick, cheap curtains.
They go on and on and on and on.
Those false expressions of pleasure continue repetitively.
Oh! We sank back into long PVC sofas.
We rested on couches made of plastic and artificial material.
Outside dogs roamed the streets and the roof-tops, plus it would rain
Dogs wander outside and are free to go anywhere while it rains.
But now we've grown so fat we can no longer pass through the door.
We've eaten too much and gained weight, we can't even fit through the door.
Stay we must, sprouting black hair beneath bry-nylon underwear.
We can't leave, we have no choice but to stay and adapt to the situation, even if it's uncomfortable.
Yes, you will stay; these nights of suburbia go on and on
We need to remain there, as those unexciting nights in the suburban area keep going.
And on and on and on and on and on.
Those monotonous times continue endlessly.
Yeah, oh, I'm feeling greasy.
I'm feeling uncomfortable and dirty.
Oh, I can't hear you. Oh, you're fading away. Oh no. Oh...
My focus is gone, and everything seems to be falling apart.
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