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
The Night
Pulp Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
His mind was set on other things
Keep your face out of sight
And your thoughts to yourself
And this went on for several nights
Festering in silence, growing in the dark
And this they saw as love
So sad to see
They suffocate at night
Oh this they saw as love
Love
So sad to see
To see it slowly die
She met his wishes
He found that he had changed his mind
Now the fit is too tight
And the bedroom too warm
The days are filled with things to do
Night-time lies so hollow and memories betray
Oh memories of love
Love
So sad to see
They suffocate at night
Those memories of love
Love
So sad to see
To see it slowly die
Two years have passed
Two years of emptiness inside
And the grey skies above
Just show how far I went wrong
I wonder if she's living there
The way that I recall
The way I'll always think of you
And when I think of you
I think of love
Love
So sad to see
They suffocate at night
You know I think of love
Love
So sad to see
To see it slowly die
I wrote you a letter
I threw it away
I wrote you a letter
I threw it away
I need her
I know I don't need her
I need her
Oh
Oh-oh
"They Suffocate at Night" is a song by Pulp that explores a relationship that has reached an impasse, but the couple continues sticking together even though both have moved on. The song begins by introducing a couple who is physically together, but emotionally, the man is distant. His body is primarily interested in his partner, but his mind is on other things. The singer suggests that the couple has been lying to each other in silence for several nights, and their relationship is festering in silence and growing in the dark.
As the song progresses, the couple's dissatisfaction becomes apparent as they realize the relationship is claustrophobic and suffocating. The woman has met her partner's wishes but found that he has changed his mind. His desire for her has decreased, and he wants to keep his face out of sight and his thoughts to himself. The days are loaded with things to do, but the night-time is empty of love, and memories betray. The song closes with the sentiment that the relationship has died but is still remembered fondly. The singer suggests that he wrote a letter to the partner but threw it away, and although they do not need each other, he still needs her.
Line by Line Meaning
His body loved her
He was physically attracted to her
His mind was set on other things
But emotionally, he was not invested in the relationship
Keep your face out of sight
He didn't want to face the reality of the situation
And your thoughts to yourself
And chose not to express his true feelings
And this went on for several nights
This behavior continued for a long time
Festering in silence, growing in the dark
His unresolved feelings were getting worse over time
And this they saw as love
Both of them believed that they were in a loving relationship
Love
So sad to see
It was heartbreaking to witness
They suffocate at night
Their relationship was suffocating for both of them
Oh this they saw as love
Their perception of love was distorted
Love
So sad to see
It was heartbreaking to witness
To see it slowly die
Their relationship was coming to an end
She met his wishes
She tried to accommodate him
He found that he had changed his mind
But he realized that he didn't want what he thought he did
Now the fit is too tight
Their relationship no longer works
And the bedroom too warm
Even physical intimacy couldn't save their relationship
The days are filled with things to do
They are both busy with their own lives
Night-time lies so hollow and memories betray
But at night, they are haunted by their memories of a failed relationship
Oh memories of love
They once thought they were in a loving relationship
Love
So sad to see
It was heartbreaking to witness
They suffocate at night
Their relationship was suffocating for both of them
Those memories of love
Their memories of love are now tinged with regret and sadness
Love
So sad to see
It was heartbreaking to witness
To see it slowly die
Their relationship was coming to an end
Two years have passed
Time has gone by
Two years of emptiness inside
But their emotions still feel empty
And the grey skies above
The world still feels bleak
Just show how far I went wrong
He blames himself for the failure of their relationship
I wonder if she's living there
He wonders if she still lives in the same place
The way that I recall
The way he remembers it
The way I'll always think of you
He will always remember her that way
And when I think of you
She still occupies his thoughts
I think of love
He still associates her with love
Love
So sad to see
It was heartbreaking to witness
They suffocate at night
Their relationship was suffocating for both of them
You know I think of love
His thoughts of her are still tied to the idea of love
Love
So sad to see
It was heartbreaking to witness
To see it slowly die
Their relationship was coming to an end
I wrote you a letter
He tried to express his feelings through a letter
I threw it away
But he ultimately decided not to send it
I need her
He still longs for her
I know I don't need her
But he is also aware that the relationship is not healthy
I need her
He is still torn about his feelings towards her
Oh
Oh-oh
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: CANDIDA DOYLE, JARVIS COCKER, PETER MANSELL, RUSSELL SENIOR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Allison Jones
only discovered the original Frankie Valli version via BBC6 today. This actually sounds like a really Pulp-esque song.
Anna Kupinska
omg, my new favorite track by Pulp. It's been on repeat for an hour already. I didn't know that it's a cover till I read the comments, sounds very typical for the band.
rontenn1
No-one will ever match the Four Seasons original!
Block Tim
both soft cell's and pulp's versons are great. i simply like the voice of both amazing singers.
MrSteevees
Now i like Pulp but ive always thought some songs should just not be covered and this is one of them im afraid Jarvis cocker of soft cell are not a patch on theFranki valli classic
Gab Kesen
The song of my relationships.....
punchdrunkassassin
... I don't hate this.
Cesar Carter
WTF????????? Don´t keep the faith, spread it!
11suedehead11
c'mon.. its REALLY not that bad.. whats going on with all of u.. if you didnt know the original, this would be just a classic pulp b-side...
ratarro corp.
Best