More about: Pulp

With Pulp reuniting for a series of summer shows and festivals next year after an 11-year absence, we look back at some of the hidden gems in the legendary Britpop band’s rich and eclectic discography.

‘Love Is Blind’

Beginning with a dramatic drumbeat, and Cocker’s (to-become-signature) groans, whoops, and screams, the opening track of 1992’s Separations sees the band coming into their own. Though His N Hers is considered Pulp’s breakthrough, Separations marked the moment Pulp refined their sound with more electronic and synth elements. The opening lines “Give me the city. / Give me the sea.” are sung with such purpose and command, hinting at the band’s triumph that was soon to follow.

‘Have You Seen Her Lately?’

Here, Jarvis really puts himself into the shoes of his female protagonist, hung up on a man who isn’t worth her time. Cocker’s ability to craft a full-fleshed character through empathetic storytelling certainly made Pulp standout amongst the laddish Britpop crowd. It’s message still stands today. Don’t settle for anything less!

‘Party Hard’

One of the singles released to promote the dark, foreboding follow-up to their Mercury-winning and era-defining Different Class, ‘Party Hard’ is somehow often overlooked. Despite its insatiable and upbeat instrumentation, the lyrics are actually pretty cynical. Though Pulp had finally achieved mainstream success at this point, Cocker remains sceptical about fame and everything that comes with it, with lyrics like “If you didn’t come to party, then why did you come here?”

‘Cocaine Socialism’

A scathing strike against Tony Blair’s Labour government. At this point in time Blair had famously reached out to several Britpop stars for their support in his campaign (see Noel Gallagher!) Cocker points out the hypocrisy of the Labour Party at this point. The song remains a favourite with Pulp fans and rightfully so: it’s way ahead of its time. It’s imbued with an enthralling horn section and self-referential lyrics like “You sing about common people, and the mis-shapes and the misfits.” The song is musically identical to ‘Glory Days’ which did end up appearing on This Is Hardcore, perhaps because ‘Cocaine Socialism’ would have simply been too controversial. But this track is certainly the better of the two!

‘Frightened – Demo’

Arguably, His N Hers could’ve been a double LP, as its deluxe edition on Spotify boasts some of the best crafted b-sides and demos any band has had to offer. This track begins with piercing high frequency synths before descending into madness. Lyrically, it involves one of Pulp’s favourite topics: the qualms of married life. Cocker expresses his fears of marriage: the lack of individuality that comes with it; the curtailing of freedom and autonomy as you become half of a whole. It also includes some of his best absurd yet poetic lyrics: “I cut your head off cause I’ve always loved your mind.” Like many of Pulp’s songs, it builds to a thrilling final minute, full of sizzling guitars and a final spoken word section that ended up becoming part of the track ‘His N Hers’.

‘Like A Friend’

Another song from the This is Hardcore era, ‘Like a Friend’ was a b-side to ‘A Little Soul’ and went on to be included on the soundtrack of Great Expectations (1998), a modernised retelling of the Charles Dickens’ classic. The song details the inevitable heartbreak of pining after someone who’s simply uninterested. Beginning as a tender ballad with minimal instrumentation and heart-breaking lyrics like: “Go on and kill me baby / While you smile like a friend”, the track soon catapults into a rockier beat as Jarvis reels off a load of similes for a love unreciprocated: “Like a car crash I can see but I just can’t avoid […] Like a film that’s so bad but I’ve got to stay ‘til the end.”

‘My Legendary Girlfriend’

At almost seven minutes in length, the lead single from Separations foreshadows the sprawling sprechgesang songs that became a key part of Pulp’s discography. Jarvis’s breathy, Sheffield-accented vocal and the danceable beat that builds to a crescendo at each chorus makes it an iconic bop. It also received a rare live outing, performed by Cocker’s latest ensemble JARV IS on their 2021 tour – a nice treat for the diehards in the audience.

‘Pink Glove’

Best. Song. Ever. ‘Pink Glove’ is a bit like the sequel to ‘Do You Remember The First Time?’, the preceding track on His N Hers. The songs just transition so smoothly into one another, but ‘Pink Glove’ stands out as the superior of the two. The way the songs ascends at its bridge, is equal parts exhilarating and cathartic!

‘Life Must Be So Wonderful'

Taken from the band’s second (and criminally underrated) record, 1987’s Freaks, ‘Life Must Be So Wonderful’ is a bleak look back at love gone sour over a stumbling waltz. Next to some of Pulp’s later material, this track may seem downright depressing but, lyrically and sonically, it shows a different, more vulnerable side to the band.

‘Tomorrow Never Lies’

The would-be Bond theme that somehow lost out to Sheryl Crow’s subpar standard. Beginning with dramatic flourishes and a piano melody that swells and blossoms into a big, beautiful chorus. It’s no wonder that a song written in the ‘This is Hardcore’ era with its swaggering, sensual undertones was shortlisted to be in a James Bond film. This record, frankly, encapsulates the man himself.

‘Modern Marriage – demo’

‘Modern Marriage’ may seem an odd choice for this list. It’s so subtle yet it does everything a Pulp song should. Jarvis’ whispered vocals in the first verse feel like ASMR. With it’s tongue-in-cheek lyrics about sharing weed and the cheeky “I will never sleep with any of your friends – well not your best friends”, the song captures a sense of late-90s nostalgia as Britpop had begun to fizzle out. Cocker even manages to slate patriotism, consumerism, and capitalism, all in the same breath. It feels like it could soundtrack a montage of memories at the end of a movie, with its switch between the prolonged synth notes of the verses and the chorus melody.

Listen to the tracks in one handy playlist:

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More about: Pulp