Common People by Pulp Lyrics Meaning – Unpacking the Sardonic Anthem of Class and Culture
Lyrics
She studied sculpture at Saint Martin’s College
That’s where I
Caught her eye
She told me that her dad was loaded
I said, “In that case, I’ll have a rum and Coca-Cola”
She said, “Fine”
And then in thirty seconds time, she said
I wanna live like common people
I wanna do whatever common people do
Wanna sleep with common people
I wanna sleep with common people
Like you
What else could I do?
I said, “I’ll, I’ll see what I can do”
I took her to a supermarket
I don’t know why
But I had to start it somewhere
So it started there
I said, “Pretend you’ve got no money”
She just laughed and said
“Ha, you’re so funny”
I said, “Yeah? Ha
I can’t see anyone else smiling here
Are you sure?”
You wanna live like common people
You wanna see whatever common people see
Wanna sleep with common people
You wanna sleep with common people
Like me
But she didn’t understand
She just smiled and held my hand
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
Still you’ll never get it right
‘Cause when you’re laid in bed at night
Watching roaches climb the wall
If you called your dad, he could stop it all, yeah
You’ll never live like common people
You’ll never do whatever common people do
Never fail like common people
You’ll never watch your life slide out of view
And then dance and drink and screw
Because there’s nothing else to do, ow
Woo, woo, ch-ch
Sing along with the common people
Sing along and it might just get you through
Laugh along with the common people
Laugh along even though they’re laughing at you
And the stupid things that you do
Because you think that poor is cool, oh
Like a dog lying in a corner
They will bite you and never warn you
Look out, they’ll tear your insides out
‘Cause everybody hates a tourist
Especially one who thinks it’s all such a laugh
Yeah, and the chip stains and grease
Will come out in the bath
You will never understand
How it feels to live your life
With no meaning or control
And with nowhere left to go
You are amazed that they exist
And they burn so bright
Whilst you can only wonder why
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
‘Cause when you’re laid in bed at night
Watching roaches climb the wall
If you called your dad, he could stop it all, yeah
Never live like common people
Never do what common people do
Never fail like common people
Never watch your life slide out of view
And then dance and drink and screw
Because there’s nothing else to do
Wanna live with common people like you
Wanna live with common people like you
Wanna live with common people like you
Wanna live with common people like you
Wanna live with common people like you
Wanna live with common people like you
Wanna live with common people like you
Oh, la-la-la-la
Oh, la-la-la-la
Oh, la-la-la-la
Oh, la-la, la-la-la-la-la
Oh yeah
The 1995 Britpop banger ‘Common People’ by Pulp remains an essential cultural touchstone, a scathing examination of class tourism wrapped in a catch-your-ear melody. Though its hooks lure you to the dancefloor, the narrative within the lyrics unfolds a deeper social commentary, inviting a closer inspection beyond its infectious groove.
Frontman Jarvis Cocker’s biting wit critiques the romanticized poverty appropriation by those privileged enough to never endure the associated struggles. Through the tale of a rich girl’s naïve desire to experience life as the ‘common people,’ Pulp delivers a stark reminder of the chasms dividing socio-economic classes, which can’t be bridged by mere curiosity or token gestures.
The Illusion of Slumming It: A Danceable Dissection of Posers
The song’s protagonist meets a girl from Greece, wealthy and apparently detached from the drudgeries of the everyday person’s life. Her longing to engage with the lifestyle of the ‘common people’— a life she has never had to endure—speaks volumes about the fetishization of poverty. Cocker’s narrative is dripping with a mix of sarcasm and pity for such naivety, as the idea of slumming it is presented as a trendy experience, rather than a challenging reality.
This voyeuristic approach to lower-class life is skewered meticulously in the lyrics. Pulp doesn’t hold back in revealing the absurdity and insensitivity of the situation, depicting the wealthy girl’s explorative desires as a misguided adventure that overlooks the true essence of struggle.
Navigate the Minefield of Memorable Lines
‘Rent a flat above a shop, cut your hair and get a job.’ This line epitomizes the tongue-in-cheek guidance offered to the girl desiring the ‘common’ experience. The simplicity of the action contrasts sharply with the impossibility of her genuine understanding or integration into a societal segment defined by its economic constraints.
‘You will never understand how it feels to live your life with no meaning or control.’ This cutting revelation in the song’s bridge serves as a reckoning. It’s a direct and brutal dissection of the privilege the girl carries like an invisible passport, allowing her an escape from the raw realities she seeks as entertainment.
The Hidden Message in the Roaches on the Wall
A profoundly haunting image in ‘Common People’ is that of roaches climbing the wall as a metaphor for the ever-present and inescapable problems of poverty. While these images are unpleasant, they signify a day-to-day normality for many, juxtaposed against the ability of the privileged to simply ‘call your dad,’ and make it all go away.
The song’s differentiation between enduring poverty and opting into its aesthetic represents a scathing critique of how society often views and manipulates poverty for its own ends. The presence of roaches isn’t just a symbol of poverty; it’s a stark line drawn between those who face it and those who will never understand its impact.
A Chorus That Echoes Through Generations
The song’s iconic chorus captures the misinformed yearning of the upper class for the raw, authentic experiences of the working-class: ‘I want to live like common people, I want to do whatever common people do.’ The repetition and catchy melody drive home the absurdity of the girl’s wish while also illustrating the vast popularity of such fantasies.
This chorus is a resonant reminder of the genuine struggle hidden behind seemingly simple lives. How the phrase ‘common people’ becomes a unifying, almost empowering shout for those who live it, but also a misunderstood, romanticized fiction for those looking in from outside.
Laughing Along or Laughing At? The Power Dynamics in Satire
‘Laugh along with the common people, laugh along even though they’re laughing at you.’ Cocker’s words are a blowtorch to the veneer of the girl’s so-called aspirations, highlighting the inevitable gulf in understanding and the painfully ironic dynamic of mockery that often accompanies the upper class’s flights of blue-collar fancy.
This layer of the song emphasizes the cruel joke of class disparity: the ones genuinely laughing are those who see through the shallow gestures of slumming it. It’s a sobering reminder that often, attempts to cross socioeconomic lines as an outsider can invert the intentions of camaraderie into a spectacle of separation and alienation.
