Different Class

This was the first Pulp album that commercially made it big. After His ‘N’ Hers became something of a classic amongst many music listeners. Before that Pulp had released many albums, with some rather hit and miss songs on them.

Here is my run down on the songs that really do make this album ‘Different Class’ An album full of songs about the common person, and the underdog.

“Please understand. We don’t want no trouble. We just want the right to be different. That’s all” – quote from the back of the inlay.

1. Mis-Shapes

This is a song, about how it’s all right to be different. It’s about how people who are different who enjoy studying and dress differently (stereotypical nerds) can be bullied by those people who think they are better than them. This song is full of witty remarks, one of the best verses is:

“Check your lucky numbers, that much money could drag you under,
Oh what’s the point in being rich, if you can’t think what to do with it,
‘Cause you’re so bleeding thick.”

This is an incredible song that deserves to be listened to by everyone. Particulary if you consider yourself to be one of the mis-shapes that gets picked on by the ‘popular people’ because you are not afraid to be an individual.

“You could end up with a smack in the mouth, just for standing out”

A definite high point, not just on this album but also for music in particular. A song that a lot of people will be able to identify with.

10/10

2. Pencil Skirt

This is a song about some slimy love rat that gets thrills by making love to other peoples girlfriends. He delights in telling his lover how he has kissed her Mother twice, and now he’s working on her Dad! Funny, yet disturbing.

8/10

3. Common People

This is the song that really catapulted Pulp to bigger things. The classic anthem for the Common Person. This song is about the type of person who thinks it is fashionable to try to become one of the Common People. Even though that person is from a privileged background.

Very upbeat, with yet again concise, funny, cutting yet painfully honest lyrics. This song criminally only got to number 2 in the charts… this is a mad mad world we live in sadly.

Best lyric:

“Rent a flat above a shop, cut your hair and get a job, smoke some fags and play some pool, pretend you never went to School, but still you’ll never get it right…”

10/10

4. “I Spy”

Another brilliant song. Can you spot a trend developing here? This person in this song thinks very highly of himself. He envisages himself as a giant looking at people’s petty lives. He specialises in revenge, and ruining relationships it seems. He excuses his behaviour by explaining

“I can’t help it, I was dragged up,
My favourite parks are car parks,
Grass is something you smoke,
Birds are something you s**h”

That shows to me his disrespect to everything. He clearly has delusions of grandeur, he is the best, he looks at people with disdain, and he cheats because he can…

9/10

5. Disco 2000

The song that borrows a riff from an Elton John song. This riff though is incredibly inspired and suits the feel of the song perfectly. The main person in this song is in love with Deborah. He grew up with her; this song recollects things that he still remembers about her. He remembers how everyone said that they would get married and never split up. They never did it, though apparently he often thought of it. When in big School, she became very popular in School. Whilst he still loved her, evidently she could have any lad she wanted. This person not being one of the boys as it were, had to be content watching others chatting her up and having fun with her. As the years have passed, it is obvious there relationship has been deteriorating.

The main part of the song then is the boy saying that they should meet up again in the year 2000 when they are fully grown. Perhaps he thinks he may have a chance with her when he is older. Maybe he is just romanticising.

An emotional song, which I can identify with the same feelings as experienced by the admirer of Deborah. As I am certain many people have done.

10/10

6. Live Bed Show

A sad story about how the life has changed of the main female protagonist in the song. Her boyfriend/husband left her. It is obvious by references to the headboard banging in the night, that this couple led a very active sex life.

She works now, not because she has to, but because otherwise she will lie in bed all day. In the past that would be good, not now though.

Best lyric

“Now every night she plays a sad game. Called pretending nothing’s going wrong. Oh but she knows if this show was televised no one would watch it not tonight but 7 years ago”

9/10

7. Something Changed

WOW – beautiful and stunning would be understatements in my opinion about this song. About a blind date, that may have never been. There were so many factors that could have ruined the relationship from happening.

The lyrics as per usual are nothing short of perfection. The music is perfect from the gentle guitar, to the strings that are used.

Best lyric:

“I could have stayed at home, and gone to bed. I could have gone to see a film instead. You might have changed your mind and seen your friend… life could have been very different but then ‘Something Changed’”

Nothing short of a 10/10 rating could ever be used for this song in my opinion.

8. Sorted for E’s and Wizz

This song caused a storm upon its release as a single, with Mis-shapes. It was called a song encouraging drug use by the clueless tabloid press, the Mirror being the most disgusted. If they had bothered to actually listen to the song they would have noticed it has an anti-drugs message in it.

Best lyric

“In the middle of the night it feels alright but then tomorrow morning, oh then you come down. Oh then you come down, what if you never come down”

That is the ending of the song, the never come down reference is in my opinion obviously a reference to the fact that, you may not survive.
9/10

9. F.E.E.L.I.N.G C.A.L.L.E.D L.O.V.E

About that feeling called love. About what that feeling called love means to him, what he associates with it. This song is best described as a lyrical painting; it paints everything from the room, the furniture to what’s going on in his mind. He says it’s not Chocolate boxes and roses; it’s dirtier than that. Well this is Jarvis Cocker speaking.

Best lyric

“F.E.E.L.I.N.G C.A double L. E. D L.O.V.E what is this thing that is happening to me?

7/10

10. Underwear

About how a woman goes back to a Mans house whilst drunk. She realises she doesn’t wish to have sex with him but, it’s too late now. She’s already semi-naked in his room.

“He’s coming up the stairs and in a moment, he’ll want to see your underwear”

This song, for me has a moral about it. Don’t get too drunk, as you may end up in a situation that you may regret. This song doesn’t delve any deeper into this Woman’s situation, but leaves you with a feeling that maybe she gives in and gives the man what he wants out of fear or obligation.

Best lyric

“If fashion is your trade, then when you’re naked. I guess you must be unemployed yeah.”

9/10

11. Monday Morning

This song is about someone who has no goal in life, no discernable future. They just “go out late from Monday till Saturday turns into Sunday”. No hope for anything, their friends have all left town and this person is still stuck at home. Living life as a routine. Everyone else has moved on, this person hasn’t.

Best lyric

“There’s nothing to do so you just stay in bed (oh poor thing).
Why live in the World when you can live in your head?”

8/10

12. Bar Italia
About two clubbers, staying out all night. Bar Italia is where they meet an all night bar of some sorts. I believe that the people in this song have both taken Amphetamine. The male character wants to keep moving, whilst the woman is not feeling well at all.

Best lyric

“If they knocked down this place, it would still look much better than you”

8/10

Note all of these songs are my interpretations of them; of course I may well be wrong. This is my opinion anyone who disagrees with it, can do so within the feedback section, where your observations will be more than welcomed.

I will update this opinion again soon.