The video for "Pull Shapes" is a shot-for-shot reenactment of a scene from Beyond the Valley of the Dolls in which the band The Kelly Affair sings "Sweet Talking Candyman."
The song was featured in The L Word, Season 5 Episode 6 ("Lights! Camera! Action!") when Jenny and Adele go shopping. It also features on the soundtrack of the 2008 film Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging.
Billboard named the song #18 on their list of 100 Greatest Girl Group Songs of All Time.
Pull Shapes
The Pipettes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Dance with me and we'll be all right,
There's a whole floor before us,
Just for you and me,
So follow my lead and we'll 1, 2, 3,
Pull shapes!
I like to disco,
Well, I like to hip hop,
We can do it all, just don't let the music stop
Pull shapes!
I lead with my left hand,
I stomp with my right foot,
Well, I just wanna freak out,
I just wanna move, I don't care what the song's about.
Dance with me pretty boy tonight,
Dance with me and we’ll be all right,
There's a whole floor before us,
Just for you and me,
So follow my lead and we'll 1, 2, 3,
Pull shapes!
Is that a drum beat (pull shapes),
And is the base beat (pull shapes),
Well, then the rhythm is complete,
So get up on the floor it's time for you to move your feet.
Dance with me pretty boy tonight,
Dance with me and we'll be all right,
There's a whole floor before us,
Just for you and me,
So follow my lead and we'll 1, 2, 3.
What do you do when the music stops?
What do you do when the music stops?
What do you do when the music stops?
What do you do when the music stops?
Pull shapes!
Clap your hands if you want some more (pull shapes),
Clap your hands if you want some more (pull shapes),
Clap your hands if you want some more (pull shapes),
Clap your hands if you want some more,
Clap your hands if you want some more,
Clap your hands if you want some more.
Dance with me pretty boy tonight,
Dance with me and we'll be all right,
There's a whole floor before us,
Just for you and me,
So follow my lead and we'll 1, 2, 3 (pull shapes).
Dance with me pretty boy tonight (pull shapes),
Dance with me and we’ll be all right (pull shapes),
There's a whole floor before us,
Just for you and me (pull shapes),
So follow my lead and we'll 1, 2, 3,
Pull shapes!
The Pipettes' song "Pull Shapes" is a catchy, upbeat tune about dancing with someone and letting loose on the dance floor. The chorus is all about following the lead of the singer, who is inviting a "pretty boy" to dance with her. She promises that they'll be alright as long as they just let themselves go and "pull shapes," meaning move their bodies in all sorts of fun and funky ways. The singer also lists off different dance styles she likes, such as disco, rock 'n' roll, and hip hop, emphasizing that they can all be done to this one song.
The verses of the song encourage the listener to stomp their feet, move their bodies, and not worry about what the song is actually about. It's all about having fun and feeling the rhythm. There's even a bridge that asks what happens when the music stops, but quickly resolves with "pull shapes!" The repeated "clap your hands if you want some more" at the end of the song further emphasizes the idea that this is a song that's meant to keep people dancing and having a good time.
Line by Line Meaning
Dance with me pretty boy tonight,
I want to dance with you tonight and have fun.
Dance with me and we'll be all right,
We will be happy and have a good time if we dance together.
There's a whole floor before us,
There is a large dance floor available for us to use.
Just for you and me,
We have the dance floor all to ourselves.
So follow my lead and we'll 1, 2, 3,
If you follow my dance steps, we can dance together and have fun.
Pull shapes!
Let's dance in a fun and unique way.
I like to disco,
I enjoy dancing to disco music.
I like to rock 'n' roll,
I enjoy dancing to rock 'n' roll music.
Well, I like to hip hop,
I enjoy dancing to hip hop music.
We can do it all, just don't let the music stop
We can dance to any type of music as long as we keep dancing and having fun.
I lead with my left hand,
When we dance, I will take the lead with my left hand.
I stomp with my right foot,
I like to emphasize my dance moves by stomping my right foot.
Well, I just wanna freak out,
I want to dance freely and expressively.
I just wanna move, I don't care what the song's about.
I just want to dance and have fun, regardless of the music's lyrics or meaning.
Is that a drum beat (pull shapes),
If the song has a drum beat, let's dance in a fun way.
And is the base beat (pull shapes),
If the song has a strong bass beat, let's dance uniquely and creatively.
Well, then the rhythm is complete,
If both the drum beat and the bass beat are present, the song has a complete rhythm to dance to.
So get up on the floor it's time for you to move your feet.
Let's get up and start dancing, it's time to move our feet.
What do you do when the music stops?
When the music stops, what will we do?
Pull shapes!
Let's keep dancing in a fun and unique way even when the music stops.
Clap your hands if you want some more (pull shapes),
If you want more music to dance to, clap your hands and let's get back on the dance floor in a fun and unique way.
Dance with me pretty boy tonight (pull shapes),
Let's dance together in a fun and unique way tonight.
Dance with me and we’ll be all right (pull shapes),
If we dance together in a fun and unique way, we will be happy and have a good time.
Just for you and me (pull shapes),
We have the dance floor all to ourselves to dance in a fun and unique way.
So follow my lead and we'll 1, 2, 3,
If you follow my dance steps, we can dance together and have fun in a fun and unique way.
Pull shapes!
Let's keep dancing in a fun and unique way.
Contributed by Madelyn K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@edmiller6864
If the UK ever wanted to win Eurovision again, just give The Pipettes a call. This is 'douze points' every time.
@branchmedo
This album never left the CD player in my car. It would always lift my spirits going to or from work.
@Michaelas10sk8
This is a freaking amazing song. I first heard it on the What The Buck show many many years back, and it just.. never left my playlist. One of a few pop songs I never got tired of.
@geoffhazel2
that's where I found it, too. and the What the Buck video was pretty awesome, too.
@SpaceIsThePlace_
Yes! I remember he was obsessed with that song and he would play it all the time. I miss old YouTube…
@alittlebitoflight
@@geoffhazel2 There was a great WTB video where the music paused every so often for the compare to add a b*tchy comment. Then, back to full blast. Was great. Can't find it, alas.
@spnhm34
Accidentally one of the best pop songs ever
@MasDouc
This was no accident, the whole band was an exercise in manufactured pop appeal. That's why they're called the pipettes cause it was all just an experiment, but yeah totally one of the most enjoyable pop songs ever written.
@julioel1080
This song has a lot of soul and rythm and blues on it. Not a simple pop song.
@WhtGooz4841
Can't believe they never made it big and it's that long ago.
I still love and listen to this album on a regular basis