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
Weeds II
Pulp Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A story of cultivation, exploitation, civilization.
Found flowering on wasteland unnoticed, unofficial, accidental.
A cutting was taken but weeds do not thrive under hothouse conditions & wilt when in competition with more exotic strains.
A charming naivety, very short flowering season;
No sooner has the first blooming begun than decay sets in.
Bring your camera, take photo of life on the margins.
Offer money in exchange for sex & then get a taxi home.
A source of wonder due to their ability to thrive on poor quality soil offering very little nourishment
Drinking 'Nurishment'.
But weeds must be kept under strict control or they will destroy everything in their path.
Growing wild, then harvested in their prime & passed around at dinner parties.
Care for some weed?
So natural, so wild, so unrefined & someone's gonna make a fortune one day
If only they can market this stuff right.
Come on: do your dance.
Come on, do your funny little dance.
Germination. Plantation. Exploitation. Civilization.
A sensational buzz - zzzzzz.
Crop rotation. Genetic modification. The creation of expectation. Ultimate frustration.
This is the story of the weeds: the origin of the species.
Pulp's song Weeds II is a commentary on the societal perception of weed or cannabis. The lyrics start with the story of how the weed came to be, starting from flourishing in wastelands to being taken and cultivated under controlled conditions. In this portrayal, weeds are given a charming naivety and a very short flowering season, which implies how their growth is short-lived and unsustainable. The chorus of the song, "This is the story of the weeds: the origin of the species," emphasizes how the story of weed is still unfolding and evolving.
The second verse of the song portrays the dark side of the weed industry, marked by exploitation and the pursuit of profit. The singer urges listeners to take photographs of life on the margins and offers money in exchange for sex, highlighting how the community behind the weed industry is often disregarded and used. The song also touches on the underlying tension between the weed industry and the mainstream society, which sees weed as a danger to traditional values and morals. Pulp comments on how the cultivation of weed attempts to bring it under strict control, to prevent it from taking over everything in its path.
As the song progresses, the lyrics continue to explore the weed industry's relationship with civilization. The societal exploitation of the weed industry is continuously in flux with crop rotation and genetic modification. The lyrics end with the creation of an expectation, followed by ultimate frustration. The song concludes on a somber note, with the implication that, despite these challenges, someone will make a fortune out of weed, provided they can market it right.
Line by Line Meaning
This is the true story of the weeds: the origin of the species.
An account of the real history of weeds, how they came to exist and evolve as a species.
A story of cultivation, exploitation, civilization.
A narrative of how weeds have been cultivated, exploited and influenced civilization.
Found flowering on wasteland unnoticed, unofficial, accidental.
Weeds discovered blooming on barren land, unintentionally and not officially recognized.
A cutting was taken but weeds do not thrive under hothouse conditions & wilt when in competition with more exotic strains.
Despite being taken for cultivation, weeds do not flourish in favorable conditions and wither away with comparison to more exotic varieties.
A charming naivety, very short flowering season;
Weeds possess a simple innocence, but their season of bloom is brief.
No sooner has the first blooming begun than decay sets in.
As soon as the first bloom emerges, the decay starts to take place.
Bring your camera, take photo of life on the margins.
Invite a camera to capture pictures of lives lived on the edges of society.
Offer money in exchange for sex & then get a taxi home.
The act of soliciting prostitution followed by leaving in a taxi.
The story has always been the same
The history of weeds has remained unchanged throughout time.
A source of wonder due to their ability to thrive on poor quality soil offering very little nourishment.
They have an incredible ability to grow in poor-quality soils with low nutritional content, prompting amazement.
Drinking 'Nurishment'.
Consuming a nutritional drink called 'Nurishment.'
But weeds must be kept under strict control or they will destroy everything in their path.
Without control, weeds can ruin everything in their surroundings.
Growing wild, then harvested in their prime & passed around at dinner parties.
Allowed to grow uncontrolled and picked at their best stage, then shared at gatherings.
Care for some weed?
Would you like some weeds?
So natural, so wild, so unrefined & someone's gonna make a fortune one day
So organic, untamed, raw, and promising to bring someone immense wealth in the future.
If only they can market this stuff right.
Success depends on how well they advertise the product.
Come on: do your dance.
Now, let's see you dance.
Come on, do your funny little dance.
Come on and perform your humorous little dance.
Germination. Plantation. Exploitation. Civilization.
The stages of life for weeds: sprouting, planting, manipulation, and influence on civilization.
A sensational buzz - zzzzzz.
An exciting thrill of excitement, manifested as a humming sound.
Crop rotation. Genetic modification. The creation of expectation. Ultimate frustration.
Agricultural practices such as crop rotation and genetic modification, leading to anticipation and, ultimately, disappointment.
This is the story of the weeds: the origin of the species.
An account of the actual history of weeds, how they came to exist and evolve as a species.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: JARVIS BRANSON COCKER, STEPHEN PATRICK MACKEY, NICK BANKS, CANDIDA DOYLE, MARK ANDREW WEBBER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@roiybenkel682
This is the true story of the weeds: the origin of the species.
A story of cultivation, exploitation, civilization.
Found flowering on wasteland unnoticed, unofficial, accidental.
A cutting was taken but weeds do not thrive under hothouse conditions & wilt when in competition with more exotic strains.
A charming naivety, very short flowering season;
no sooner has the first blooming begun than decay sets in.
Bring your camera, take photo of life on the margins.
Offer money in exchange for sex & then get a taxi home.
The story has always been the same
A source of wonder due to their ability to thrive on poor quality soil offering very little nourishment
Drinking 'Nurishment'.
But weeds must be kept under strict control or they will destroy everything in their path.
Growing wild, then harvested in their prime & passed around at dinner parties.
Care for some weed?
So natural, so wild, so unrefined & someone's gonna make a fortune one day
If only they can market this stuff right.
Come on: do your dance.
Come on, do your funny little dance.
Germination. Plantation. Exploitation. Civilization.
A sensational buzz - zzzzzz.
Crop rotation. Genetic modification. The creation of expectation. Ultimate frustration.
This is the story of the weeds: the origin of the species.
@IanMcCausland
vastly underrated album
@roiybenkel682
This is the true story of the weeds: the origin of the species.
A story of cultivation, exploitation, civilization.
Found flowering on wasteland unnoticed, unofficial, accidental.
A cutting was taken but weeds do not thrive under hothouse conditions & wilt when in competition with more exotic strains.
A charming naivety, very short flowering season;
no sooner has the first blooming begun than decay sets in.
Bring your camera, take photo of life on the margins.
Offer money in exchange for sex & then get a taxi home.
The story has always been the same
A source of wonder due to their ability to thrive on poor quality soil offering very little nourishment
Drinking 'Nurishment'.
But weeds must be kept under strict control or they will destroy everything in their path.
Growing wild, then harvested in their prime & passed around at dinner parties.
Care for some weed?
So natural, so wild, so unrefined & someone's gonna make a fortune one day
If only they can market this stuff right.
Come on: do your dance.
Come on, do your funny little dance.
Germination. Plantation. Exploitation. Civilization.
A sensational buzz - zzzzzz.
Crop rotation. Genetic modification. The creation of expectation. Ultimate frustration.
This is the story of the weeds: the origin of the species.
@zoedodds844
I love love love this song
@lyndsayh.4890
this song is addictive
@Deader87
Lyndsay H.
I know I just listened to it a total of 3 times just now.
@OctavioParraA
This reminds me a little of the An american prayer Jim's morrison poetry album with music from The Doors
@zoedodds844
I’ve needed this song for so long, please don’t go away Jarvis
@az0r22
ohhhhhh myyyyyyyyyyyyyy gooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooood
@lauralaa09
this is gangster shit
@articulus6711
RIP Steve Mackey