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
Underwear
Pulp Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And close the curtains?
'Cause you're not going anywhere
He's coming up the stairs
And in a moment he'll want to see your underwear
I couldn't stop it now
There's no way to get out
And how the hell did you get in here
Semi-naked in somebody else's room?
I'd give my whole life to see it
Just you
Stood there
Only in your underwear
If fashion is your trade
Then when you're naked
I guess you must be unemployed yeah
But 'cause once it's underway
There's no escaping
The fact that you're a girl and he's a boy
I couldn't stop it now
There's no way to get out
He's standing far too near
And how the hell did you get in here
Semi-naked in somebody else's room?
I'd give my whole life to see it
Just you
Stood there
Only in your underwear
If you close your eyes and just remember
That this is what you wanted last night
So why is it so hard for you to touch him
For you to go and give yourself to him, oh, Jesus
I couldn't stop it now
There's no way to get out
He's standing far too near
And how the hell did you get in here
Semi-naked in somebody else's room?
I'd give my whole life to see it
Just you
Stood there
Only in your underwear, come on, come on, come on now
Doo-doo-doo-doo-doo-doo-doo, doo, doo, doo
Doo-doo-doo-doo-doo-doo-doo, doo, doo, doo
Oh yeah
I want to see you
Want to see you standing in your underwear, oh
Pulp's song "Underwear" is a commentary on the vulnerability of women and the male gaze. The singer of the song addresses a woman in a sexually compromising situation, urging her to shut the door and close the curtains, as her male partner is approaching and will want to see her in her underwear. The woman is portrayed as helpless and trapped in this situation, with the singer also questioning how she got into somebody else's room semi-naked. The lyrics suggest that the woman is objectified by her male partner, who sees her as nothing more than a sexual object to be admired and desired.
The second verse of the song takes a snide shot at the fashion industry, suggesting that when a woman is naked, she must be unemployed because her body is her only commodity. The chorus repeats the idea that there is no stopping what is happening - the woman is at the mercy of her male partner's desires. The bridge of the song takes a twisted turn, with the singer asking the woman to remember that she wanted this encounter last night, and questioning why it is so hard for her to go through with it. The song ends with the singer expressing his desire to see the woman standing in her underwear.
Overall, "Underwear" is a dark and disturbing commentary on the ways in which women are objectified and fetishized by men. The song portrays the male gaze as a powerful force that renders women helpless, emphasizing the lack of control that women have over their own bodies and desires.
Line by Line Meaning
Why don't you shut the door
And close the curtains?
Why don't you take precautions to ensure privacy, so no one else can see you?
'Cause you're not going anywhere
He's coming up the stairs
And in a moment he'll want to see your underwear
There's no point in trying to leave and avoid the situation, as your visitor is already heading your way and will request to see your underwear very soon.
I couldn't stop it now
There's no way to get out
He's standing far too near
And how the hell did you get in here
Semi-naked in somebody else's room?
I'd give my whole life to see it
Just you
Stood there
Only in your underwear
It's too late to prevent the situation from happening, and you are now stuck in this unfamiliar area with the man who wants to see you in your underwear. However, the singer can't resist the temptation and desires to see you in that scenario.
If fashion is your trade
Then when you're naked
I guess you must be unemployed yeah
If your profession is modeling clothes, then it's only natural that you would be jobless without clothing on.
But 'cause once it's underway
There's no escaping
The fact that you're a girl and he's a boy
Now that you're in this situation, there's no way to avoid the fact that you're a girl and he's a boy, and therefore, there are certain expectations that come with it.
If you close your eyes and just remember
That this is what you wanted last night
So why is it so hard for you to touch him
For you to go and give yourself to him, oh, Jesus
Maybe if you remind yourself that you wanted this last night, it will be easier for you to comply with his desires and fulfill his expectations.
Doo-doo-doo-doo-doo-doo-doo, doo, doo, doo
Doo-doo-doo-doo-doo-doo-doo, doo, doo, doo
Oh yeah
I want to see you
Want to see you standing in your underwear, oh
The singer is fixated on seeing you in your underwear, and they can't resist the thought of it.
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
@oliverbanks1975
“If fashion is your trade
Then when you're naked
I guess you must be unemployed yeah” is such genius writing
@user-gj5oo1dh2s
Can u pls explain this line, cuz i know Jarvis’ lyrics have always had a hidden meaning but i just don’t get this one
@TOB-mi2do
@@user-gj5oo1dh2s i think he’s bascially saying that fashion models wear clothes for a living, so now that she’s naked she isn’t doing what she does for her job, thus she’s unemployed, hope this helped :)
@user-gj5oo1dh2s
T537 OB1 yess, thank you :)
@shanthicleckler7060
Totally!!!!!
@leelivingston
Not enough people get how genius this song is! Just like so many Pulp songs. Why aren't they more appreciated??? We truly need a huge reunion tour....
@thesadoreo
i guess your wish came true bc they’re going on tour this year
@user-gk6ii7jv1z
+++
and - You got it )))
@superyid2010
what a terriffic band they were,and underwear is one of their most underated songs.the word genius is over-used these days but jarvis cocker is a musical genius
@judywilliamson5203
Absolutely!