Formed in 1978 in London, the original band Hynde, lead and rhythm guitarist James Honeyman-Scott (died 1982), bassist Pete Farndon (died 1983), and drummer Martin Chambers. Save for Hynde, a native of Akron, Ohio, the original band members were all from the U.K. This band was fractured by the drug-related deaths of Honeyman-Scott and Farndon. Since then, numerous subsequent personnel changes have taken place over the years, with Hynde as the sole constant.
With Hynde at the helm, the band experienced a critical resurgence with a trio of albums released between the mid-90s and early 00s that explored a more mature side of the band’s classic sound.
In 2008, the Pretenders' album Break Up the Concrete was released through Shangri-La Music. It was the band's first Top 40 album in the US in 22 years.
In September 2012, as part of the entertainment line-up for the 2012 Singapore Grand Prix, the Pretenders re-grouped with Hynde and Chambers from the original line-up, along with Nick Wilkinson, James Walbourne and Eric Heywood.
Up The Neck
The Pretenders Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Bewildered and deluded, have I been hit by a truck?
When my tongue lay inside his lip
Felt like the time in the womb
But I woke up with a headache that split my skull
Alone in the room
I got down on the floor with my head pressed between my knees
I said "baby, oh sweetheart"
Lust turns to anger, a kiss to a slug
Something was sticky on your shag rug, look at the tile
I remember the way he groaned and moved with an animal skill
I rubbed my face in the sweat that ran down his chest
It was all very run of the mill
But I noticed his scent started to change somehow
His face went berserk and the veins bulged on his brow
I said "baby, oh sweetheart"
Bondage to lust, abuse of facility
Blackmailed emotions confuse the demon and devotee
I was sure his intentions were sweet
And that mine was as well
But a wish is a shot in the dark
When your coin's down the well
I got out in the hall with my teeth in my head
Up to my neck and I said, said, said dead
I said "baby, oh sweetheart"
The lyrics of The Pretenders's song Up The Neck depict a tumultuous and confusing night, where the singer seems to have given in to both lust and anger. The song describes the aftermath of a sexual encounter, which might have been consensual but left the singer feeling bewildered and deluded. The first few lines suggest that the singer's senses are running amok, overwhelmed by their own emotions. They wonder if they have been hit by a truck, which is a metaphor for feeling physically and emotionally drained.
The lyrics then shift to describe the sexual encounter in more detail, with the singer reminiscing about the sensation of their tongue inside their partner's lip, which felt like the time in the womb. They woke up with a headache that split their skull, alone in the room, wondering what had just happened. The confusion turns into anger as the singer notices something sticky on the shag rug and feels a sense of disgust. They then remember the way their partner groaned and moved with animal skill, but the encounter was all very run of the mill, and they rubbed their face in the sweat that ran down their chest. The encounter takes a dark turn when the partner's scent changes, and they start to act berserk with veins bulging on their brow. The singer is left feeling trapped and unsure of their own feelings, as they are torn between bondage to lust and abuse of facility.
The song's lyrics are open to interpretation, but they seem to depict a sexual encounter that did not live up to the singer's expectations. There is a sense of confusion and regret, mixed with anger and disgust, which makes it challenging to decipher what really happened. The overall tone of the lyrics is one of disillusionment, where the singer realizes that their wishes were not enough to change the outcome of the encounter.
Line by Line Meaning
Anger and lust my senses running amok
My emotions are overwhelming me with feelings of anger and lust, making it hard to make sense of anything.
Bewildered and deluded, have I been hit by a truck?
I am confused and feeling lost, as if I have been physically hit and knocked over by a truck.
When my tongue lay inside his lip
When we kissed, I felt an intimate connection.
Felt like the time in the womb
The kiss made me feel like I was experiencing the warmth and protection of being in the womb again.
But I woke up with a headache that split my skull
After our intimate moment, I felt a painful headache that made it hard to think.
Alone in the room
I was left by myself to deal with the aftermath of our encounter.
I got down on the floor with my head pressed between my knees
I felt so overwhelmed that I had to crouch down on the floor and put my head between my knees to calm myself.
Under the bed with my teeth sunk into my own flesh
I was so distressed that I was physically harming myself by biting my own flesh.
I said "baby, oh sweetheart"
I called out to my partner with a mix of love and desperation.
Lust turns to anger, a kiss to a slug
My intense desire turned to anger and the kiss between us turned bitter and unpleasant.
Something was sticky on your shag rug, look at the tile
I noticed something gross and sticky on the rug and pointed it out to my partner.
I remember the way he groaned and moved with an animal skill
I recall how my partner made animalistic noises and moved with skill during our encounter.
I rubbed my face in the sweat that ran down his chest
I was so caught up in the moment that I found myself rubbing my face in my partner's sweat.
It was all very run of the mill
Our intimate encounter was nothing special and quite ordinary.
But I noticed his scent started to change somehow
I picked up on a shift in my partner's scent, which made me nervous.
His face went berserk and the veins bulged on his brow
Suddenly, my partner's face changed and he looked angry, as if he was about to lose control.
I said "baby, oh sweetheart"
I called out to my partner in the hopes of calming him down and getting him to refocus on me.
Bondage to lust, abuse of facility
Our intense desire for each other has led to a negative and harmful situation.
Blackmailed emotions confuse the demon and devotee
Our emotions are so strong that they feel like they are controlling us, and it's hard to tell if this is a positive or negative thing.
I was sure his intentions were sweet
I believed that my partner had good intentions toward me.
And that mine was as well
I was convinced that my own feelings and intentions were pure and good.
But a wish is a shot in the dark
Despite our good intentions, there is no guarantee that things will work out the way we hope they will.
When your coin's down the well
When you take a risk, you may not get what you hoped for and it may be hard to recover from that loss.
I got out in the hall with my teeth in my head
I left the room feeling angry and confused, clenching my teeth in frustration.
Up to my neck and I said, said, said dead
I felt like I was in over my head with the situation, and felt resigned to the outcome.
I said "baby, oh sweetheart"
Despite everything that had happened, I still felt affection for my partner and called out to them with a mix of desperation and love.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Peermusic Publishing, WORDS & MUSIC A DIV OF BIG DEAL MUSIC LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: CHRISTINE HYNDE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Tommy Wells
on Get Out of London
I don't think this song will do for a studio album.
It's because of the producer, George Acogny. He's the song producer of the movie.